Practice leadership, sportsmanship and teamwork as you train your dog to compete in a 4-H dog show.
What can you do?
In the dog project, you can:
- Learn how to care for and train a dog.
- Explore careers that involve working with dogs.
- Compete in a 4-H dog show.
- Discover breeds, grooming, health and nutrition and responsible breeding practices.
Project information
Adult volunteers and youth members: Be sure to watch the 4-H animal science PDC update webinar recording (YouTube) - April 24, 2025.
Animal health and biosecurity information (Google Doc) - Important to read.
Get started with 4-H'ers in your area
- Find a club near you or contact your local 4-H office for more info.
Get started on your own
- Dog information sheet (posted Dec. 17, 2025) - Important to read.
- Dog activity books from National 4-H (for sale)
- Dog activity hot sheet from Iowa 4-H (free download)
- Dog activity book from Utah 4-H (free download)
- Conformation for Beginners videos and activities from the American Kennel Club's Canine College series
- The Complete Dog Book For Kids (ISBN 0876054602) Visit your local bookstore or library or order online
- First aid tips for pet owners from the American Veterinary Medical Association
- Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook - Fourth Edition (ISBN 0470067853) Visit your local bookstore or library.
Train your dog from home
- Short videos about obedience training
- Dog obedience how-to guide
- Agility training - Train your dog to run through tunnels, weave through poles and more.
Be sure to connect with your local Extension office and county dog trainer for local options.
Dog organizations
- American Veterinary Medical Association
- Merck Veterinary Manual
- Minneapolis Kennel Club
- Key City Kennel Club
- Rochester Kennel Club
- Wright County Kennel Club
- Granite City Kennel Club of St. Cloud
- Minnesota Agility Club
- American Kennel Club
- North American Dog Agility Council (NADAC)
- United States Dog Agility Association (USDAA)
Deepen your project learning with these opportunities
- Project bowl
- Supersession: 4-H dog project training workshop - This is offered every other year, so the next opportunity to participate will be in spring of 2026.
Join the 4-H Dog Project Development Committee
This is a leadership opportunity for 4-H members in grades 9 and up. Represent your fellow 4-H'ers on the PDC, serving with adult volunteers.
How to apply
See complete details and apply on the 4-H Volunteer Resource Center Google Site.
Contact
Sharon Davis, Extension educator and advisor, [email protected]
Dog project resources for volunteers
Find training, project development committees (PDCs) and more support for volunteers on our volunteer Google Site.
To volunteer with 4-H in your area, contact your local 4-H office.
Showcase information
What does it mean to show at a showcase?
For 4-H'ers, local and state showcase events (like the Minnesota 4-H State Dog Show) are not just fun events. They provide youth opportunities to exhibit the knowledge and skills they've gained throughout the year– and to continue their learning.
Contact your local 4-H office to learn about local livestock showcase opportunities.
Important to know
- Dog information sheet (posted Dec. 17, 2025)
- Dog project guide (posted November 2025)
- (posted Dec. 17, 2025)
- 2026 Minnesota 4-H Animal Science Identification Requirements
- 4-H animal ID page - for all requirements and processes
- Cloverbuds and animals
- Leasing a 4-H animal
Record keeping and evaluation
- 4-H youth record keeping — reflect on your project and share it.
- Animal science project interviews evaluation - junior level (PDF)
- Animal science project interviews evaluation - senior level (PDF)
Minnesota 4-H State Dog Show
If you do well at the county showcase, you might qualify for the state dog show.
Contact your local 4-H office for sign-up deadlines and more info about how to get started showing your dog and/or your dog knowledge.
Dog exhibits can include:
Agility
- Pre-Agility
- Beginner
- Elementary
- Intermediate
- Senior
- Advanced
- Limited Agility
- Jumpers IA
- Jumpers IB
- Jumpers II
- Jumpers III
- Limited Jumpers
Rally
- Foundation
- Beginner
- Novice
- Graduate novice
- Intermediate
- Advanced
- Pre-Excellent
- Excellent
- Pre-Master
- Master
- Veterans
Obedience
- Foundation
- Beginner
- Graduate Beginner
- Novice
- Graduate Novice
- Pre-Open
- Open
- Graduate Open
- Pre-Utility
- Utility
- Veterans
- Brace
- 4 Dog Team
Showmanship
- Novice
- Open
- Excellent
Your knowledge
- Dog interview
- Dog poster
- Dog project bowl
What is animal ID'ing?
Animal ID is a system for identifying and tracking all animals in the 4-H animal science project areas. It is important to follow the ID requirements to ensure health, safety and fairness.
ID requirements by species and class - You must follow all of these requirements, whether you own or lease your animal.
Important ID deadlines
- Feb. 17, 2026, for market beef (beef steers, market heifers and dairy steers).
- May 15, 2026, for beef, dairy, dairy goat, dog, horse, llama - alpaca, meat goat, poultry, rabbit, sheep and swine.
Find more information on the animal science ID page.
Leasing program
We want you to be able to learn about animals, even if you don't own one. You can lease an animal. You'll gain valuable hands-on experience managing and showing animals, and you'll learn from caring adults.
For full details, see the leasing a 4-H animal page.
The 4-H member or family must complete the 4-H animal identification process, just like owned animals. This will include verifying the leasing agreement. Read all about animal ID.
Dog showcase resources
You can choose to compete with your dog in agility, obedience, rally or showmanship. Start at your county showcase, and if you do well, you could make it to the Minnesota 4-H State Dog Show, held every September at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds in St. Paul.
In this competition, show judges that you can control your dog's movements.
- Short videos about obedience training (YouTube)
- Minnesota 4-H Dog Obedience Rules and Guidelines - November 2025
- Dog obedience how-to guide
- Connect with your local extension office and county dog trainer for local options.
Score sheets
Race your dog through an obstacle course. You'll score points for accuracy and speed.
- Agility training videos (YouTube) - Train your dog to run through tunnels, weave through poles and more.
- Dog Agility Rules & Guidelines book Revised 2019
- Dog Agility Rules & Guidelines amendments April 2020
- Agility classes release form Updated April 2019
- A Brief History of Dog Agility posted April 2019
- Connect with your local extension office and county dog trainer for local options.
Score sheets
Rally is a sport that combines the fast pace of Agility with the exercises of Obedience.
Resources
- Rally rules and guidelines - updated December 2024
- Rally signs (Google Slides for print only) - updated December 2024
- Rally class descriptions - updated May 2025
- Rally video demonstrations (Google Drive folder) - Learn about rally signs (Note: These videos contain no sound).
Scoresheets
Updated December 2024.
Note: If printing, make sure you set scale to "Fit To Page" so the whole scoresheet prints.
Want to participate in Rally?
Connect with your local extension office and county dog trainer for local options.
In Showmanship, you and your dog work as a team, showing that you are composed and in control at all times.
- Showmanship Rule Book - updated March 2021.
- Showmanship Guidelines - updated April 2022.
- Connect with your local extension office and county dog trainer for local options.
Score sheets
Reviewed in 2025