More than a few barking dogs could be heard at the Seneca County Fair Thursday morning as the Education Building played host to a dog agility course and the American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen testing.
"If there was any need for improvement it was leaving the dog alone with a stranger to behave for three minutes," evaluator Katy Smith said.
This is the last segment of the testing course, called "supervised separation," in which the dogs are kept on a 6-foot leash.
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PHOTO BY AARON POST
Doggon’Its 4-H member Hannah Williams runs her dog, Granger, through the agility course in the Education Building at the Seneca County Fair Grounds.
Those of the roughly dozen participants who took the course and passed receive a certificate.
People in the dog community recognize the certificate at nursing homes and allow the dog in, she said.
"It's an indication the dog has manners," Smith said.
Doggon'Its 4-H adviser Kelly Marker has been with the group for the last eight years. She said she preps for the testing every year.
"We have meetings every Tuesday and training every Sunday from March through August," she said.
Both the Canine Good Citizen test and the dog agility course were not competitive.
"It (the agility course) was a fun match," Doggon'Its 4-H member Logan Shackelford said.
"It's about being able to teach the younger kids what we've done before," Doggon'Its 4-H member Amanda Mowery said.
Cloverbuds also were in attendance, which consists of the younger members.
"This year Lowe's donated a shed to keep the agility equipment in," Marker said.
There have been some changes to the dog agility course year-to-year.
"Last year the agility course was a little longer," Doggon'Its 4-H member Hannah Williams said. "Next year we will have speed obedience."
She said this will allow for less obstacles on the course.
Williams said her dog, Granger, was most challenged on the broad jump.
