Living with Kids and Dogs...Without Losing Your Mind [Paperback]

Colleen Pelar (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 15, 2005

At last! A kids-and-dogs book for parents written by someone who "gets it."

This is a wonderful book. Useful, useful, useful information—all the main points in an extremely easy-to-read style. As a trainer and a mom, Colleen sees the full picture." — Dr. Ian Dunbar

Living with Kids and Dogs . . . Without Losing Your Mind by Colleen Pelar, CPDT, covers more than introducing a baby to the family dog. It has chapters devoted to each stage of a child’s life with parental pointers for setting their family up for success while raising kids and dogs together.

~ Parenting books say control your dog; dog-training books say control your kids. The reality is far more complex and goes way beyond placing blame on either children or dogs for being who they are. ~

Living with Kids & Dogs . . . Without Losing Your Mind provides busy parents with simple, realistic advice to help ensure that the relationship between their kids and their dog is safe and enjoyable for all.

You will learn how to • Help your child and dog develop a strong relationship, built on trust and cooperation • Set your family up for success with a minimum of effort • Recognize canine stress signals and know when your dog is getting worried about normal kid activity • Identify serious behavior problems before someone gets hurt • Provide specific help for managing the interactions with dogs through each stage of your kids’ lives from infancy through the teen years • Prevent your child from becoming part of a growing statistic—children who have been bitten by a dog.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Colleen Pelar, CPDT, has been raising kids and training dogs since 1991. Colleen received her CPDT certification as a pet dog trainer from the Certification Council for Pet Dog Trainers in September of 2001, one of the first 136 trainers in the world to attain this title, and is the training manager of All About Dogs, Inc., one of the largest dog training facilities in Virginia.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: C&R Publishing; 1 edition (August 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933562668
• ISBN-13: 978-1933562667
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #29,878 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "must-have" for any parent considering a canine addition to the family, November 10, 2005

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Living with Kids and Dogs...Without Losing Your Mind (Paperback)

Living with Kids and Dogs... Without Losing Your Mind is a no-nonsense advice guide for parents that emphasizes realistic and practical solutions to common parent/pet-owner problems. Dog training facility manager Colleen Pelar covers when not to get a dog (children under 5 are not old enough to interact with a pet responsibly and require supervision around animals; children in general cannot be burdened with the requirement to care for the pet or see it taken away - if the parent doesn't have the resources to follow up on a child's dog care then the family should not get a dog!), how to select an animal with suitable family temperament, how to prevent dog bites, and issues specific to children of various age groups from infant to teenager, and how to help one's children say goodbye to a beloved family pet when it passes on. Black-and-white photographs illustrate this no-nonsense, plain terms guide to dog care and managing a family with kids and dogs. A "must-have" for any parent considering a canine addition to the family.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally-- a really great kids and dogs book!, April 21, 2006

By 

zpgmom - See all my reviews

This review is from: Living with Kids and Dogs...Without Losing Your Mind (Paperback)

Finally-- A really good book on how to live with kids and dogs. Most dog trainers don't have a lot of good things to say about kids (although I overhead one saying that she thought they tasted a lot like chicken!), but Colleen has written a book for parents by a parent who is also an excellent dog trainer. Colleen tells it like it is, from someone who knows. Her child-friendly, family-friendly and dog-friendly approach is realistic, safe, and right on the mark. I cannot say enough good things about Ms. Pelar or this book. Please read it and get a copy for your favorite family!

As the director of training for the 4th largest shelter in the country, I see every day that the consequences of people not having this information is that dogs end up in shelters. I applaud Ms. Pelar for writing it and helping keep dogs in their homes through education.

Becky Schultz, Certified Pet Dog Trainer
Director of Animal Training and Behavior Programs
Animal Humane Society
Minneapolis, MN

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific book for all parents of kids & dogs!, August 13, 2007

By 

Rise VanFleet, PhD "Child/Family Psychologist" (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Living with Kids and Dogs...Without Losing Your Mind (Paperback)

This is one of the very best resources I've found for families with children and dogs. It has lots of practical kid-friendly and dog-friendly tips and ideas. I've recently read hundreds of books on similar topics while researching a book I'm writing, and this one really stood out. As a child/family psychologist, I was impressed with how solid it was, and as a therapy dog trainer, I thought the advice about dogs was spot-on! It deserves all the stars that everyone has given it!!