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The family's favorite so far is geocaching, an online treasure hunt in which players try to locate hidden containers or geocaches using GPS devices. "Geocaching has taken us all over the place. We are experiencing things in our local area we never knew existed," he said. Who has done more work to get the badges? "Me for sure. It's all play for him," said Verdahl, a nurse. He said he and his wife are healthier because of Scouts. "I haven't lost any weight but my enjoyment in life has increased, I laugh and smile more." Many badges are earned in camp. All of Jasper's were submitted on videotape because he is far from the nearest camp. He holds the record for videotape badges, Olson said. But there are some he can't claim because he doesn't have the obstacle courses or water parks.
In the water, dogs can be puppy paddlers, beach buddies or boaters. They can qualify in rescue, racing or retrieval. Puls said one of the Scout pairs who started dock diving in camp have gone on to compete nationally. The earth dog badge, mostly for terriers, is awarded if a dog stays focused while chasing a (protected) rat into an 8-foot earth tunnel, negotiates a 90-degree turn and continues the chase through another 8-foot tunnel without losing interest in the quarry. "These are not `gimme' badges, not a walk in the park," Puls said. "A dog with a lot of badges has put a lot of time and training into it." The Scouts have two mottos. 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."
Both serve as inspiration for the group's grossest badge: "Clean Up America." It consists of picking up piles left behind by other dogs on trails, parks and beaches. ___ Online:
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