Featured Book: May I Pet Your Dog?

This book is a must-have for every elementary school classroom and family library, regardless of whether or not a dog lives with you in your home. Children and dogs seem like they were made for each other in so many ways, but unfortunately, many children are never taught how to behave safely and appropriately around dogs - which can lead to accidents such as dog bites. May I Pet Your Dog teaches children how to be kind, safe, and compassionate around dogs with the loving support and guidance of the adults in their lives. It illustrates for children, step-by-step, what they should do when they meet a dog they don't know when they are out on a walk, asking first: "Is your dog friendly?" If the answer is yes, the child can then ask: "May I pet your dog?" If the answer is again "yes" (because his or her owner has indicated that the dog is friendly), children should then hold their hand out, fingers down, and let the dog sniff their hand.

When the dog feels safe (which children learn to know by reading the dog's body language), it is ok to then pet the dog - but not by reaching over a dog's head, because this can be scary for a dog. Instead, children should pet a dog gently on their back.

This book takes children through different scenarios as they meet dogs with different personalities, preferences, and temperaments, and teaches children that not all dogs want to be petted. This is significant because in a recent survey I gave to nearly 120 children in 2nd grade, 49% of the children said that "when you meet a new dog, it's ok to run over and pet them." This tells me that nearly half of the children I surveyed did not know how to meet a new dog safely!

May I Pet Your Dog teaches children how to stay safe when they meet a dog who growls at them, and it teaches them how to give a dog a treat safely. It teaches children to avoid reaching out to pet dogs who are in cars (because they can be territorial), and teaches children not to pet working dogs (such as guide dogs). There are so many great lessons packed into this little book!

To get your own copy of May I Pet Your Dog today, you can order it on Amazon by clicking here.

To learn more about the author, Stephanie Calmenson, you can visit her author page by clicking here, or visit here website at http://www.stephaniecalmenson.com