May I Pet Your Dog?: The How-to Guide for Kids Meeting Dogs (and Dogs Meeting Kids)

I work in a vet hospital and constantly watch children walk up to dogs they don't know and nearly get harmed because the dog is a aggressive, sick, injured, or just too playful. These are things that every child should learn about and this book should be in every child's home.

I got this book when my son was two and a half and going to spend sometime at Granny's with her dachshund. He is so abusive to our cat that I was a bit concerned about what he might do to her old pooch when she was in the other room. This book was great. He asked me to read it every day for two weeks, and when we go out to the park, even though he is terribly shy with adults, he will ask dog owners diligently, "May I Pet Your Dog?" before approaching. The book was well worth the price because I don't worry about him messing around with strange dogs now. And it's really a cute book. It won't give your kids nightmares about saber-toothed dobermans. Mostly, it teaches etiquette and respect for animals.

A straightforward primer to show small children the safest way to meet and approach strange dogs. Although this doesn't provide much in the way of dramatic storytelling, it does offer very practical information, in a way that may appeal to kids. Ask the owners first; show the dog your hand and let them sniff it before you try petting them; pet dogs from the side, not over their heads; pay attention to warning signs like crouching or growling, and don't make direct eye contact with an angry or anxious dog. As a narrative, this is pretty clunky, but even if you only get one or two readings out of it, the information they impart will be very valuable. Good for parents, too! (ReadThatAgain!)

We got this book for our 3-year old daughter (who loved dogs) - and it has been wonderful. There are some great pointers in here about how to approach dogs so that they feel comfortable with you, and you are (consequently) safer interacting with them. She loves the book, and she puts the lessons in there to work with our dogs all the time.

The number of children being bit by dogs is astronomical. This could be drastically reduced, by showing children ( & adults) the right way to approach a dog. A child's only experience may be with a friendly dog, or her own dog. Many dogs see an unknown child running up & reaching out at them as a threat and become fearful & /or aggressive. Both responses can cause a dog to bite. Dog bites and attacks can leave lasting physical and emotional scars on a child. Please, read this to your toddler, to your kindergarten class, to any child you are in contact with. Tell everyone you know, that dog bites can be significantly reduced, IF when we see a dog, we know to STOP, ASK the owner if you can pet their dog & only then approach the dog in a non-threatening way. This book is an awesome tool to intruct this information.