August 2005
Volume 2 Issue 8
A non-profit organization dedicated to Dog Bite Prevention
Doggone Safe is the first federally incorporated non-profit organization in Canada and the US dedicated to dog bite prevention education and victim support. Doggone Safe provides services in Canada, the US and around the world through its website and network of volunteers.
In This Issue Doggone Safe in Native Communities in Saskatchewan
Member Update
Doggone Safe in the Media
Doggone Safe Joins Forces with KPCT to Promote Clicker Training
Case File - Run for Your Life!
Be a Tree Presenters - Contact Your School Superintendent
Products to Supplement Be a Tree Program
Information Display Ideas
Spotlight on the Season: Back to School
Upcoming Events
Our Sponsors
Join the Dog Bite Victim Support Group - this is a forum for families of child dog bite victims to talk about their experiences and concerns, learn from and support each other.
Doggone Safe in Native Communities in Saskatchewan...
Doggone Safe is delighted that Health Canada has purchased 36 Be a Tree teacher kits to be used in Native communities in Saskatchewan. The Saskatchewan Veterinary Medical Association will provide Doggone Safe bookmarks to these communities as well to help reinforce the safety messages from the Be a Tree program.
Click on image to download PDF
Member Update...
Join Doggone Safe and become part of a growing movement of professionals dedicated to dog bite prevention education. Get some free bookmarks when you join - while supplies last.
The Member section of the website is now on-line. If you are a Doggone Safe member and have not received your password - please send an email and your password will be sent to you.
Topics covered on the member page are:
Members-only Yahoo discussion group for presenters - discuss presentation issues and ideas with other members and program creators
Logo Usage - download member logo versions for use in print and on on-line
Member wall certificate - download the member wall certificate that you can personalize and print
Sponsorship Proposal - view the Doggone Safe sponsorship program description
Educational Give-Away Materials - order free materials to give away at your presentations or public events
Send us information about any community events you will be attending so that we can include these in the newsletter and on the website.
Give-a-ways you can order:
Bookmarks - free (you pay for shipping)
Fridge magnets - $0.75 each
Stickers - with your logo printed on them ($20 USD; $28 CAD for 250 stickers)
Doggone Safe in the Media...
In print
East Coast Co-ordinator Tonji Stewart on the cover of The Shoreline - Newfoundland's largest circulation community newspaper.
Tonji presented the Be a Tree program to local school children thanks to the generous support of the VOCM Cares Foundation.
published in Fall 2005 issue of Puppy Basics
This story appeared on Page A8 of The Standard-Times on August 18, 2005.
NEW
BEDFORD -- This summer, children in four New Bedford schools participated
in an innovative dog bite prevention education program.
Manners
for Life dog trainer Ruth Smiler visited Carney Academy, Holy Family-Holy
Name, DeValles, and Hathaway schools to teach the children how to read a
dog's body language in order to know whether a dog is friendly and safe to
approach.
Using the
Be A Tree program, created by the Canadian nonprofit Doggone Safe
organization, the children learned how to use a simple behavior skill to
make "unsafe" or scary dogs (or just overly rambunctious dogs) go away.
Half of all children in the U.S. experience a dog bite by age 12. The vast
majority of these bites are inflicted by the child's family pet or another
known dog.
Organizers
of the local program said most bites could be prevented if children knew
how to act safely around dogs, both familiar dogs or strange dogs they
encounter in public places, and if parents exercised appropriate
supervision.
This
summer's activities represent the first phase of a cooperative effort by
the New Bedford School Department, working with Ms. Smiler, to implement a
dog bite safety curriculum for all city children, kindergarten through
middle school.
New
Bedford will be the first city in North America to undertake to bring dog
bite prevention training to its entire school system, organizers said.
Any individuals, businesses or organizations who would like to help make
the program a reality should contact Ms. Smiler for more information.
Children learn by looking at large format photographs and by playing
interactive games.
The
central message of the program is "Be a Tree" (stand still and quiet and
don't look at the dog) if a strange dog approaches or any dog is causing
concern or becoming too frisky.
Program
materials and the Doggone Crazy board game that enables classroom teachers
to provide follow-up sessions in which the children practice the safety
skills they have learned were provided by the Humane Coalition for Animals
of Greater New Bedford.
For more
information, visit the Doggone Safe Web site at www.doggonesafe.com, call
(877) 350-3232, or send e-mail to doggonesafeinfo@doggonesafe.com.
Doggone Safe Joins Forces with KPCT to Promote Clicker Training...
Doggone Safe is now a KPCT Affiliate. Any orders placed at the KPCT site within 30 days of visiting that site via a link from Doggone Safe will generate commission for Doggone Safe.
Click on the recommended products to the right to order or get more information.
If you want to learn the newest clicker techniques from the experts and get hands-on practice, then come to a Clicker Expo. These expos are a ton of fun and the environment is very positive. Doggone Safe president Joan Orr will be there as a faculty member. Be sure to introduce yourself and say hi!
There are special discounts available for the Minneapolis Expo - Find out more
Case File - Run for Your Life!...
This month's case file comes from a newspaper report - names have been changed
Billy was waiting for the bus with some friends when a dog approached. The dog seemed friendly to the boys. Billy, who has four dogs at home is comfortable around dogs, and decided to throw a stick for the dog. The dog brought the stick back a few times and then suddenly seemed to become aggressive. Billy thought the dog was coming at him to bite him and so he ran away. The dog chased and managed to bite Billy on the foot as he scrambled over a fence.
Several factors contributed to this bite. The dog was loose when it should have been under the control of an adult. Although Billy has spent his life around dogs he did not know not to play with a strange dog and also did not know that running away is the worst course of action around an excited dog. Doggone Safe will follow up on this incident to inform the community of the existence of the Be a Tree program.
Be a Tree Presenters - Contact Your Local School Superintendent...
Doggone Safe member Ruth Smiler of Manners for Life dog training, has convinced the school district of New Bedford MA to work with her in implementing the Be a Tree program in all elementary schools in the district. Doggone Safe is pleased to assist members like Ruth who are willing to go into the community and promote the Be a Tree program. Read the letter that Ruth wrote to the local school board officials. Members are free to take this letter and modify it to suit their purposes. Visit the member section of the Doggone Safe website and the Be a Tree Reference Centre to download other resources to help promote the Be a Tree program.
Products to Supplement Be a Tree Program...
These great products can be purchased to supplement the Be a Tree Program and help to reinforce the safety messages with kids and parents. See the other supplementary products that are available. Many of these can be customized with your logo or a sponsor logo (or both!) to help promote your business.
NEW - crayons
Full colour glossy, 24 page story book with a safety and humane education theme.
Individual price: $3.00 USD or $4.20 CAD
As part of a package: $2.25 USD or $3.15 CAD each for 100 books.
Sticker activity book with the same characters, safety and humane education theme as the story book, comes with a sheet of reusable stickers for hours of fun.
Individual price: $2.50 USD or $3.50 CAD
As part of a package: $1.35 USD or $1.89 CAD each for 100 books.
Information Display Ideas ...
Doggone Safe member Domena Diesing shows off her display at a local community event in Qualicum British Columbia.
Hanging from ribbons on the umbrella are Doggone Crazy! cards and clickers. Shown at right are some posters created from the Doggone Safe calendar and the Be a Tree teacher kit.
This display generated a lot of interest and kids had fun learning about clicker training and how to read dog body language and stay safe around dogs.
Send us photos from your local events!
Spotlight on the Season: Back to School ...
Summer is almost over and the excitement is rising as kids and parents get ready to go back to school. Family dogs across the world are in for a major change in routine. Change is stressful for dogs and anxious dogs are more likely to bite. Parents can help ease the dog into the fall routine by starting to change things ahead of time for the dog and by controlling situations which could frighten or excite the dog. Here are some tips...
-
Give the dog more crate time with a special bone so that he becomes used to being on his own in the days before the kids go back to school. He will have less of a shock when he suddenly finds himself alone;
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Exercise the dog just before the kids come home to take the edge off his excitement;
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Crate the dog or have him in another room or on a leash so that he is under control and not in the middle of a frenzy of noisy activity when the kids come home from school;
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Establish a routine of having the dog go to a certain spot (his mat perhaps) and sit nicely while each child gives him a treat after school. Soon you will find your dog waiting patiently in the treat spot rather than rushing the kids at the door;
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Be sure to supervise at all times and to be especially vigilant when little friends come to visit;
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Read an article by Jennifer Shryock about how to keep play dates bite-free.
Upcoming Events...
Here are some events at which Doggone Safe members will be speaking or at which Doggone Safe will have a booth. Please find us and say hi!
|
Dog Swim |
Sept 11 |
Suffern NY - Kerry Potter-Kotecki |
|
| Sept 9-11 | Oakville ON - Joan Orr and Teresa Lewin | ||
| Sept 13 | Loyalist College - Belleville ON - Kerry Vinson | ||
| Sept 24 | Ferguson Forest - Ottawa - Liz McFie and Lynn Hyndman | ||
| Sept 24-25 | Carolyn Clark - Ottawa ON | ||
|
Oct 29-30 |
Kitchener ON - Joan Orr and Teresa Lewin |
||
| Nov 4-6 | Minneapolis MN - Joan Orr | ||
Our Sponsors ...
Thanks to our sponsors. Their generosity and community spirit help us to spread the Doggone Safe educational messages more effectively.
Trade show booth sponsor; educational material sponsor
Adopt-a-classroom sponsor - St. John's Newfoundland
Bookmark Sponsor
For More Information...
For more information about Doggone Safe and for useful tips about bite prevention please visit the Doggone Safe website. Any materials found at the site can be used at websites or in printed matter without permission (unless specifically noted) provided proper credit is given. A link back to the Doggone Safe site is appreciated.
Privacy Policy...
Doggone Safe will not share its mailing list with third parties