LIVING WITH KIDS AND DOGS...WITHOUT LOSING YOUR MIND
by Colleen Pelar (See other books by author)

Summary: At last! A kids-and-dogs book written by someone who "gets it!" Simple, realistic advice for busy parents to help ensure that the relationship between their kids and their dog is safe and enjoyable for all.

Price: $16.95

A Dog World Top 12 Training and Behavior Book - 2010!

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; prevent your child from becoming part of a growing statistic - children who have been bitten by a dog.

What reviewers are saying...

APDT CHRONICLE OF THE DOG
“I liked this book. I really liked this book! If I could, I would give it more than the allotted four-paw rating across the board. I’ve never met Colleen Pelar, but I’d certainly like to after reading this exceptionally useful book that covers just about everything imaginable relating to dogs and kids. To start off with, it’s easy to read in just a few hours, even in a hectic environment (which, after all, is where the target audience resides). Part of the genius of this book is that many important points are repeated throughout. Colleen Pelar has put together an incredibly useful guide for families with dogs. It even includes many great analogies to help those of us without children understand what life with kids and dogs is really like. She provides do-able exercises that get the whole family involved and presents them with just enough detail to be executed by novice readers without overwhelming them. That is quite a feat and deserves a resounding brava! The few times that I thought ”Oops, she missed an important point here …” I didn’t get more than a half a page further and voila, there it was. Interestingly, there is a disclaimer at the start of the book stating that “there may be mistakes, both typographical and in content.” If there were typographical errors I didn’t see them. As far as content, I found it excellent. There were only two areas that I had any qualms about. One was a short section that included a puppy socialization list. While a wonderful list, there was no mention of the dangers of over-exposure or the importance of taking each dog’s personality or temperament into consideration before exposure to boisterous children, popping balloons, lawn mowers, and the like. The discussion also did not instruct the reader to pair the items on the socialization list with treats or other reinforcers to ensure that the puppy was not only exposed, but also made positive, lasting associations. Given that the target audience is a novice one, I would have liked to see that discussion included. The other is a minor point. Pelar includes the Dunbar bite scale in the book. The bite scale has always puzzled me a bit. For example, how exactly does one determine if the depth of a bite is half or less than the length of the dog’s canine teeth? I think the book would be just fine without this scale, which includes “Flesh consumed or Victim dead.” I found the content useful, original, well-presented, and amazingly thorough given that the book was kept to a refreshingly short length—factors which altogether make it highly accessible to the busy readers for whom it is intended. I will certainly recommend this book to clients and, in fact, plan to buy a stock of them to provide to clients who could use Pelar’s wit and wisdom on this subject. As a side note, for the dog professional who doesn’t have kids, I’d say this is a must-read. I know I’ll be teaching clients with preschoolers “Peanut Butter Kisses” starting today thanks to Ms. Pelar!” Sarah Kalnajs

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Back Cover

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• RAISING PUPPIES AND KIDS TOGETHER - A GUIDE FOR PARENTS
• SOUNDS GOOD AUDIO CD - CHILDREN
• HAPPY KIDS, HAPPY DOGS
• KIDS AND DOGS - A PROFESSIONAL'S GUIDE TO HELPING FAMILIES
• MAY I PET YOUR DOG? - THE HOW-TO GUIDE FOR KIDS MEETING DOGS (AND DOGS MEETING KIDS)

• ON TALKING TERMS WITH DOGS - CALMING SIGNALS, 2ND EDITION
• FEISTY FIDO - HELP FOR THE LEASH REACTIVE DOG, 2ND EDITION
• I'LL BE HOME SOON! - HOW TO PREVENT AND TREAT SEPARATION ANXIETY
• CAUTIOUS CANINE - HOW TO HELP DOGS CONQUER THEIR FEARS, 2ND EDITION
• HOW TO BE THE LEADER OF THE PACK - AND HAVE YOUR DOG LOVE YOU FOR IT!