Title: Living with Kids and Dogs Without Losing Your Mind
Author: Colleen Pelar, CPDT
Price: $16.95 US
Overall Rating: 
Review:
If you’ve ever had a dog or, heaven forbid, a puppy you know first hand just how these furry bundles of joy can consume our time, energy and, of course, love. Parents of children know that children often consume us on an ever greater level. Having both under the same rooof can drive the best of us insane! How do you handle it when Benji chews up baby Bobby’s beloved blankie that he can’t sleep without? What will you do when sweet Susie yanks on Fredo’s tail and he snaps at her? Life with kids and dogs is never boring! But, thanks to the book Living with Kids and Dogs Without Losing Your Mind, you can make it more manageable and peaceful for all involved.
The Good: This book starts out with some vital and often overlooked information for parents who are on the hunt for the perfect family pet. It dispels common myths and prepares families realistically. Another chapter later discusses how to properly gear up for your new pet. The second chapter teaches us how to prevent dog bites. This is probably one of the most educational chapters I have ever read related to dog behavior. Every dog owner, with or without children, should read this chapter! Another chapter deals with common serious behavioral problems that often cause families to consider getting rid of their pets. This is a great chapter for anyone who is already in the midst of some child vs. pet challenges. There are chapters that specifically break down each age and stage that our children go through, discussing in detail the different challenges specific to children of each age and how to resolve these challenges. And the chapter no one wants to read but will eventually need to face is all about the grief of losing a beloved pet and how to guide the family through that difficult transition.
The Bad: This is one of the best books for families I have read in a long time – there isn’t a single thing that I would consider to be “bad” about the book at all.
Overall: I have trained and fostered dogs and thought I was very well read on the subject. We have our own neurotic dog and recently got a puppy in the hopes of stabilizing our crazy pooch. Dealing with them both, along with our six kids, was enough to make my hair stand on end! This book came at the perfect time for our family. And even as someone professionally skilled in animal behavior, socialization and training, this book really opened my eyes to so many aspects of having dogs in our home. I look forward to implementing many of the suggestions and organizing our chaos a bit. This is a definite must-read for any dog owner or prospective dog owner.
Check out the Living With Kids and Dogs Website for more information or to order the book.