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    Kids and Dogs Information and Resources

 

Kids Learning About Dogs

How To Love Your Dog (for kids only)
http://loveyourdog.com/

Lots of resources here. Learn about what dog ownership means, and how to decide which dog should be your best friend, and how to teach your dog to be a nice member of the family instead of a pain.

 
National 4-H Council
http://www.fourHcouncil.edu/

4-H is not just for the country. It has excellent programs in cities and towns, large and small. It offers an excellent opportunity for kids to learn more about responsible care for animals of all kinds, including dogs.

Oakland County K-9 4-H Club
http://www.geocities.com/oaklndcok94hclub

For dog activites through 4-H for young (19 and under) dog trainers in Oakland County, Michigan.

What do I need to get a puppy?

Are you trying hard to convince your family that you should have a puppy? There are a lot of important things the think about. The first step is to be truly honest about what you can, and what you cannot, provide for a puppy.

http://www.petsandkids.co.uk

A public interest website at www.petsandkids.co.uk, focused on kids and their pets.

Before You Get a Dog
http://www.doginfomat.com/b4ugetadog.htm

I know you want a dog. But please, make sure you are ready for a dog as well. Good information from Sandi Dremel

Kids Corner, AKC
http://www.akc.org/public_education/kids_corner/kidscorner.cfm

A short true false quiz testing basic dog knowledge.

Best Friends Online
http://www.akc.org/public_education/resources.cfm

From the Public Education Department at the American Kennel Club this page offers educational materials dedicated to spreading the message of responsible dog ownership to children and adults. Includes some on line games for kids, and materials parents and teachers can print out or order.

Minnesota 4-H Dog Agility Rules & Guidelines
http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/youthdevelopment/DA7538.html

A handbook designed to guide 4-H programs in dog agility.

From the Kids Themselves

This space is for kids and young adults to write about their experiences training and caring for dogs. If you are under 18, and are involved in formal activities with a dog, your story can appear here. Do you have advice for other kids about caring for or training dogs? Do you want to brag about, or warn about, your experiences? See Help with Contacting DogPlay  


Don't forget to include a title. If you have your own web site, I can just include a link to it.

 
Try,Try,Try and Try Again
http://dogplay.com/Stories/tryagain.html

Amanda and Dixie work together, to success.

Raising Puppies for Pilot Dogs
http://www.canismajor.com/dog/pilot.html

A story from one 4-H'er about raising a puppy to help a blind person.

Advice from Emily
http://www.dogplay.com/Stories/emily.html
Emily

gives some sound advice for kids who would really like to get a dog.

Pebbles and Arica, Hard Work Wins Out
http://www.dogplay.com/Stories/pebbles.html

Arica explains the benefits of really spending time with your dog.

Bandit learns some lessons
http://www.dogplay.com/Stories/bandit.html

Bandit gets some help learning basic good dog lessons.

The non-dog family kid
http://www.dogplay.com/Stories/nondog.html

Courtney describes the frustration and the success of being a dog lover in a family that really doesn't understand dogs.

Maddie's Delightful Rosie
http://www.dogplay.com/Stories/rosie.html

Maddie talks about Rosie and why it might have been better to spend more training time earlier.

How We Got Our U-ACHX
http:/www.dogplay.com/Stories/sassy.html

Bethany talks about her success in putting a high agility title on her dog Sassy.

Trust, Advice from Ann
http:/www.dogplay.com/Stories/trust.html

Ann gives advice on getting your dog to trust you.

Try,Try,Try and Try Again
http:/www.dogplay.com/Stories/tryagain.html

Bethany talks about her success in putting a high agility title on her dog Sassy.

Books and Videos

Below is the short list, or you can check out the book reviews.

How to Play With Your Dog!

Christine Popovich.

Living With Kids And Dogs...Without Losing Your Mind by Colleen Pelar
Dog Training for Kids

by Carol Lea Benjamin, published by Howell. ISBN 0-87605-541-2.

Sirius Puppy Training Video

by Ian Dunbar

Dog Training For Children Video

  by Ian Dunbar

Totally Fun Things To Do With Your Dog

by Maxine Rock

Why Dogs Do That by Nancy White

from Scholastic Books

Kids+Dogs=Fun

by Jacqueline O'Neil, published by Howell

The Bookshop Dog

by Cynthia Rylant, The Blue Sky Press (Scholastic) ISBN 0-590-54331-8

A Dog's Best Friend Activity Book Go to Store
by Lisa Rosenthal
 
Clicker PuppyDvd Go to Store
by Doggone Crazy!
A video featuring children teaching young puppies simple obvedience and tricks using a "clicker" to mark the right behavior.
 

 

Neat Stuff for Kids to Do With Their Dogs

This list is separate from the one above because these links are not specifically written for children. Instead they are activities I know or believe encourage participation by children, at least 8 and older. You, instead, couldlook at the entire dog activity list. All the activities listed below are listed there. I know that the agility organizations all have Junior Handling programs, as does competitive obedience. If you find an activity not listed here, that has a specific program for encouraging youth involvement, see Help with Contacting DogPlay.

 

When Your Pet Dies

This section is to offer some resources to help you sort out your feelings when your pet dies. It's a little sparse at the moment. It will grow, please be patient, or use the web to search for "pet loss support" or "grief support" there is a lot out there. There is also a newsgroup called:
alt.support.grief.pet-loss

Some Pet Loss Support Books for the Younger Child
http://www.dog-play.com/reviews.html#grief

Beginning with a post from misc.kids here is a short list of books to help you dealing with the loss of a beloved pet. Generally best suited for the younger child.

Pet Loss Support Books from 4M Dog Books

 

Lightning Strike Pet-Loss Support Page
http://www.lightning-strike.com/main.htm

Someone who understands, references to resources, links and more. A good place to start.

 
Cornell Pet Loss Support
http://web.vet.cornell.edu/public/petloss/

Trained volunteers provide understanding, support and compassion to help people learn how to cope with their emotions from pet loss.

Ontario Veterinary College Pet Loss Support Hotline
http://www.ovc.uoguelph.ca/petloss/

Books

I'll Always Love You. by H. Wilhelm
Oh, Where Has My Pet Gone? A Pet Loss Memory Book by S. Sibbitt
The Tenth Good Thing About Barney by Judith Viorst
The Dead Bird by Margaret Wise Brown
When a Pet Dies by Fred Rogers
 

Parents Corner - Kids, Dogs and Safety

Kids and Dogs can be either a terrific, or a terrible, combination depending upon how you handle it.

 

If you have kids, and are thinking about getting a dog.

If you have children the first question is not what kind of dog to get, but whether to get one. There are lots of factors involved, but the very first one is: Do you have the time, and the patience? Keeping a dog humanely is very like having yet another child. Here are some web sites that will help you explore the issues:

Kids and Dogs: A Common Sense Approach
http://www.canismajor.com:80/dog/kidsdog2.html

Another fine article from the Dog-Owner's Guide By Vicki DeGruy

Dog Owner's Guide: Kids and Dogs (Topic List)
http://www.canismajor.com/dog/topic1.html#Kids

A growing list of excellent articles on different aspects of dogs and kids, from safety to selection.

Dog Bite Prevention
http://www.dogscouts.com/biteprevention.shtml

Basic advice on avoiding dog bites, and keeping your child safe around dogs - a little lighter writing style - a little more focus on normal dog behavior.

Preventing Dog Bites in Children
http://leerburg.com/kidbites.htm

The page opens with a photo of dog bites on a child. If that will bother you, don't go there. Good information.

Children and Dogs: Important Information for Parents
http://www.ddfl.org/behavior/kidsdogs.pdf

From the Denver Dumb Friends Leage, Humane Society of Denver a general overview on selection and supervision.

Fostering a safe relationship between your children and your dog.
http://www.cbrrescue.org/articles/kids_and_dogs.htm
A Dog for the Allergic?
http://sweet-lucys.com/allergictodogs.html
Some ideas for those wanting a dog but needing to consider allergies.

If you have a dog, and are going to be having kids:

Take a look at the same sources above. Also:

Books

Child-Proofing your Dog
by Brian Kilcommons
Teach your pet to accept predictable inter-actions before they happen and you can own a dog that is trustworthy and great with kids. Read this before the baby and/or the dog arrive!

There's A Baby In The House! Go to Store
by Mike Wombacher
Preparing your dog for the arrival of a new child in the family. Learn how to evaluate your dog, identify, and solve potential problems long before the baby arrives.

Dogs And Children Go to Store
by Barbara Sykes
Common-sense approach provides advice on how to prepare the way for a dog to become part of a family and how to avoid jealousy between child and dog. Emphasizes the need for children and dogs to learn mutual respect and correct behavior towards each other.

Preparing Fido - CD baby sounds
http://preparingfido.com/index.html

Websites

Bite Prevention
http://www.ci.madison.wi.us/health/envhealth/dogbites.html

An article from the City of Madison Public Health Department describing how bites may occur, how to avoid dog bites, and how to have a dog so that it is less likely to bite. Based on information from the Humane Society of the United States.

Kids and Pets [HomeVet© Natural Health Care Center]
http://www.homevet.com/petcare/kidspets.html

If you have a dog, kids and problems:

Dog growls or snaps at family members
http://www.dogplay.com/Behavior/growling.html

What to do if the dog is growling or snapping at family members. (Slightly edited from advice on usenet).

Dogs That Bite Children. Is There Hope?
http://www.webtrail.com/petbehavior/dec97.html

Deciding whether to even try to rehabilitate a dog that has bitten or threatened to bite a child is not even an issue for some people - they put the dog down or otherwise remove it from the household. Other people want to take a closer look at the situation before condemning the dog. This article is great for prevention of such a situation regardless of which side you would be on should a bite actually occur.

The Large Dog and Children
http://www.rottie-l.org/largedog.html

Tips to understanding the dog-child interaction, and how to prevent problems.

Dog Owner's Guide: Kids And Dogs: Safety...

More tips on preventing problems in the dog-child interaction.

The Aggressive Behavior List

A discussion group by e-mail. You can ask questions here about aggressive dog behavior toward family members and other people and dogs.

Behavior, Socialization and Training Links
http://www.dogplay.com/Behavior/behavior.html
More behavior and training links to help with minor problems, or help locate in person help.

                 

Dog Whisperer with Cesar Milan First Season DVD

 

 

 

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Created: May 11, 1998     Updated January 1, 2008

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