Ace the 4-H Dog Showmanship Challenge 2025 – Unleash Your Best Paw-formances!

The correct answer highlights that a dog can become infected with canine distemper through contact with raccoons, skunks, and infected dogs. Canine distemper is a highly contagious viral disease that affects a dog's respiratory, gastrointestinal, and central nervous systems.

The virus is typically transmitted through respiratory secretions, such as when an infected dog coughs or sneezes, releasing aerosolized droplets into the environment. Additionally, wildlife such as raccoons and skunks can harbor the virus, making interactions with these animals a potential risk for infection. When a dog comes into contact with these species or another infected dog, it can contract the virus through inhalation or direct contact.

This mode of transmission underscores the importance of vaccination and the prevention of contact with potentially infected wildlife or unvaccinated dogs, as these are significant sources of the disease. Other options, while they mention important aspects of dog health and safety, do not accurately describe the primary routes of infection for canine distemper.