POWNAL – What started two decades ago with a handful of dog lovers has turned into a high-demand program for teenagers in the tri-town area.

Celebrating its 20th season, 4 Paws 4-H Dog Agility Club began in 1993 with six founding members at the Pownal home of Sherri Dietrich

“Our goal was and still is to give young people who join the club the 4-H experience with its many opportunities while teaching the dog the sport of agility,” said Dietrich.

The group, now maxed out at 19 children ages 10-18 with a waiting list, said Dietrich, will wrap up its 10-week season May 25 with a silent auction and fundraiser to benefit Cancer for Canines, a group that provides research into curing cancer for dogs.

For the 75-year-old Dietrich, the 20 years of hosting the 4 Paws club has been a blessing and an important outlet for area kids.

“What the kids can learn is teaching obedience. Or just learning how to care for a dog,” said Dietrich.

The 4 Paws club, which is the only 4-H-sponsored dog agility club in the state, begins its season in March and meets every Saturday until the end of May. The kids will show up with their dogs in the morning and begin things with a 4-H meeting. The kids and their dogs will then split up into groups, headed by Dietrich and the other three leaders, Joan Rolfe, Sandra Schumann and Kelly Welch, who will lead a series of agility drills and exercises such as tunneling, jumping, and a test of balance on a see-saw.

The 4 Paws club emphasizes positive feedback for the dogs – with treats – and the participating breeds run the gamut from pugs to Jack Russell terriers. The ages are varied also, said Dietrich.

“I don’t believe in the adage that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” said Dietrich. “We try and show the kids the areas in which to improve and what hands to use.”

4-H is a community of 6.5 million young people across the United States whose members participate in hands-on learning activities focused on three areas: healthy living, citizenship and science. In Maine, the 4-H is the University of Maine Cooperative Extension youth development program for ages 5-18, featuring clubs, camps, workshops and schools. Head, Heart, Hands, and Health are the four Hs in 4-H, and they are the four values members work on through the various programs, according to the organization, which is celebrating its 100th year in Maine.

For the kids who participate in the 4 Paws Club getting up early on a Saturday is a worthy sacrifice for the chance to be with their pets.

“It makes me feel closer to my dog,” said Kate Dransfield, 17, of North Yarmouth, the owner of Lucy, a 7-year-old Jack Russell terrier. “Most of these dogs would be working dogs, so it gives them something to do. I’ve noticed a big difference in Lucy.”

Dransfield said she takes the lessons she learns from her time at the 4 Paw club and applies them at home with the dog.

Hunter Sackville, 18, of Scarborough, enjoys spending time with his 13-year-old English setter, Dixie.

“I’ve been involved with the club for five years now and it’s been great,” said Sackville. “I mostly like being with my dog and the leadership here.”

For group leader Kelly Welch, who joined the club 13 years ago, the 4 Paws program represents an opportunity for kids to both learn and teach.

“I love how the older kids are a model for the younger kids,” said Welch, 39. “It encourages responsibility and also community service to a degree.”

Welch had no experience in teaching dog agility and wasn’t quite sure what it was all about when she joined. Dietrich, long an active civic and volunteer leader in Pownal, is a role model for what she has accomplished, said Welch.

“I love working with Sherri and Joan,” said Welch, “It’s been tremendous.”

Dietrich said there is no charge for joining the 4 Paws club, but it does have a healthy waiting list for openings. She intentionally caps the amount of participants to maintain an effective leader-to-student ratio and to avoid the logistical challenge of too many dogs and too few places to train.

“It’s a joy to see the kids who come every year,” said Dietrich. “The dogs learn and the kids learn to teach them. It’s a win-win.”

Kate Dransfield and Lucy, her 7-year-old Jack Russell terrier, take a break in agility training at the 4 Paws 4-H Dog Agility Club in Pownal last Saturday. Dransfield is one of 19 young people who participate in the group, the only one of its kind in Maine. The club teaches dog agility along with the basic tenets of the 4-H club.