Happy Kids, Happy Dogs

The Bark Magazine Sep/Oct 2006 says Happy Kids, Happy Dogs is “...unfailingly logical in its presentation of ideas, with clear explanations and step-by-step training instructions on such diverse topics as the three secrets to a well-behaved dog, the top three cues your dog should respond to and how to teach them, when to get help, dos and don'ts for child behavior, games kids can play with their dogs, and rules to follow when kids visit.” Children are the most frequent victims of dog bites and 80% of such bites come from the family dog, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Help your dog and your baby become friends. Happy Kids, Happy Dogs offers easy to follow exercises, games and practical dog training tips presented according to your child's developmental stages. Written by the prenatal instructor for safe dog-child interactions at Duke University Health System and University of North Carolina Women's Hospital. Partial profits from sales of Happy Kids, Happy Dogs go to non-profit groups that help at-risk youth and shelter dogs.

Barbara Shumannfang is the founder of Top Notch Dog, LLC, through which she helps families prevent, recognize, and modify problem behaviors in their companion dogs. At Duke University Health System and the University of North Carolina Hospitals, she teaches a prenatal seminar on reducing stress and injury in child-dog interactions. She holds a Ph.D. from Duke University in a non-doggy field and is a Certified Pet Dog Trainer.