Dog Scouts of America on the Rise

A growing movement in doing good with your dog, the Dog Scouts of America program, is now in 22 states, according to the AP.

What started in 1995 as a non-profit aimed at enriching the lives of people and dogs, has become a highly sought out club, complete with merit badges (for the dogs), cookie sales (also for the dogs), and community service awards (for the people).

Founder, Lorrie Olsen, made it her ambition to experience as many dog sports and activities as she could find. She believes dogs truly love learning new things and spending time with their owners.

Now, Dog Scouts of America offers around 80 badges in such dog-friendly pursuits as:

• Basic Obedience (The official Dog Scout Badge)
• Jumping
• Geocaching (an online treasure hunt)
• Water Rescue
• Disaster Preparedness

The Scouts have two mottos, says the AP.

For humans: ‘‘Our dogs’ lives are much shorter than our own. We should help them enjoy their time with us as much as we can.’’

For dogs: ‘‘Let us learn new things that we become more helpful.’’

Find out if there’s a Dog Scout program near you!