CHARLO — Twelve-year-old Kane Shenyer is blazing trails for youth in Lake County.

The Charlo seventh grader has taken the skills he’s learned in four years of the 4-H dog project across the state, first mastering the Lake County Fair, then the Northwest Montana Fair in Kalispell, and finally to Great Falls and Helena where he competed against adults in American Kennel Club competitions and came out on top in the junior point rankings.

Now, thanks to a consistent stream of Grand and Reserve Champion ribbons and some encouraging words from his coaches and family, as well as a well-respected Montana AKC judge, Shenyer will be a trailblazer for all Montana youth when he attends the first ever Juniors Obedience Competition, in conjunction with the AKC’s National Obedience Invitational, in Orlando, Fla. on Saturday, Dec. 17.

“Kane has been a consistent competitor in our local fair and as he’s moved up the ladder, shown more interest in it,” project leader Karen McLeod said. “He’s been working so hard. I ran across that upcoming show and I thought, why not? Let’s see what a Montana kid can do.”

Shenyer will compete in beginner/novice obedience, which tests handlers and their dogs in the skills of heal on leash, figure eight, sit for exam, recall and the long sit. While Shenyer has titled in rally, he’s only been to one obedience class and a competitor must do three in order to earn a title.

For the first time ever, the AKC has encouraged junior handlers to apply in the sports of obedience, agility, rally and tracking. In these companion events, any handler up to the age of 18 is eligible to compete as a junior. They will exhibit in the regular classes and in the field along with all other exhibitors at the trials and tests.

While the adult competition is by invitation only, in this inaugural year, juniors weren’t invited, but had to complete an application process, including recommendations, and be accepted to compete.

“Kids usually have to show against the adults when they compete with the AKC,” McLeod said. “So, they’re excited to get these 4-H kids — that’s the next step.”

Shenyer’s success is thanks in large part to his partner in crime, Hazel, his first dog. Hazel was a shelter dog who needed a home and she and Shenyer immediately hit it off.

“She was about two (years old) when we got her,” Kane’s mom, Trina, said. “She just instantly had a good bond with him.”

She was trained for hunting, she kind of knew sit — just the basics, Kane said. Shortly after her adoption, Shenyer joined the Lake County 4-H program and the rest is history.

“We go out for jogs, play fetch — typical dog stuff,” Shenyer said. “Since we joined up, it’s been a lot of work.”

Kane and Hazel practice obedience three to four times a week, for 30-40 minutes each time. When they meet up with the rest of the dog project participants, they work for about an hour.

“It’s a genuine partnership — it really is,” McLeod said. “And not just for the kids, but the parents too. My hat’s off to the parents who bring their kids out.”

About 18 novices are participating in this year’s Lake County 4-H dog project. That’s a huge group, McLeod said, but she’s thrilled that so many students are taking part in recent years. For example, McLeod said Lake County 4-H dog project participants have dominated the Northwest Montana Fair in Kalispell in recent years.

“Our club has been going up there the last two or three years,” McLeod said. “The kids have shown a lot of interest and really done well up there — it’s really exciting to have this much talent in Lake County.”

The Florida trip will also be the first time Kane’s ever flown on an airplane with his dog, which adds a whole new challenge into the mix. Hazel will need to be in an airplane-approved crate, have all the necessary vaccines and health certificates handy.

“Traveling with a dog in the winter is very challenging,” McLeod said. “There are only certain airlines that will take her in a heated compartment.”

In addition to Shenyer’s main sponsor, Lake County 4-H, several other kennel clubs have stepped forward to help sponsor Kane and Hazel. The incredible community support has allowed the Shenyers to focus on the competition. Kane said the big stage shouldn’t shake his focus too much and he tries not to think about all the people in the audience.

“You guys get in the zone out there,” Trina said to Kane.

Scoring at the national event will be a slightly different format than Shenyer has experienced before. Handlers and their companions will compete for a total of 200 points — including 10 points on appearance and 10 points on how you present yourself and how the dog and you are in tune, Shenyer said. At the AKC competition in Helena, Shenyer and Hazel earned second place by just a half of a point, so every point, or fraction thereof, counts.

“I think we’ve got a pretty good representative,” McLeod said of Shenyer who is also three-sport athlete and honor roll student at Charlo. “This is new to all of us and we’re pretty excited.”

On Tuesday, community members had the chance to support Kane and Hazel at a bake sale fundraiser in Ronan. Raffle tickets for a handmade quilt and original artwork by Joan Mason were also available for purchase, and will be again at the craft fair Dec. 2-3. Donations can also be sent to the Shenyers at 56635 Rangeview Lane, Charlo, MT 59824.

“It’s like the 4-H project that’s gone wild — I just can’t believe it,” Trina said.