Two girls and one boy will make up this year’s Royal K-9 Court at the Lorain County Fair. Heavily involved in the 4-H dog program, all are dog lovers who hope to be crowned. prior to the fair’s dog show at 8 a.m. Monday.
Being a member of the Royal K-9 Court is about more than loving dogs. Each 4-H’er has written an essay on a dog-related subject, been subjected to a interview by a panel of three judges, competed in dog shows and also have helped to organize shows and 4-H dog program events.
This year’s Royal K-9 Court is:
Matt Myers
With a name like Roscoe P. Coltrane, it is easy to imagine that the dog on the other end of Matt Myer’s leash as a big canine beast with long gnarly teeth.
If that’s what you think, you would be wrong.
Roscoe, named after the bumbling sheriff on the popular television series “ The Dukes of Hazzard,” is really a white and cream colored Pomeranian.
That’s right, he is a toy dog.
“I get that a lot,” 16-year-old Matt said. “A lot of girls in my club have like Labrador retrievers and golden retrievers, and I’m the guy with the small dog.”
It was sort of by accident that Matt, a three-year member of the Canine Companion 4-H Club, ended up with Roscoe. Although he said he loves all dogs, it was Roscoe who stole his heart. His mother breeds Pomeranians, and Matt said he got too attached to Roscoe to let him go.
After that, it seemed natural that he would train the dog. At this year’s fair, Matt, a junior at Oberlin High School, said he and Roscoe will concentrate on rallying, showmanship and obedience.
The latter should make those in the audience laugh as Matt said Roscoe has the tendency to fall asleep during the routine.
“There is a point where he has to lie down for a long period of time and he just goes to sleep,” he said. “He knows he has to be there for a while, so I guess he figures, why not take a nap?”
Beyond that, Matt said Roscoe has been really easy to train, although his breed has a reputation of being quite temperamental.
“He is a really mellow dog. I haven’t seen that many mellow Pomeranians, but he is pretty calm,” he said.
Roscoe is Matt’s only project this year for the fair and loves the attention he gets because of it.
When Matt is not with Roscoe, he likes to help his father in the machine shop as well as play the violin, a hobby that allowed him to tour Europe this past May. Matt plans to attend the Lorain County Joint Vocational School in the fall.
Kaitlyn O’Brien
Kaitlyn O’Brien of the Tri-City Critter 4-H Club is not ashamed to say Chloe, her 5-year-old black Lab, is a pampered princess.
Downright spoiled, to be exact, she said.
The family dog loves to go out on the town with Kaitlyn’s dad, sleep in Kaitlyn’s bed and whines incessantly until everyone vacates the family couch so she can lie down. Still, Kaitlyn, 18, of Columbia Township, said when she brings Chloe to the county fair, she will be ready to compete like a champion.
“When I compete, it is all about showing everyone how well-trained my dog is and how she listens well,” she said. “I show the other younger members how to train because I’m really good at it.”
To prepare, Kaitlyn said she spends a lot of time going over obedience and showmanship techniques with Chloe. Over the years, the two of them have developed a strong bond and feed off each other, she said.
Kaitlyn is quick to dispel the myth that only kids who bring livestock to the fair are farm knowledgeable.
“When you bring a dog as your project, people think you are not into anything else, like you are not really a farm girl,” she said. “But I can do everything that a farm girl can do. I like being at my friend’s pig farm, rolling around with pigs just like I grew up on a farm.”
Still, Kaitlyn said her heart melts when she is with her four-legged friend.
As a result, Kaitlyn, who is a freshman at Lorain County Community College, said she hopes to translate her passion into a profession. She is studying to be an occupational therapist, a field where she believes a dog could be of great use to patients.
“Last year, I was in a terrible car accident at 301 and Parsons,” she said. “The car I was in was hit and my side took the impact. I spent a month in the hospital, and my friends would bring me my dog to lift my spirits. I remember my dog brought me a lot of joy back then and I can see how it would help others.”
Jessica Robenolt
Showing dogs at the Lorain County Fair is nothing like taking a canine to the Westminster Dog Show.
But that doesn’t mean 4-H kids who bring dog projects to the fair love their animals any less. Just ask 16-year-old Jessica Robenolt of Oberlin.
For 11 years, the member of the Elyria Precious Pups 4-H Club has brought man’s best friend along with her as she competes in the county fair and loves it, she said.
“I just love dogs,” she said. “They are extremely loyal. You will never be alone as long as you have a dog in your house.”
Jessica said she first starting showing dogs several years ago, bringing the family’s German shepherd to the fair. Then, a few years back, she moved on to showing her aunt and next door neighbor’s dogs, a 5-year-old border collier/chow/German shepherd mix named Taz for his rambunctious attitude and knack for eating everything in sight, and a 7-year-old husky/German shepherd mix named Snowball — a moniker given for his fluffy white fur.
“I just like knowing that I’m helping someone else’s dog,” Jessica said. “And, when they perform well, I know it’s my knowledge and my doing for them that is the reason.”
When training dogs, Jessica said she focuses on obedience, grooming, handling and rallying — a skill that mixes obedience and agility together. Still, Jessica said she is not immune to the biggest challenge in training dogs: their attention span.
“Figuring out what catches their attention most and using that weakness to their advantage is still hard,” she said.
Plus, Jessica said she has to keep her moods in check if she wants to have a good day showing.
“My attitude has everything to do with my training,” she said. “When I’m in the bad mood, I don’t even try to train because it will rub off on them. When I am in a good mood, they are happy because they have a need to please.”
When she’s not training dogs, Jessica who describes herself as the “outdoorsy type” trains and rides an Arabian horse, shows rabbits at the fair as well as works on her many sewing projects.
Contact Lisa Roberson at 329-7121 or lroberson@chroniclet.com.
