Dog Scouts of America
I was an awesome Girl Scout as a kid. I loved Scouting. I couldn’t imagine anything better. Of course, when I was a kid, there was no such thing as Dog Scouts!
Can you believe it? A Scouting opportunity that includes dogs! Dog Scouts of America provides education, resources and leadership training for adults along with the traditions of troop membership and merit badges for kids and their dogs. What could be more exciting?
Imagine the potential for the future of our children and the dog-owning community if kids were taught in a fun and exciting way about responsible dog ownership, positive training, and community service. Of course kids are going to just think it’s a lot of fun, but I think the benefits are much more far reaching.
For one thing, we know that taking care of animals fosters a deeper appreciation for all life and can offer the opportunity to express emotions that one might not feel so comfortable with when dealing with humans. If training dogs can help prison inmates and troubled teens, surely it has a positive impact on children.
Additionally, training dogs through positive reinforcement methods can teach a person of any age huge lessons about communication with all species, including other humans. Developing the skill and compassion to teach your dog can help you develop useful tools for the human relationships in your life.
Dog Scouts also promotes community service and encourages members to educate other dog owners. This spirit of social responsibility had a huge impact on my life as a child, and I can only imagine that extending it to another species would make it an even richer experience.
Starting a Dog Scout Troop is on my agenda for this year. It’s not hard to do. I am so very excited to make a contribution to the future of our children, our pets and our community while having fun with kids and dogs!
Following are the Dog Scout Laws and the website where you can find out more and start your troop in your area!
**********************************
All Dog Scouts and their parents should strive to uphold the following laws. Dogs and their parents that have not yet achieved the Dog Scout title should strive to uphold them too!
The Dog Scout Laws:
1. My dog must be safe with people and other dogs. I will always be courteous when I am with my dog in public. We will set good examples of a responsible parent and a well-trained dog. I will socialize my puppy and continue the socialization throughout his or her life so that he or she will not fear novel stimuli, strange people or new dogs.
2. My dog must be well mannered, so that he or she will be accepted in public places. I understand and accept responsibility for teaching my dog proper manners using non-abusive methods like positive reinforcement training.
3. My dog should not be allowed to eliminate in an unseemly manner. I will refrain from letting my dog urinate on buildings, statues or other people’s things, and I promise to always carry plastic bags and clean-up supplies to pick-up fecal matter. In an effort to reduce the negative impact of irresponsible dog parents, I will make attempts to educate, provide clean-up bags to and clean-up dog waste left by those less educated in responsible dog parenting.
4. I must obey leash laws and other rules when accompanying my dog to a park, business or other place where dogs are allowed. In an effort to reduce the number of places that refuse admittance to dogs, I will not let my dog be a nuisance and will keep my dog under control at all times. I will not allow my dog to harass wildlife. I will be familiar with and obey any laws regarding my dog such as license requirements, travel safety and vaccination documentation. I will not represent my Dog Scout in a way that will mislead the public regarding his or her right to accompany me in public places.
5. My dog should be helpful whenever he or she can be and I will utilize my dog’s skills to allow the dog to assist with certain tasks and become more helpful. I promise to have my dog learn all that he or she can.
6. My dog should never be tied up and left unattended. I understand that I am unable to protect my dog from harm if he or she is tied in place where people and animals can harass him or her. I also understand that attaching a dog to a fixed object can cause location guarding and increase the chances of a person being bitten. I promise to never leave my dog in a vehicle unattended if there is any chance he or she could get hot, cold or be harassed or injured by humans or other animals.
7. I will always show kindness and caring toward my dog, so that others can observe the joys of responsible and loving dog parenting and appreciate the bond between my well-behaved dog and myself.
8. I will provide basic care for my dog. I will strive to feed my dog the best food I can afford and to educate myself about why some dog foods are better than others. I understand that keeping my dog at an optimum weight will reduce the chances of disease and injury. I will provide the maintenance that my dog needs to be healthy and comfortable. I will keep my dog clean and well groomed, including nail trimming. I will make my dog a member of the family and not subject him or her to living alone outside full time. I will create at least a basic emergency care plan for my dog in case I am hurt or otherwise unable to care for my dog. My dog will always have some form of identification.
9. I will strive to travel safely with my dog contained in a crate that is attached to the vehicle or in an accident rated seatbelt designed for dogs. This will help keep the dog safe during travel, will reduce the distractions I have while driving and could save my dogs life in an accident.
10. I will strive to live by the Dog Scout Parent’s motto: “Our dog’s lives are much shorter than our own, let’s help them enjoy their time with us as much as we can.” I will help my dog uphold the Dog Scout motto: “Let us learn all that we can, so that we may become more helpful”
For more information, please visit www.dogscouts.org
