The first Monday in September is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.
Merriam Webster defines labor as an expenditure of physical or mental effort, especially when difficult or compulsory.
While I wanted to hit the beach first thing this morning, Roger decided that in celebration of his 6th consecutive Labor Day in the OBX he was going to do a little extra labor during his morning walk. Ever since he passed his Dog Scouts of America test at Mini Camp, he's become a little badge hungry and decided to work towards his Clean Up America II merit badge for picking up and properly disposing of 50 piles of stray dog poop. During just his walk from our house to the beach, he found and disposed of 5 piles of stray dog poop.
Logging "piles" toward his Clean Up America II Merit Badge
That's some irresponsible dog ownership especially when two of the deposits were right beside a Pet Clean up Station!!! Cleaning up dog poo is definitely falls within Webster's definition because it's not voluntary, it's compulsory. Just because people are on vacation, doesn't mean that their obligation to clean up after their pets should "go to the dogs" - even when it's Labor Day.
We're more than a little sick of this shit! Someday dogs are not going to be allowed on the OBX because of their owners' irresponsibility. Ok, that's it for my Public Service Announcement today.
Be responsible: If you dog poops, remember to scoop!
I must apologize for being so lax in my postings. I promise that I will try to keep you better apprised of my activities. I have been one "howl" of a busy boxer dog as of late.
Roger and I looking handsome for the camera
Last week, Mom, Roger and I were literally "off the grid" while at our Second Annual Dog Scout Blue Ridge Mini Camp. No Wifi or even regular old cell phone reception. Honestly, it was kind of nice. Camp was held at the 4H Camp in Swanton, Maryland again. Roger started to get a little scared when we pulled in to find out that the Maryland Extension Staff had a live bear trap set no more than 20 feet from our cabin. I told him not to worry that I'd take care of business if Smokey the Bear showed up.
Bear Trap set by Maryland Extension Staff
Mom and I are on the planning and execution committee so that takes up a howl of a lot of our spare time throughout the year. But seeing everyone have so much fun with their dogs, hanging with Mom, and doing cool things for a week makes every minute of the planning worth it. The best part of the week was when Roger earned his official Dog Scout title. Mom was especially proud of the Little Man. He also earned his lure coursing, backpacking, and dog grooming and maintenance merit badges. She was most proud of his heeling and "leave it" performances -- two of the hardest parts of the test to pass.
Roger's official Dog Scout Photo
I earned my lure coursing merit badge and took some musical lessons to learn to play the piano. I can play a few notes but haven't been able to master putting a full song together yet. My Aunt Noelle overheard me practicing and said it sounded like I should be playing at a funeral. Quite frankly, I'm surprised that her 6-month old son, Gilbert the Golden Boy, isn't playing Mozart already. BOL! I think that she already has him enrolled art, music, and band lessons. He might also be trying out for the summer soccer team. He's so busy that I can't keep track of all his activities.
Gilbert with his Dad learning the theory behind E=mc2
Well, that's it for now. I plan to post several new photos from camp each day so please be sure to stop back.
Well, it wasn't a full 8-hour day, but I put in my first shift in as a therapy dog at Sarah Todd Memorial Home yesterday. I had a really nice time chatting with the all the staff and residents while letting them pet me. I have a feeling that this gig might end up being as therapeutic for me as it is the residents! In addition to being fun, another perk is that my hours of volunteering will count towards earning my Dog Scout Community Service and Therapy Dog badges.
Community Service and Therapy Dog DSA Badges
Having M&D accompany me to orientation was a little embarrassing, but rules dictate that I must have a human attached to the other end of my leash when visiting. I did find the part when M&D had to demonstrate proper hand washing procedures kind of humorous. They passed with flying colors unlike Roger who recently flunked his Therapy Dog International (TDI) test.
TDI Flunky and Proud of It
While never expecting perfection, M&D always encourage us to do our best. It doesn't matter if we finish last in a race so long as we put our best paw forward. What really upset Mom about Roger bombing the down/stay portion of the test is that he didn't even try. He sat there like a bump on a log — never once budging when Mom gave him both the verbal and hand signal cue to lie down (not once, not twice, but at least 25 times). Oh well. Maybe in a future test he won't be such a stubborn little bully. Yeah right! That will be the day when bat pig-dogs fly.
Again I find myself apologizing for slacking in my blog posts. I am going to try to make an effort to set aside 5 or 10 minutes a day to keep my faithful followers apprised of my activities. Make no bones about it, I have been a busy boxer this summer and love every minute of it. Basically, I am on my fourth vacation since Memorial Day. We kicked off the summer with a week in the OBX with the rest of the Knowlton Klan.
Then in July, Mom and I went camping with Pappy John and Jasper at Stony Creek Campground in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania. We had a blast hiking some seriously steep trails and wallowing in a local water hole. Since I'm not a swimmer like Jasper Phelps, I really didn't do much more than wade but it was still fun.
Here are a few pictures of our camping trip.
In August Mom and I went to our first ever Blue Ridge Dog Scout Mini Camp which was organized by Carlisle Troop 161. What a blast! I spent almost a week with the founder of of Dog Scouts of America, Lonnie Olson and her boxer mix, Kozi, who taught me how to paint earning me my Art of Shaping badge. I'm no Picaso but Mom thinks that I really have potential. I entitled this work of art "Wipe out at the Daytona 500." If you're interested in purchasing a copy, just shoot me an e-mail.
"Wipe Out" by Newman Knowlton
I also earned five other merit badges -- CPR, First Aid, Backpacking, Overnight Camping, Dog Care and Maintenance. If you are interested in learning more about Dog Scouts and the requirements for earning badges, etc., I encourage you to visit the DSA website which houses a host of free, educational information on getting involved with the organization, responsible dog ownership, training videos and guides, and much more. Here is just a brief album of some of the activities that took place at Mini Camp. Enjoy!
And as tradition has it, we say goodbye to summer and celebrate my birthday with two weeks in the OBX. In addition to my birthday, today was also Grandparents Day. So Happy G-Day to all you grandparents out there. While I'm on the topic of holidays, I love presents just like anyone else, but I do not care for the brown, fly-ridden ones left behind by other K-9s and their irresponsible owners here the past two weeks. While I have already accumulated the requisite 50 stray piles of poo to earn my Clean Up America I Merit Badge, Thelma Lou and Roger have really put a dent in their logs over the past week and a half.
My 5th Birthday Celebration
You know the old saying, "The early bird catches the worm," well tomorrow morning this early bird is going to catch the turd -- meaning that I plan to get out early and patrol the neighborhood looking for those who neglect to clean up after their four-legged friends. It saddens me to say, that this is one of the worst years in my history of visiting the OBX that I have spotted and cleaned up so many stray piles of poo.
Photos of vacation in the OBX to be posted later this week. I promise.
So with the mild weather this past weekend, Roger and I decided to get a jump on our spring training to start gearing up for this year's Hike-a-Thon to raise money for Dog Scouts of America. Last year we raised $450 and came in fourth place nationally in our fundraising efforts. We hope to top that number this year with help from Pappy John and his four-legged friend Jasper. They were the real catalyst in getting our butts out to walk. Pappy just finished his first full round of radiation and chemotherapy, so Jasper thought that taking him for a walk at South Middleton Park would be a great way to celebrate.
Four dogs waiting in line to "water" the fire hydrant
In addition to logging 3-miles under our collars, Roger also collected 3 stray piles of the required 50 piles of poo towards his Clean Up America Dog Scout Badge. Rather than use up all our Bags on Board during this walk, next trip we'll be taking a poop scooper because it's obvious that many dogs walk their irresponsible owners along the pedestrian path of this lovely park laid out by Boy Scouts. What a shame!
Clean Up America Badge
It's a good thing that we didn't witness any of these inconsiderate folks in action or else Mom would have walked up to them and asked them if they needed a bag to cleanup after their four-legged friend. Believe me, Mom is not afraid to get on her soap box and lecture irresponsible pet owners, who make it "ruff" for those of us who do care about the environment and cleaning up.
As a matter of fact, she did very politely explain to an owner of a 4-year-old boxer the benefits of spaying and neutering. I fear that if we run into too many more unaltered dogs at the park, Mom is going to have the phrase "Don't litter. Spay and neuter your pets!" embroidered on to my Dog Scout uniform.
Another reason to make sure that I am in tip-top shape is because I am tentatively on the schedule to lead several 3-mile hikes at Troop 161's Blue Ridge Mini Camp which will be held in Swanton, Maryland in August. For more information about camp, please check out our Troop's Blue Ridge Dog Scout Mini Camp blog.
For those inexperienced hikers who want to know what we carry in our First Aid Kit, I will enlighten you. Unlike Calgon, it’s not an Ancient Chinese secret. While I do have an uncle who is American-Chinese, he’s pretty boring and doesn’t really have any secrets to divulge.
First Aid medications to keep handy while hiking, traveling, and every day use*:
Benadryl (for bee stings and other allergic bites)
PeptoBismal (upset stomach)
Immodium AD (diarrhea)
Melatonin (anxiety)
Aspirin (mild pain relief)
Never give Tylenol or any product containing acetaminophen which is toxic to dogs.
_________
* Suggested by our primary care physician, Dr. Noelle Weeks of Shippensburg Animal Hospital.
Dog nab it! Last week was National Dog Week, and I missed blogging about it. What kind of Dog Scout am I? I just recently received a notice from Dog Scouts of America saying that I needed to pay my annual dues (which I had already done) and now this! I thought sure that it was this week – the last week in September. I made certain that I didn’t miss Grandparents Day or the 10th Anniversary of 9-11, but then this happens. As it turns out, it’s the last full week in September which has been duly noted for next year. I guess it’s like those other crazy holidays like Election Day which falls on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November.
In any event for those of you who don't know, National Dog Week was founded to encourage responsible pet ownership and promote good relations between people and their dogs – something that we, as Dog Scouts, promote every day of the year.
We have just been so busy with other stuff that blogging has been placed on the back burner. Thanks to Google Analytics, I know that the traffic to my site has been way up since our recent trip to the OBX. I apologize to you newcomers who visit day after day looking for new material only to find none. After all, my name is Newman, meaning “Man of all things New!” Actually, I don’t know if that’s what it means, but it sounds good.
While we’re on the subject of new, Roger finally got to go to a Dog Scout event with Mom. Quite frankly, I got sick and tired of hearing him moan about how he was the black sheep in the family, so I told Mom to take him with her just to get him to shut up his yapper. Seriously, on a cold, rainy day like last Saturday, I had no desire to spend it at Bark in the Park. I was all too happy to spend it with Dad and Thelma Lou on the couch.
Being the little charismatic Frenchman, Rog made the best of situation and managed to land a job at Metro Bank’s mascot. No stripes off my brindle back. Even Thelma Lou was “ok” with it so long as he keeps his endorsements with Metro Bank and don't infringe upon her duties as Buckley Beaver at ACNB Bank.
Roger as the Metro Man Mascot
Roger says, "You can call me 'The Man.' You can call me 'The Little Man.' You can even call me "The Metro Man.' But you can not call me 'The Metrosexual Man!' I was born naturally handsome and don't have to spend countless hours working on my appearance!"
As many of you know, Mom and I made our debut in the first sanctioned IMPROV trial hosted by Dog Scout Troop 161 last month at Dandy Dog Training, during which time I qualified for the first leg of my IMPROV Novice Title (so in your face, Dad!).
I am pleased to let you know that Dog Scout Troop 161 will be hosting another IMPROV trial on Saturday, October 22 at Fieldwood Dog Training Center beginning at 5 p.m. Entries will be $25 per run. Dogs must have DSA Competition Registration Numbers (CRNs) prior to event registration. Closing date for entries is October 15, 2011. Facility is indoors. For additional information, see the IMPROV Trial Premium or contact Troop 161 Scoutmaster Ann Withun.
Unbeknownst to him, Newman is waiting to enter the ring
If you're wondering what the sport of IMPROV is, see my post of July 24 — DSA Sanctioned IMPROV Trial in which I try to layout the basics. I must admit that IMPROV really is hard to explain to anyone who has not witnessed the sport. While I do not have as vast a vocabulary as some, the adjectives that first come to mind to describe IMPROV are: fun, hilarious, fun, entertaining, fun, challenging, fun, exhausting, but most importantly FUN! Did I mention that it was a ton of fun?
Newman exhibits some pre-ring jitters
You know the old saying, a picture is worth a thousand words. Well in the case of something as different as IMPROV, a video has to be worth a gazillion words — which is what it would take me to explain the two-day event. Seeing how my editor only gives me about 1,000 words to get my story across to my fans, I thought that video was definitely the way to go.
During this first video, the dogs demonstrate their knowledge of the commands touch and send.
In this video, Kozi demonstrates her ability to sniff out human remains, a task that she has been called upon to carry out for law enforcement officers in Michigan.
And now the Novice Class demonstrates their IMPROV skills.
And here are a few still shots taken throughout the day for you to enjoy.
Looking to try something new with your K-9 companion? Join us on August 13-14 for the first ever Dog Scouts of America sanctioned IMPROV trial at Dandy Dog Training in Newville, PA, sponsored by my Troop 161. You do not have to be a Dog Scout to compete. However,all dogs must have DSA Competition Registration Numbers (CRNs) prior to event registration. Registration deadline has been extended to Saturday, July 30 (see details below).
Created in the 1970s by Lonnie Olson, IMPROV stands for Impromptu Multifarious Performance Requiring Obedience and Versatility. In short, it is a different kind of obedience competition, which puts the emphasis on a dog's ability to perform cues as asked.
IMPROV tests how ready dogs are to be useful in real life. There is no standard course or judging format. However, it does have standard categories of exercises like retrieving and touching strange objects that would be found lying around your house. Each time you go into a ring, you are required to do a different set of exercises. This is what makes IMPROV more fun and challenging than standard obedience, because you never know what you will be asked to do. For more detailed information on the rules, download a copy of the IMPROV rule book from the Dogs Scouts website.
Mom has registered me in the novice category and I hope not to embarrass us too much. Really, the whole point is to have fun and for Mom to use her brain to get me to complete new tasks by using skills that I already know. So, basically she needs to “think outside the Milk-bone box!”
Even if you don't plan to enter, come show your support for this relatively new sport and learn what it's all about. It's entertaining for participants and spectators alike. Plus, we are going to have some really nice raffle baskets that you can enter to win. Believe me, I know. Mom is the Volunteer Coordinator and has been busy collecting all kinds of cool K-9 commodities, including interactive games, tasty treats, as well as grooming and first-aid supplies.
Date: Saturday, August 13 and Sunday, August 14
Trial Schedule: (tentative)
Saturday – Trial 1: Novice and Standard; Trial 2: Novice and Standard
Sunday – Trial 3: Novice and Standard; Trial 4: Novice only
Competition starts at 8 a.m. both days. The second trial will not begin before 11 a.m.
Location: Dandy Dog Training, 72 Lonesome Road, Newville, PA 17241
Details: Entries will be $25 per run. Dogs must have DSA Competition Registration Numbers (CRNs) prior to event registration. Revised closing date for entries is July 30, 2011. Facility is indoors and climate-controlled. For additional information, contact Troop 161 Scoutmaster Ann Withun.
I am now a Dog Scout of Troop 161! Mom passed the responsible handler portion of the test on Saturday by completing the requisite "Smart End of the Leash" course. While normally I'm not one to toot my own horn, this is a huge accomplishment for Mom, my handler, and me. I now have the privilege of proudly wearing an official Dog Scout vest and scarf which Mom ordered today. Roger and Thelma are still Scouts-in-Training and are not yet entitled to that luxury. So, now the badge craze begins.
I've already started to work on the following badges:
Community Service
Clean Up America
PhoDOGraphy badge
Overnight Camping
Hiking
My first activity as a full-fledged Dog Scout is going to be bell-ringing for the Salvation Army. I am so excited it makes me want to go pee on a tree — only in my backyard, however, because elimination in an unseemly manner is forbidden by Dog Scouts.
After bell-ringing, I'm thinking of maybe taking my show on the road. A trip to national Dog Scout Camp in Michigan could very well be in my future. I just happen to have access to a very sweet RV owned by Grammy Lee and Uncle Mark.
Newman's Tour Bus
I've taken the RV for a "virtual" test spin around the block already (while it was parked on risers), but that was before I earned my full Dog Scout title. I am sure that Uncle Mark will willingly hand over the keys for such an important educational trip where I will make him and Grammy Lee all the more proud!
Thelma Lou was not the only busy beaver this past weekend. Last Sunday, Roger logged in a few hours towards earning his Dog Scouts of America community service badge by selling Community Day Coupon Booklets at the Chambersburg area BonTon to help raise funds for Troop 161.
Roger greets BonTon customers while selling Community Day Booklets
Thanks to everyone who has purchased a booklet from us. Don't forget to use them tomorrow, November 13! Undoubtedly, the funds raised by Dog Scout Troop 161 will be put to good use -- like our recent donation of pet oxygen masks to local area fire departments.
Dr. Weeks explains the settings for pet oxygen masks
But I digress. Back to Roger's selling of coupon booklets. After an hour of moderate sales, Roger became anxious and started asking when he could go home.
One blurry-eyed, tired Pilgrim Pup
Mom told him to suck it up. He signed up for two hours of community service and by Dog he was going to fulfill his requirement. So, being a conniving little Frenchman, he decided that helping young ladies pick out sexy lingerie would be much more fun. Mom explained that time spent as a lingerie sales associate wouldn't earn him time towards his community service badge, but he didn't seem to care. Damn little Frenchman.
Every holiday season, Salvation Army bell ringers set up red kettles on street corners and in malls across the country to raise money for causes that include disaster relief, soup kitchens, drug and alcohol counseling and homeless shelters. In addition to using bell-ringing to attract the attention of passersby, some volunteers sing Christmas carols or play musical instruments to help the cause.
What’s better than a song and a dance to get someone’s attention? Having man’s best friend do the job! Every year, Dog Scouts all over the country participate in bell ringing. That’s exactly what Dog Scout Troop 161 did again this holiday season – for the third consecutive year.
Dog Scout Rowdy demonstrates his bell-ringing skills
(Notice all his badges!)
Mom and Roger helped sweeten the pot while Roger worked on logging hours toward his Dog Scout community service badge. One might ask why Mom took Roger instead of me. Well, as you can see from the following photo, Rog slipped back into a state of depression after remembering that he is no longer the only cute, short, stubby unit in the Knowlton house.
Roger wallows in his sorrow hugging his heating pad to warm his heart
In both 2007 and 2008, Dog Scout Troop 161 raised more than $300 for the Salvation Army. Even with the floundering economy, Troop 161 set a goal to raise even more funds while promoting responsible dog ownership. And, that's exactly what they did. Having set a new Troop record, they brought in more than $500!
Gabe takes a break from ringing
to audition for a part as a Keebler Elf
Centered in Carlisle, PA, Troop 161 is a local troop of Dog Scouts of America, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The mission of Dog Scouts of America is to promote responsible dog ownership and enhance the human/canine bond through positive training and relationship building activities. Believe you me, I have to keep a close eye on M&D about adhering to the responsible pet ownership pledge.
Unfortunately, I once again find myself apologizing for not updating the blog more often. Among other activities, Roger and I have been very busy with Dog Scouts. I won't go into all of our upcoming activities, however, we are going to be bell ringers for the Salvation Army on December 12 at the local Wal-mart in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. We hope you'll drop by to help sweeten the pot.
With Roger approaching legal drinking age later this month (November 19), I thought that perhaps he might be starting to question his sexuality and decided to come out of the closet. After asking Rog, he told me that the only closet he decided to come out of was a broom closet. As it turns out, he only did so because Dawdy Dawg had given him a "timeout" in the closet for constantly leaving his toys lay around the house, and his only salvation was to "come out" and dust and sweep the entire house before Mom got home from work.
After getting off the phone with Puppies & Youth Services, Rog seemed rather dejected to learn that there are no labor laws preventing parents from having their children perform work in the household -- even when it involves wearing a silly French maid uniform. Although I'm not sure that he has a little leg to stand on, he's considering asking the Law School's Civil Rights Appellate Clinic to review his case.
"Let us learn knew things, so that we may become more helpful."
~ Dog Scout Motto
It's the Dog Days of Summer and Roger and I have been extremely busy little beavers. On Sunday, August 9, we attended our first Dog Scouts of America (DSA) meeting. We are proud, new members of Dog Scout Troop 161, the local DSA affiliate headed by Dog Scout Leader Ann Withun.
Dog Scouts of America is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the public about responsible dog ownership and the important role of the human/canine bond. It's also all about having a great time bonding with your dog and using positive training to learn new things together.
Roger and I are extremely excited about our new venture. After my career on the show circuit came to a screeching halt, I felt that I could probably squeeze another activity into my busy social life, especially when it involves promoting responsible pet ownership.
Our first activity was Puppy Paddlin'. Seeing how neither one of us can swim, it was a much-needed lesson. And while neither Roger nor I will be trying out for the Olympics alongside Michael Phelps, Puppy Paddlin' provided the participants with a valuable lesson in getting used to the water and trusting our owners. Best of all, Dad learned to overcome his "sink or swim" mentality.
Before sharing some photos of my fellow dog scouts, I thought I'd show this video of how to NOT introduce your dog to swimming. Enjoy!
