I just ran across an organization in my net-surfing: Dog Scouts of America. It looks really intense and busy, but it is still a bit sparse, not having established troops in every state yet. Has anyone else heard of this organisation? Does anyone do it?

well i haven't tried that however its all about helping every dog parent value their canine companion even more, and deepen the bond they have with their dog. With millions of dogs discarded each year, mostly due to behavior problems or other poor excuses, we needed to fill the information void. We need to help each dog owner become a responsible dog parent, and give them answers to perplexing behavior problems that would otherwise eventually lead to them abandoning the dog.

True enough. While looking at some of their badge requirements, I realized that it could take years just to achieve the rank of "Dog Scout" (the equivalent of "Eagle Scout" for humans). Ideally, one should start in puppyhood. As my dog is already five years old, it may not be practical to pursue some of the stuff-- like attending national/regional campouts. But the requirements checklists are posted on the website for each badge, which gave me some ideas for fun stuff to work on with my dog, such as basket carrying-- by training her to do that, she could "help" out around the house a little. That would be fun for her.