![]() ![]() PK: OK, so the dog can’t be sitting there and then fall asleep though, right? The dog doesn’t judge the skill level, but the kid gets to practice. But if you go in and read out loud to a dog, the dog is not going to be judgmental. If you’re born someplace else and you’re struggling learning English and you’re in a mainstream classroom, your teacher doesn’t take the time. Here’s the deal, and this is so true for English learners, and we have a lot of kids who weren’t born in this country who show up. We have five dogs every Monday from 6 to 7 at the library, and I cannot tell you how many kids and parents come in. If you’re ever in El Cerrito, Monday night at six, go to the library. However, the dog has to be certified as a therapy dog through an official therapy dog organization. There’s one for reading? What? I don’t get it. ![]() PK: I’m looking here at the merit badges DSA offers right now on your website. Every meeting, we have something about training, but it’s a distinction that’s very important, because we’re not trying to take over from serious training or any of these other groups. Here’s another thing to keep in mind as well. PK: Does DSA work with the university as far as the training? There are people internationally who are leaving that school with their degrees and going to their countries or some place in the United States and training service dogs. RR: This is the only school in the world, or I think in the world, that certifies and in-depth studies K9 human interaction. This is an inter-nationally recognized and accredited university started by Bonnie Bergin who in the 1970s invented service dogs. I’ll bet you’ve never heard of this either, and it’s in Rohnert Park: Bergin University. There is so much known now about the cognitive abilities and needs of dogs. PK: We didn’t know the first thing about training him. I hate to admit this, but he wasn’t fixed and we used to just let him run free. PK: I had a dog growing up and it was a different time. I can’t control my dog.” Your dog is bored. They’ll be returned or sent to a shelter as an out-of-control dog. It’s a huge part and the connection is because dogs that aren’t seen as fitting into a human life and having a purpose will often be discarded. RR: Yeah, there’s a good reason for that. Is that part of this? I mean, let’s face it there’s not the Cat Scouts of America. PK: There is this sense that dogs need to have a purpose. They walk over and they say, “Who are you people?” They walk three steps forward, and they do a head snap, because they thought they read “Boy Scouts.” Then you see they went, “That didn’t say boy.” Their brain kicks in. It is hilarious to see people walk by our booth with a big sign that says, “Dog Scouts of America.” You see somebody’s head glance. What is hilarious, Paul, is we’ve done the El Cerrito / worldOne festival on the 4th of July the last two years. Usually it’s at some community event where one of our troops has a booth up. Ruth Robinson: People learn about us in a variety of ways. Paul Kilduff: Is it DSA’s goal to become as well known as the Boy or Girl Scouts? To get the straight poop on DSA, I collared the organization’s East Bay chapter troop leader Ruth Robinson. And, once a badge is earned, it’s sewn on to a quite spiffy DSA dog vest. DSA also provides tips on dog training and obedience. Started in Michigan 25 years ago, dogs and their owners who join DSA earn merit badges for learning new tricks involving such matters as disaster preparedness, travel safety, and retrieving. That’s where the Dog Scouts of America, or DSA, comes in. Turns out that dogs, much like people, need to be engaged in something other than napping in the sun. Simply put, the expression “every dog has its day” would seem to apply to just about every dog, every day these days. No, today’s canines (at least in America) have play dates, professional walkers, well-balanced catered meals, and outfits for any occasion. We’ve come a long way from the days when dogs lived unsupervised, carefree days roaming in packs. The motto is something like “no bored dogs,” and your pooch can earn merit badges. ![]()
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