Revised edition
On cover: By Pauline Blomfield and Buddy
On cover: Dogs can talk. Bonus section for adults. Learn a dog's body language and important signs of canine behaviour
Previous edition: 2011
Summary: Uses a story format to introduce seven important lessons to help keep children safe around dogs
Children encounter dogs wherever they go: in the park, on the sidewalk, at their friends’ homes. Sometimes it’s love at first sight, on both sides—but not always. The right way for a child to approach a dog to ensure that the first connection is a complete success begins with this question to the owner: “May I pet your dog?” Using Harry the dachshund as a gentle guide, Stephanie Calmenson addresses this valuable yet overlooked topic with care and precision, and Jan Ormerod’s warm illustrations portray a wide variety of breeds and personalities and depict situations that are realistic but never scary. Unique and straightforward, this is the essential guide to bringing children and dogs together—for kids and parents alike.
Summary: Harry the dog explains how to safely meet him and his friends.
Be A Dog's Best Friend is written in the voice of Ema, a ten-year-old with a wealth of information about how to safely interact with dogs. Ema takes her readers on a tour of all of the dogs in her life, offering tips along the way of how to best approach new dogs, play with familiar dogs, and steer clear of dogs unknown to her. Be A Dog's Best Friend features clear illustrations of dogs demonstrating inviting and uninviting body language, as well as demonstrations of do's and don'ts. The language used is geared toward children ages six to ten years of age. For children younger than six, adults can use the text and pictures to begin a dialogue.
Too many children suffer the tragedy of dog bites. Statistics show that over the past two years in Hamilton City alone, over forty children under the age of fourteen were reported victims of dog attacks (source HCC Animal Control). One third of those incidences occurred where the child and dog lived in the same house. It is widely accepted that the majority of these distressing episodes could be avoided if children (and adults) were more aware of canine behaviour and understood how to conduct themselves around dogs. HOW TO KEEP KIDS SAFE WITH DOGS is a fun story about Sam and Susan getting a dog and learning how to keep safe. It can be shared as a read aloud picture book with young children or enjoyed and read alone by older children. With full-page illustrations the story is colourful and interactive as it teaches seven important lessons to help keep children safe around dogs.
