Over 4 million dogs enter shelters every year because of factors associated with dog care, health, and behavior. Aggressiveness, destructiveness, and disobedience are some of the biggest behavioral reasons why dogs are relinquished. A Puppy’s New Home, a new book series of humane & educational dog books for kids, was formed because we believeproper education in our communities can lead to healthier, happier dogs and families. It is our hope that by equipping families with these reference guides it will help decrease the number of dogs that end up without homes and instead create safe and loving environments. Humane education teaches children about the importance and value of kindness and empathizing with bothanimals and people helps prevent animal creulty and dog bites. Children are more successful in safe and lovingenvironments and so are your family’s pets. According to a 2008 study in the Journal of Nursing, titled, Risk Factors inthe Mutual Relationship Between Children and Dogs, a child’s risk of being bitten by a dog relates to three things:1. A child’s knowledge of dog body language 2. How a child perceived his or her authority over the family dog 3. How often a child was allowed to engage in risky behaviorAccording to Christine Hibbard (CTC, CPDT-KA), “The first risk factor pointed out in this study of a child beingbitten by a dog was a child’s inability to understand how a dog communicates.” She continues to point out that closely monitoring children and dogs is simply not enough. Education combined withsupervision is the best way to prevent dog bites and keep our children and family pet safe and happy. The characters in A Puppy’s New Home speak directly to the child alerting him or her on how to read their body language, when a parentshould be present, and training tips. There are many factors that must be considered before adopting a new dog as a member of your family includingtime, space, and expense. A Puppy’s New Home wants to help bring these topics to the table for discussion. We all know puppies are cute and cuddly, but let us not forget the commitment and responsibility that comes with being a good petowner.When reading this book, you may come across unfamiliar orbolded words; you can find definitions and additionalreadings in the resource section at the back of the book. Happy reading and share this book with your communities so that we can work together to create safe happy homes for our families and furry friends!
