Fifteen-year-old Kate Eldredge of Vernon, N.Y., has been active in 4-H, including her local 4-H dog-training club in Oneida County, since she was 5. That experience has resulted in several well-behaved dogs -- and a new book.

Eldredge is the author of "Head of the Class: A Teen Dog Expert Teaches Youth to Raise and Train the Perfect Pal" (Powell 2006), which offers advice on dog care, manners, nutrition, exercise, grooming and more. The book also includes advice from Eldredge's mother, Deb (Mainville) Eldredge, Cornell '76, DVM '80, a 4-H leader throughout her daughter's life and a small animal veterinarian in Hartford, N.Y.

As a 4-H teen leader, Kate Eldredge and the other teens in her 4-H dog-training club rotate working with beginning members. "The beginners learn from experienced members, and our dogs get a workout too," says Eldredge. "4-H gives you a chance to get your feet wet and try new things."

Eldredge's summer schedule is full of dog training, book signings and competitions, including the statewide 4-H Dog Show at the New York State Fair, Aug. 30-31. Eldredge also is a pet columnist, writing regularly for the "Corgi Cryer," a regional corgi club newsletter, and "Dogs in Review," an international newsletter published by BowTie Press in California.

4-H is the largest out-of-school youth organization in the United States with more than 7 million members. In New York, 4-H clubs are organized through Cornell Cooperative Extension in nearly every county and city.