Fall Outing from a different perspective

The gang headed up north this weekend for the annual fall outing at Dog Scout camp for a weekend of hiking, playing, sitting by the campfire, playing games, and of course, braving the spooky trail.

  My two favorite things on this outing outside of the usual dog stuff are large campfires and the spooky trail. The spooky trail is basically a quarter mile loop around the pond lined with what looks like the entire contents of the Halloween section of a dollar  store strategically placed for maximum fright. There are lights. There are sound effects. There are talking vampires. There are ghosts and witches and pirates.

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Angela and I have been involved with the Dog Scouts for about 9 years at this point. We started out as participants in camps and outings, looking to others to guide those experiences. Over time, our roles have started to change to the point that we are just as much contributors as participants.

Now I build the fires instead of just sit by them. We both, for the first time, set up the spooky trail on our own. I even had to learn how to drive a quad (including how to back up with a trailer attached). I am on the board of directors and teach the overnight camping merit badge at camp. Angela has actually created a canine fitness merit badge that people can earn and in the process, end up with a healthier happier dog.

Our experience is still a rewarding one, it’s now just from a different perspective. We get to watch people have their “ah-ha” moments about why you train using positive reinforcement and punishment; see them experience a variety of activities with their dog for the first time; enjoy the warmth and companionship offered by nightly campfires; and for this outing, get into the Halloween spirit a little early with a stroll through a haunted forest. From our new perspective we can appreciate more fully why there need to be organizations like they Dog Scouts of America, enjoy what we have gained from our involvement, and then give back by helping others experience some of the same things.