The Chilton County 4-H reboots dog club

Published 12:17 pm Friday, June 4, 2021

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By JERRETT POSEY/ Intern

The Chilton County 4-H is doing a reboot to their dog club called Good Dog.

They will be meeting every Thursday in June at the Chilton County Research and Experiment Station from 4:30 to 6 p.m. The club was originally going to be online, but was recently given permission to meet in-person. This allows the club members and the guest trainers to work with the dogs together.

Each week, the club brings in a professional dog trainer as a guest speaker. On June 3, the guest trainer was Leon Alexander president of the Montgomery Alabama Dog Obedience Club.

“Something everyone has coped with their dogs is them pulling on their leash,” Alexander said. “If they go to pull you, just stop. They want to go and eventually they will learn; I can’t go until they say so.”

Alexander also went over how to train your dogs to shake, heel, watch and several other tricks. However, the club members are the ones who decide what they want to teach their dogs. One of the members, Emily Mitchell, said she really enjoys the club.

“This is my second time coming to the club,” Mitchell said. “Me and Max have been working on shaking, heel, sit and sometimes come. He was fast to learn sitting and coming, but heel and shake are a bit harder.”

Dogs of all sizes and ages are welcome, and any 4-H member can participate in the club. First-time member Cooper Langston and his German Shepard, Trigger, plan to hunt together one day.

“I want him to trail deer, and he already knows how to sit and speak,” Langston said.

For those interested in the Good Dog Program or wanting information about the Chilton County 4-H in general, contact Janet Lovelady at lovelj1@auburn.edu or 256-284-3572.