Doggone Safe Member Kay Thompson on TV

Here is a follow up to our last blog post about dog bite prevention in San Diego with Rady Childrens Hospital. Check out this terrific TV coverage with Doggone Safe member Kay Thompson!

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Doggone Safe Member with Training Success Story on TV

Congratulations to Be a Tree Presenter and dog behavior consultant, Melissa Millett for her role as host and trainer on the cable TV show "Doggy House Calls". Melissa visits the homes of families to help improve the behaviour of wayward pooches. Melissa teaches the owners how to use positive reinforcement-based clicker training to teach the dog the desired behaviours. Here is a link to a show segment in which a frightened  and aggressive dog learns to be less fearful and hence non-aggressive towards other dogs.

Doggy House Calls Episode

The owner explains that it required a consistent effort and that the training and vigilance are ongoing, but the results are well-worth it to have a happy and safe dog. The owner noted that the dog is calmer and safer around kids now as well. This is a terrific side effect of the training and provides a demonstration of the fact that training leads to a safer more well-adjusted dog. We can see from this example that the dog is a much happier and calmer now that she is not frightened by other dogs.

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Praise for Doggone Safe and the Be a Tree Program

Wed like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has posted a review for us on the Great Non-Profits review site! There are lots of terrific reviews and we appreciate and read each and every one of them.

If you would like to add your own review we would love to hear about your experience with the Be a Tree program or any of our other resources.

Click here to write a review (we love it when you include your real name, but you dont have to)

Here are a few examples:

Great safety tips on how to get kids to behave properly around dogs. As a professional dog trainer, I really see the need for good safety programs for kids, and Doggone Safe is one of the best! I frequently give the Be A Tree presentation and everyone loves it. While a serious topic, the program has been developed to be entertaining, interactive and carefully repetitive to help kids thoroughly retain the information. The visuals are excellent and the "tools" for learning are fun. Most adults attending learn right along with the kids. Judy Kheen

I am a Pediatric Emergency Room Nurse, and a Certified Professional Dog Trainer. Did you know that ERs across the United States see and average of 1000 dog bites a day! Dog bites have been too long viewed as environmental accidents that cannot be prevented. Thanks to Doggone Safe, we are all learning more, and now we know how we can help to prevent these injuries. Kay Thompson RN

I have provided citizens in our community with canine councilling for over 25 years. Part of our educational plan for our shelter is to reduce the number of owner released animals coming through our doors. Help clients and animals through the adjustment periods of a new relationship. Provide knowledge to help dispel fear, asin our experience as animal control or the city, shows that the majority of dog bites which happen in our community are the result of poor education of the public and fear induced responses by the dogs. Doggone Safes Be A Tree Program incorporates all of the tools needed to make real changes in public perception and we have seen a significant decrease in dog bites toward young children since we have been using the Be A Tree programs in local schools. Be A Tree is the absolute best there is to evoke change.  Robert Metzler, President, Gloucester SPCA

We have incorporated the resources from the Be A Tree Kit into our Bright Puppy lessons at Sit Happens! Companion Dog Training in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Our students are loving it! Thank you Doggone Safe! Jill Dextrase

I am a physician, specializing in Post-Traumatic Stress disorder, who was additionally nearly mauled to death by a German Shepard nearly 35 years ago. I happened upon Doggone safe and the support group several years ago, and have remained an active member ever since that time. The organization has not only benefited me, but I have observed over the years of participation the help and healing that it has brought to others who have survived dog attacks. The educational aspects of Doggone Safe additionally provides the members and general public a multitude of ways to keep themselves and children as well as their animals safe from further dog attacks, which for humans, require 5 million ER and operations per year and up to 30 deaths annually, per CDC report (2008). Shell King MD

Im a professional dog trainer/behaviour therapist and I have used Doggone Safe material for years to educate my clients. I just love their programs! From the Doggone Crazy Board game, Be A Tree Programs to all their bite prevention and safety programs; each have been an invaluable tool. Clients have always found all the material not only informative but fun and easy to understand. Joan and Theresa have done an amazing job with these programs and have always been helpful and supportive in sharing their tools. Keep up the good work & thanks for all that you do :) Sylvia Gottshalk, Delightful Dogs

I am a Certified Humane Education Specialist and I use Doggone Safe Be a Tree program for everything from preschool to adult. I especially like the beautiful photos. They are clear in being able to read the dogs feelings. I have used this presentation to thousands of people over the years. Even adults learn from these presentations. Our dog training classes have also used this outstanding resource. Their Doggone Crazy game is a huge hit for our camps. I have even taken the flash cards from the game to make Trivial Pawsuit Games for larger crouds. We have also used their article models to do press releases during some key holiday times. Great stuff and a wonderful resource. Thank you so much for providing such professional materials to those of us in need.

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Why Does Doggone Safe Teach that Panting Dogs are Safe

Here is one of the most frequently asked questions about the content of the Be a Tree program:

Panting can be a sign of stress in a dog - why do you tell children that panting dogs are happy?

A panting dog is dealing with the stress by panting. A stressed dog that is not panting is much more dangerous because it has no mechanism to relieve the stress and is therefore more likely to react. Not all stress is bad stress. The dog might be waiting for a child to come and say hello. The waiting and wondering causes mild stress and the dog starts to pant. "Are we going for a walk?", "Are you going to throw that ball?", "Am I getting the cookie?" These are all circumstances that will cause panting due to mild stress and anticipation. We are trying to keep things simple for children and not providing an exhaustive course in dog behavior. Children obviously cannot be expected to tell the difference between a dog panting under mild stress or a dog panting with rapid frantic breaths that indicates extreme stress (still a dog less likely to bite than a highly stressed dog that is not able to pant).

Other things that the children learn during the program should prevent them from interacting with a dog panting out of extreme stress. They are taught to stand sideways and allow the dog to come to them to sniff their fist. A very nervous dog is apt to move away and not come forward to sniff - so they would leave that dog alone. They may also see the half moon eye, yawn, lick or the fore paw lift and realize that the dog is anxious. They are taught that if the dog stops panting if they come closer, that the dog does not want to meet or interact with them. Hopefully, handlers whose dog are very anxious will say no, when a child asks to pet the dog.

So for the most part a panting dog is a dog waiting with happy anticipation for something good to happen, or at least is a dog that is dealing with its stress. The panting/not panting differentiation is simple for children and immediately rules out many dogs that they may otherwise have wanted to pet and gives them a way to decide whether their own dog (who is the one most likely to bite them anyway) is open to interaction with them. We also teach that children should ask the dog handler to tell the dog to sit before they meet it. The cue "sit" is a stress reliever for most dogs because it is familiar and generally has a positive association and gives the dog some control of the situation. A dog that does not sit for the handler is not under sufficient control for a child to pet. An extremely anxious dog is unlikely to follow instructions and is ruled out on that basis, whether panting or not.

To summarize (so that a child can understand):

Panting and wiggly = safe

Not panting and stiff = dangerous

 

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