Did you know how to supervise kids and dogs?
Everyone says that kids and dogs should never be left unsupervised. That's good advice as far as it goes. But supervision is only effective when you know what to look for and when to intervene.
Most people don't. Even people who have lived with dogs their whole lives frequently miss the meaning of dog body language.
Fortunately it's not hard to learn. To truly supervise kids and dogs, you need to know about kid behavior (most parents have this one down pat) and dog behavior (that's where I can help). Once you know how to read what you are seeing, you'll be able to set your kids and dogs up for a happy, healthy, safe, and fun relationship.
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Books & Resources
...For Parents
Living with Kids and Dogs . . . Without Losing Your Mind: A Parent's Guide to Controlling the Chaos, by Colleen Pelar, 176 pages, $16.95
The award-winning parents' guide to managing kid-and-dog interactions from birth through teens. At last! A kids-and-dogs book for parents written by someone who "gets it."
"This is a wonderful book. Useful, useful, useful information--all the main points in an extremely easy-to-read style. As a trainer and a mom, Colleen sees the full picture." ~ Dr. Ian Dunbar
Living with Kids and Dogs . . . Without Losing Your Mind covers more than introducing a baby to the family dog. It has chapters devoted to each stage of a child's life with parental pointers for setting their family up for success while raising kids and dogs together.
Parenting books say control your dog; dog-training books say control your kids. The reality is far more complex and goes way beyond placing blame on either children or dogs for being who they are.
Living with Kids & Dogs . . . Without Losing Your Mind provides busy parents with simple, realistic advice to help ensure that the relationship between their kids and their dog is safe and enjoyable for all.
You will learn how to
- * Help your child and dog develop a strong relationship, built on trust and cooperation
- * Set your family up for success with a minimum of effort
- * Recognize canine stress signals and know when your dog is getting worried about normal kid activity
- * Identify serious behavior problems before someone gets hurt
- * Provide specific help for managing the interactions with dogs through each stage of your kids' lives from infancy through the teen years
- * Prevent your child from becoming part of a growing statistic--children who have been bitten by a dog.
Family Dog Cheat Sheet, $13.95
Keep your kids and dogs safe even when you aren't home to supervise. Ideal for child-care providers (and grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends) who need to know what to look for and when to intervene in kid-and-dog interactions!
The most important things you need to know about dogs distilled into 16 full-color laminated pages. You'll learn:
- Three straightforward ways of categorizing behavior that take the guesswork out of understanding dogs
- Seven easy-to-identify stress signals that point out when a dog needs your help
- Three simple steps for meeting a dog that help you start a good relationship
- One amazing behavior that stops most aggressive displays
- And many other trouble-free tips that help you better understand the dogs you love!
...For People Who Work with Dogs
Kids and Dogs: A Professional's Guide to Helping Families, by Colleen Pelar, 128 full-color pages, $14.95
"This book is both fantastic and unique. Every dog trainer, groomer, dog walker, shelter worker and general dog aficionado who would like to help parents improve the life of a dog living with children should read this book. It's filled with first-hand experience and stories that illustrate the points in memorable way."
As both a parent and a person who counsels dog owners, Colleen Pelar is able to take us into the mind of the parent so that we understand the misconceptions that they have that drive them to make the dangerous mistakes they make with regarding how their child and dog interact. More importantly she offers many useful tips and suggestions as to how anyone can help educate parents about the relationship between their kids and pets."
~Dr. Sophia Yin, author of Low-Stress Handling, Restraint, and Behavior Modification of Dogs and Cats and How to Behave So Your Dog Behaves
"Reading Kids and Dogs is like drinking cool, clean water in the middle of a hot, barren dessert! This clear and helpful book fills a gaping hole in the dog literature--how professionals in the field can help people trying to raise kids and dogs at the same time. I give it all paws up and a body wag from the shoulders back."
~Patricia B. McConnell, PhD, CAAB, author of The Other End of the Leash, For the Love of a Dog, and Tales of Two Species
"As a dog training and behavior professional without human children, I plead guilty to many of the inappropriate assumptions and unrealistic expectations that trainer/author Colleen Pelar describes in her latest work. This book is an invaluable resource for dog aficionados, professional or not, who seek to make relationships between families and their canine companions more successful."
~Pat Miller, author of The Power of Positive Dog Training and training editor for The Whole Dog Journal
Kids and dogs have misunderstandings every day. Most aren't serious, but some can be downright dangerous. If a bite occurs, a child could be injured and the dog could lose his home--or his life!
Take the guesswork out of kid-and-dog interactions using these tips, tricks, and techniques. On every page, you'll find things that make your work with dogs--and their families--easier!
Family Dog Cheat Sheet, $13.95
A picture is worth 1000 words. Show them what you mean. The perfect tool for dog trainers, groomers, dog daycare workers, and pet sitters to use to educate their clients about dog behavior.
The most important things you need to know about dogs distilled into 16 full-color laminated pages. These tips will revolutionize how you relate with dogs. You'll learn:
- Three straightforward ways of categorizing behavior that take the guesswork out of understanding dogs
- Seven easy-to-identify stress signals that point out when a dog needs your help
- Three simple steps for meeting a dog that help you start a good relationship
- One amazing behavior that stops most aggressive displays
- And many other trouble-free tips that help you teach people to understand dogs.
Stress Signals Bookmarks, $15
You'll love having these bookmarks to teach your clients about dog behavior.
A customized version with your logo is also available.
Meeting a Dog Bookmarks, $15
You'll love having these bookmarks to teach clients about how to safely initiate contact with a new dog.
They're a terrific tool. Use them at scout meetings, humane education lessons, and school safety sessions. You may even find yourself passing them out on the street when you people come up to meet your dog.
A customized version with your logo is also available.
Behavior Continuum Poster, $14.95
It's not enough to look at behavior as aggressive or nonaggressive. By categorizing behavior as Enjoyment, Tolerance, and Enough Already, you can avoid unknowingly putting dogs in stressful situations.
18" x 24" easy-to-frame poster.
School & Library Visits Made Easy DVD, $17.95
You'll see clips from actual visits and an interview in which Colleen discusses the things that have worked--and not worked--for her in the many visits she has done over the past decade. This video will give you the confidence to give presentations of your own.
20-minute DVD (also available with the script Colleen uses when doing classroom visits).