Chautauqua County resident Claudia Almekinder was Reserve Grand Champion in obedience at the New York State Fair in Syracuse.

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County’s 4-H Dog Program wrapped up its year with two youth representing Chautauqua County at the New York State 4-H Dog Show. The 4-H dog program meets regularly throughout the year to learn about dog care, training, and grooming. Two 4-H participants, Connor Isaacson and Claudia Almekinder, took their dogs to the state fair.

Ten-year-old Almekinder and her dog Spritz competed in three beginner-level disciplines: Beginner B Obedience, Novice Rally, and Grooming & Handling A. Do not let the “beginner” label fool you, these competitions are tough at the state level. Almekinder earned a blue ribbon in Obedience, as well as being Reserve Grand Champion, the second highest award for that category. She also earned a red ribbon in Grooming & Handling with a solid performance.

In his first year at the Fair, Isaacson and his dog Scout took on two advanced-level classes: Intermediate Rally-Obedience and Grooming & Handling B. Isaacson impressed everyone with his determination and earned red ribbons in both events, an achievement made even more notable by the tight competition and high scoring standards. This was a strong debut from a promising young handler at the state level.

Both Almekinder and Isaacson also took part in the Cynology booth, where participants are quizzed on a wide range of dog-related knowledge and skills. They performed exceptionally well, showcasing not only their hands-on abilities but also their understanding of canine science and care.

The 4-H dog project is one of the more accessible 4-H animal projects, since you can keep a dog in places where zoning does not permit cows, hogs, or other agricultural animals. The dog project works with 4-H’ers to train and care for their dogs.

4-H connects youth to hands-on learning opportunities that help them grow into competent, caring, contributing members of society. The 4-H Program is one of many programs offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County (CCE-Chautauqua). CCE-Chautauqua is a subordinate governmental agency with an educational mission that operates under a form of organization and administration approved by Cornell University as agent for the State of New York. It is tax-exempt under section 501I (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The association is part of the national cooperative extension system, an educational partnership between County, State, and Federal governments. As New York’s land grant university Cornell administers the system in this state. Each Cornell Cooperative Extension association is an independent employer that is governed by an elected Board of directors with

general oversight from Cornell. All associations work to meet the needs of the counties in which they are located as well as state and national goals. For more information, call 716-664-9502 or visit our website at www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua.