The Chilliwack 4-H Dog Club celebrated it’s 30th Anniversary in 2020! It has been in operation since 1990, and is a member of the Chilliwack 4-H District, and 4HBC.
The Club has a history of community involvement, including participating annually in the Canadian Tire Jump Start event as well as community clean-up initiatives. Members also have the opportunity to sit on district committees to help plan district wide 4-H events
Each year club elections are held and an executive is elected. These members help to plan some of the club events in partnership with the leaders. There are no paid staff or contractors in our club. All leaders and trainers are volunteers. We host a new member information night each year, usually in November, and the club year begins each January.
We hold business meetings once a month and weekly training on Wednesday nights. All members are asked, but especially new members, to attend our annual “Clicker Boot Camp” to learn a lot of basic skills and what our positive reinforcement training is all about. At business meetings members learn how to run meetings using parliamentary procedures, decide on events for the club, and take part in 4-H Program lessons like how prepare a good speech or demonstration.
During training nights, members learn proper animal care and training techniques for Obedience, Showmanship, Rally and Agility. They compete in these four events throughout the summer at fairs throughout the region, and at our annual Achievement Day. In our club, we believe in training dogs with positive reinforcement. Anything and everything we teach our dogs is achieved with a clicker, or similar positive methods. Why? It makes training so much more fun for both you and the dog; it is also proven to be faster and more effective than other methods.
When members join the club they have generally had very little exposure to any animal training, so the dogs and the members are learning together. It’s a fairly big commitment for the members as it is not just a dog club, but a youth development program first and foremost.
- Members are from 9-21 years of age (as of January 1 of the new 4-H year)
- 20 and 21 year old members have experience and take on non-competitive projects within the club
- The registration fee is $225; $125 goes to 4HBC for provincial insurance
- We train from January to the end of July on Wednesday evenings
- There can only be one member per dog project
- A club shirt will also be required for approx. $25
- Proof of vaccination for your dog will be required
- Dogs do not have to be purebred
- There are no prerequisites to joining the club
- 4-H Communication portion covers public speaking, demonstrations, speak and shows, and education displays. Members are required to complete at least one of these to achieve at the end of the 4-H year, and achievement points are earned by participating in these and other projects. There is an opportunity to go beyond the club and compete at district, regional and provincial competitions if eligible.
- Judging portion: dog and other project judging – club, district, regional and provincial competitions if eligible. Two dog judging events are offered each year for club points, badges and certificates.
- Summer fairs are not mandatory, but fun! Here members get to compete against other clubs in the valley and practice their skills for achievement day
- Achievement day is the day at the end of the season in September where the members are judged for their skills etc. for their dog projects in Showmanship, Obedience and Agility. This event is mandatory, and it’s a fun day!
- We have a variety of fund raisers and other community events we are invited to participate in throughout the year. Members will not necessarily be expected to attend every event, but should try to make it to as many as possible.
Check out this short video about our club activities!
We strive to enroll as many new members each year as we can, but are not always able to accommodate new inquiries after the end of December for the coming year. After January a new member will have missed too much and it can be difficult to catch up. However we encourage you to come watch us at local events and fairs, ask us questions, and maybe we’ll see you at our annual Club Info Night in November! The Info Night is another great way to find out what the club is all about in preparation for our start up in January.
4HBC has a history that is now over 100 years old. The 4-H movement supports young people from elementary through high school and beyond (ages 9-21) with programs designed to shape future leaders and innovators. Fueled by research-driven programming, 4-H’rs engage in hands-on learning activities. As one of the first youth development organizations, 4-H opened the door for young people to learn leadership skills and explore ways to give back. 4-H revolutionized how youth connected to practical, hands-on learning experiences outside of the classroom. There are a wide range of projects available in the 4-H Program. Check out the 4HBC Website the to see what is available in various districts throughout BC, or how to start your own club!