Bite Me…not. Be Doggone Smart this Summer: Teach Kids to Communicate with Dogs and Play Safe

Campbellville ON May 26, 2004-–Dog bite season is here. Spring and summer bring increased activity and change in routines. Dogs can get excited or anxious and accidents can happen. Most dog bites are by a family pet at someone's home. Kids can learn to speak dog, interpret the dog's intentions and be safe around dogs. Doggone Crazy!, a company dedicated to dog bite prevention, is offering free shipping in the continental US and Canada on its popular family board game, Doggone Crazy! until the end of June 2004. Doggone Crazy! provides a fun and interactive way for kids to learn to interpret dog body language and empowers them to make safe choices around dogs.

Dogs cannot talk to us with words, but they are highly skilled in the use of body language. Some signals that dogs send are very obvious in their meaning. For example a dog showing his teeth with raised hackles is clearly indicating that he will not tolerate the attentions of a child. Other signals are subtler, or are quite obvious, but most people do not know how to interpret them. Happy and calm dogs are safer for children to interact with than dogs that are anxious, scared or angry. Happy and calm dogs will present one or more of the following signals: panting with happy expression, ears and forehead relaxed, tail wagging enthusiastically or lying with one paw tucked under. A dog presenting this way is safe for a child to approach. If the demeanor changes and the dog stiffens, stops panting and wagging or raises his tail high upon the approach of the child then the child should not approach. This applies even to the family pet. An anxious or fearful dog may wag his tail low or even between his legs, he may back away when approached or raise a front paw slightly. A common sign that the dog is unhappy with the situation is the pleading look that happens when a child is mauling the dog. This look involves the dog showing part of the white of the eye in a half-moon shape. Parents seeing this half-moon eye should intervene, since the dog is anxious and may not tolerate the child for much longer.    

Another danger sign which parents must take very seriously is the raised tail. If a dog raises his tail to a child when the child approaches the dog or when the dog comes near the child, this dog is saying, "I am the boss, don't mess with me". This dog is likely to bite the child if the child takes an action that the dog considers to be insubordinate. Parents who see this behavior in the dog should seek the advice of a canine behaviorist.

Doggone Crazy! teaches children and families to understand dog communication with the more than 100 full color photo cards that are part of the game. Children also learn through question and answer cards, activities and pictures how to act in various situations involving dogs and how to "be a tree" if a strange dog approaches or any dog threatens, bothers or frightens them.

Doggone Crazy! is an "innovative dog bite prevention resource that will help keep kids safe around dogs and enhance the bond between people and their pets", according to Bill DeRosa, executive director of the National Association of Humane and Environmental Education – the Youth Education Division of the Humane Society of the United States.
   
Nine year-old toy reviewer and game expert MyKaela Edrich said this in her independent review of Doggone Crazy!: "Doggone Crazy was a fun game. I liked learning about dogs. My brother loves animals so it was really fun being able to play a game he actually liked. This game is a good game because it teaches us to be safe around dogs. There was some stuff I didn't know and now I know I will be safe." from http://thedabblingmum.com/mykaelaedrich/

For additional information, contact: Joan Orr, President, Doggone Crazy at 905-854-3232 or email joan@doggonecrazy.ca

Doggone Crazy! is available on-line at www.doggonecrazy.ca, through NAHEE in the US and at independent pet retailers in the US and Canada. Free shipping is offered on all on-line and phone orders in Canada and continental US from the manufacturer until June 30, 2003.

Doggone Crazy!™, Doggone Smart™ and Bite Me…not™ are trademarks of Doggone Crazy!

Doggone Crazy! is a company dedicated to dog bite prevention education and the creator of the family board game Doggone Crazy! This unique and action-packed game empowers kids with the knowledge they need to make safe choices around dogs.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Joan Orr
Doggone Crazy!
2295 Mohawk Trail
Campbellville ON
Canada L0P 1B0
905-854-3232 (phone)
905-854-3271 (fax)
http://www.doggonecrazy.ca





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