Kid's Page by Teri

For Parents Too: Is there a way to "bite-proof" your dog?

Help Fluff and Ruff Find All of their Stuff!!!

Fluff the Cat and Ruff the Dog have misplaced their "stuff." Can you help them? Here is a list of what they need. Find the drawing of the item below. Color it and then match it to the pictures of Fluff and Ruff. Thanks for helping them!

Food and Water Dishes – Both Fluff and Ruff need to have fresh food and water daily. They each eat different food, so they can’t share the same dish. It’s such a warm day, they will both drink lots of water – make sure that there is enough.

Collars and ID Tags – There is a collar and identification tag for both Fluff and Ruff. If they ever get lost, their owners will be able to find them much faster if they are wearing their ID tags.

Brushes – Fluff and Ruff like to be brushed. It makes their coats shiny and soft. Brushing helps get rid of the old, dry hair and it also rubs their skin – it feels great!

Toys – Everyone likes to play, including Fluff and Ruff. They have special toys to play with, ones that won’t tear apart and get caught in their throats. Help Fluff and Ruff find their toys so they can play in the yard.

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A Quiz for Kids

Here’s a quiz to see just how much you know about safe behavior with dogs.

Circle the answer you think is best.

1. If a dog you don’t know approaches you, you should:

1. stick your hand out and pet him.

2. run from him.

3. stand still and keep your hands at your side.

2. Is it okay to take a toy from a dog’s mouth?

1. Yes

2. No

3. If you find a dog that is injured, you should:

1. pet him to make him feel better.

2. tell an adult about the dog.

3. pick him up and try to help him.

4. If a dog is chasing you, you should:

1. stand very still.

2. run away as fast as you can.

3. chase him or tease him.

ANSWERS

    1.C. When a dog approaches you, stand still and quiet. Keep your hands at your sides. If the owner is there, make sure you get permission before you pet the dog. And always let him sniff the back of your hand first.

2. B. Dogs can be possessive about certain things so you should never take a toy from a dog’s mouth.

3. B. Never approach a dog (or any other animal) that is injured. Find an adult and tell him/her about the dog.

4. A. Don’t run away from a dog that is chasing you. Dogs naturally want to chase and catch someone who is running away. If you stand still the dog will most likely sniff you and leave you alone.

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For Parents Too

Is there a way to "bite-proof" your dog?

There is no way to guarantee that your dog will never bite someone but there are steps you can take to reduce the risk.

Teach your dog appropriate behavior. That means setting appropriate limits and not playing aggressive games with your dog.

Train your dog. Train your dog as a family. Dog training classes are a great way to socialize your dog and to learn proper training techniques.

Socialize your dog. Try introducing your dog to many different people and situations. This will help prevent him from becoming nervous or frightened under normal situations.

Spay or neuter your dog. This will both reduce aggressive tendencies and the desire to roam. It will also reduce his desire to protect you and your home.

Be responsible. If you are not sure how your dog will react in a new situation, be cautious

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Things kids can do for the animals

Suggestions from American Humane Association National Resource Center 

Are you eager and committed to helping animals but you don’t know what to do? Well here are a few ideas that you can do in your school, at home or in your community.

• Start an animal club. Begin a club with some friends who want to help like you do. Create bookmarks with humane messages to use in class or hand out. Produce a newsletter about animals for your school.

• Plant trees and shrubs on your school grounds to give birds, butterflies, and squirrels a welcome place to hang out.

• Put out a bird feeder. Keep it clean and stocked with seed.

• Suggest a class project in which you clean up a nearby habitat, like a stream or park.

• Ask your librarian to select books about animals to be displayed during Be Kind to Animals Week (the first full week in May).

• Learn all you can about animals. Check your library and the internet for information about pets and wildlife. The more you know, the more you can share.

• Teach another kid what you know about animals.

• Keep your pets healthy. Make sure your pets visit the veterinarian each year for an exam and vaccinations.

• Be a responsible pet owner. Make time everyday to play with and exercise your pets. And let your cats and dogs live inside with you, where they want to be.

• Train your pet to be a good companion. Pets need patience and guidance, not punishment, to train them about your house rules, basic obedience, and good manners.

• Send a card or draw a picture for someone who has lost his or her pet. Anything you can do to let them know you understand how much their pet meant to them.

• Ask your parents not to use harmful chemicals in your garden or home.

• Be aware of your surroundings. Be on the look out for animals who may need your help. Report injured dogs and cats that you find to animal control and injured wildlife to a wildlife rehabilitation center so that they can be rescued.

• Don’t purchase a dog or cat from a pet store or backyard breeder. Instead adopt unwanted animals from the Humane Society.

• Keep your cats indoors or stay with them when they are outside to protect them from traffic and unkind people.

• Give a neighborhood dog some fun. Ask your neighbors who are busy or elderly if you can help care for their pet by walking their dog or playing with their cat.

• Donate money to the Humane Society. Hold a bake sale, recycle aluminum cans, put up a lemonade stand, or come up with you own original way of raising funds.

These are just a few things that you can do. Can you come up with a really creative super-duper idea? If so, please send it to us at the address below!

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Do You Know How To Play With Your Pet?

Here are some suggestions for fun, safe games to play with your favorite cat and dog. Read them, then see if you can come up with some games of your own.

Fetching Good Fun:

"Fetch" is a simple and fun game to play with your dog. Dogs are natural "chasers" so most love this game. In fact, some dogs prefer chasing a ball over eating treats!

To play fetch, you’ll need something safe to throw and safe for your dog to carry, like a tennis ball or Frisbee. Be careful that the item is not too small that your dog could accidentally swallow or choke on it.

Stand in one place, and as you throw the object a few feet (you can throw it farther as he catches on), yell "fetch", so your dog starts to learn what that word means. He should chase the object and pick it up.

Now comes the hard part. Tell your dog to "come" and make him sit (while still holding the object). Then gently take the ball from his mouth as you say, "drop it." When he does, heap loads of praise on him.

Whatever you do, don’t chase him! If you do, he’ll only learn the fun of being chased by you. Stick with it and your dog will soon realize that he has to give the object to you or the game will end. Once he knows that fun will follow, he should eagerly drop the object again and again.

Cat Games:

Because cats don’t run up with a ball in their mouth, many people assume that they don’t want or need to be played with at all. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Cats need exercise.

What games do cats like to play? Cats, by nature, are hunters, which means they like to chase things. Inventing games in which they can hunt imaginary prey will challenge and excite them…and generally leave you laughing and applauding at their amazing tricks.

You can use a fishing pole-type apparatus with feathers, streamers, or other toys attached to the end by a string to mimic the movements of a bird or insect flying overhead or a small animal scurrying across the floor. Move the toy like it’s the real thing.

Play with your cats as often as you can. You’ll both enjoy this fun, silly time together.

Remember:

Playing with your cat or dog can be a lot of fun for both of you as long as you think SAFE! Make sure any toy you choose is a safe one. Make sure you don’t leave toys out for you cat to play with that can be swallowed like string, thread, yarn, tinsel, ribbon, shoelaces, etc. Letting a cat play with string can be a serious mistake. Also, make sure you dog’s toy is large enough that he will not swallow it. Don’t use golf balls, marbles, building blocks, etc. Lastly, don’t play fetch games with you dog near the road. He chase after the ball right out into the street.

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Pet Word Search
Game suggestions provided by the American Humane Association

Animal Word Scramble

Can you name these animals by unscrambling the letters beside each picture?

Answers

Dahlonega-Lumpkin County Humane Society   P.O. Box 535 Dahlonega, GA    30533  
706-864-2817   tlc@syclone.net