Smooch Your Pooch

I bought this book to send off to my little grand-nieces, and I must say, I'll be sorry to see it go. I have read it over and over and find it to be just delightful. The rhythmic prose rolls off the tongue when read aloud, and the captivating illustrations make it so enjoyable. What a perfect gift for reading aloud and encouraging the reading habit. I plan to send it to my sister for use in her first-grade classroom, as well. What a wonderful way to instill a love for pets and encourage children to be warm and loving with their animals! Absolutely charming and delightful!

My kids LOVE this book! It expresses so accurately the relationship they share with their beloved dog. Smooching our dog throughout the day brings each of us such joy, amd Smooch Your Pooch is a blast to read because it reflects this intense joy right back to us. This book belongs in all homes with small kids and dogs.

If I were judging this book just on it's overall cuteness and character, this book would get a top score. The cartoons are engaging, the rhymes catchy, and the overall message of "dogs are fun" is great. It's clear that the intentions of the books are good. The authors are encouraging children to make the pet an active member of the family. As a veterinarian, behavior consultant, and executive board member for the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior ([...]), the problem I see with this book is that a number of the recommendations are actually dangerous. In fact, the recommendation from which the book takes its title is the most dangerous recommendation of all. While the authors suggest to kids to, "Smooch your pooch to show that you care, Give him a hug anytime, anywhere," they fail to recognize that most dogs don't like being hugged or kissed." The authors are clearly unaware that while many dogs tolerate being hugged and kissed, most don't actually like it, especially, not "anytime, anywhere" as the book suggests. In fact, according to a study of dog bites to kids publishing in Injury Prevention in 2007, the researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine found that, familiar children were bitten most often in the context of "nice" interactions -- such as kissing and hugging -- with their own dogs or dogs that they knew. And most children had been bitten by dogs that had no history of biting. Dr. Ilana Reisner, on of the co-authors, specifically warns against teaching kids to hug and kiss dogs,especially when the dog is resting, eating, or playing with a toy. Unsafe Recommendation #2 There are other unsafe recommendations in the book . For instance, one illustration and rhyme says, "Let him sit by your side when you go for a [car] ride. And make sure the window is opened up wide. When his ears get all flappy, you'll know your dog's happy!" The illustration shows the dog with his front feet propped on the car door and his head sticking out the window. It looks like fun and it's not unusual to see a dog engaged in this activity but, at least one of my colleagues has quite a few horror stories to tell. Says, Kathie Hayes, co-owner of of Narnia Pet Behavior & Training, a popular dog training facility in Chicago, "One of our clients had her dog on leash in the car, she was holding the leash, but let the dog lean out the window. She had to make a sudden stop and the dog fell out of the window. The leash became taut and the dog rolled under the car and was killed because she ran over the dog with her own car." "A second client was on his way over for our class," says Hayes, "[he] had his dog in the back seat with the back window rolled all the way down. The dog had his feet up on the door with half his body hanging out. The driver had to make a sudden stop and the dog fell out of the window and in the path of an on-coming car. The dog was hit by the car but did survive with a broken leg." And in yet another case Hayes describes, "A friend of mine spent over a thousand dollars on a hunting dog. He let the dog hang his head out the car window. A twig flew up and stabbed the dog in the eye." Two thousand dollars were spent on veterinary bills for surgery and treatment (not to mention the pain and suffering the dog experienced) but the accident still resulted in blindness in that eye, and so the dog could not be used for hunting. A more appropriate but fun recommendation would be to "Let him sit by your side wearing a seatbelt when you go for a ride." And make sure the window is open, but not too wide." A second illustration could emphasize that some dogs like the feel of wind on their face but if so, they should have protection for their eyes. An illustration of a dog with its head is sticking out of the window, could include a dog wearing protective goggles (such as Doggles). These messages would be both informative, instructional, and cute. Unsafe Recommendation #3 While this book is only thirty pages long, there is no shortage of unsafe recommendations. One odd suggestion is that, "When he woofs at the door, let him go right on out." The illustration shows the dog being let out the front door. This makes me wonder if the authors live in a region of the country without leash laws where dogs normally wander the neighborhood and if so, don't they get hit by cars? A more appropriate illustration and suggestion would be of the child letting the dog into a fenced-in backyard to go potty. Unsafe Recommendation #4 My last complaint as a veterinarian is section that says "Toss him a bone, feed him some kibble. Or better yet, pizza. He'd sure like a nibble." Realistically, once he comes back from the veterinary hospital with bills for pancreatitis I think the adults may want to scratch that suggestion out of the book. A more appropriate rhyme would have been "Or better yet, pizza, but only a nibble." Now, I'm sure some of you who already own this book may pooh-pooh we veterinarians and dog care professionals as being no fun and think the unsafe consequences aren't likely to happen. But think about this.... What if the book said, "Pinch your sister's cheeks to show you care, pinch them anytime, anywhere." Or it said, "Bounce and scream with your brothers in the car when you go for a ride. Remember to open the window wide." Or it said, "Play in the street with your brother, play video games. Or better yet, offer him a cigarette, or a Mary Jane.". All of these could be accompanied by cute, adorable illustrations, but that wouldn't make the suggestions safe or appropriate. So, I implore the authors to take a step back and revise the rhymes and illustrations to make this a safe book for kids.

I've given this book, instead of a card, with my gift at baby showers if the parents to be already have a dog before the baby arrives. One couple that received "Smooch Your Pooch" told me that their 5 year old still wants this book read to him. They have a black lab that he has grown up with and he smooches his pooch every night at bed time.

This is a Read Aloud book for young children!

My daughter loves this book! She has actually learned how to be more gentle and kind with our dogs after reading it. It's a great book for a child with a dog that they love!

I can't improve on Dr. Sophia Yin's review but I certainly agree with it. I've served as an expert witness in 5 fatal dog attack cases, and in each case the victim was a child. My professional experience of helping people with their pets' behavior problems for close to 30 years, and also a quick review of the scientific literature makes it clear that most parents have unrealistic expectations about the relationships between their children and their pets and in addition do not recognize the signs of stress and anxiety in their pets. Research conducted by Dr. Ilana Reisner, a veterinary behaviorist at the University of Pennsylvania (also mentioned in Dr. Yin's review) in which parents and pet owners were surveyed reveals disturbing evidence that most parents are woefully uninformed about what interactions between kids and dogs are unsafe. I've seen numerous cases of children bitten in the face as a result of trying to hug or kiss their dog. In most of these cases, the dogs show clear indications they are anxious and uncomfortable and are not enjoying the interaction, but either no one recognizes these signs or they don't see them for the clear danger signals they are. I would never buy this book or recommend it to anyone because it promotes and encourages unsafe behavior not only for children but for dogs as well. As Dr. Yin states, veterinarians commonly see eye injuries from dogs hanging their heads out the windows of cars and as often as children fall off their bikes, having a helpless dog along for the ride only puts it at risk of injury as well. Finally, young children can't be relied on to safely walk their dogs without adult supervision. In our own neighborhood we've watched a 6 year old boy holding the leash while walking an 80 pound American bulldog. What happens when the bulldog decides to lunge for another dog or even a squirrel? A disaster. While the author's intent may have been to promote good relationships between children and dogs, unfortunately she's done just the opposite. I hope Ms. Slater and Mr. Howard will take the concerns of the professionals who have taken the time to review the book seriously, consult with veterinarians, applied animal behaviorists, and certified trainers, and create a second edition that is full of enjoyable rhymes and illustrations that promote the safety and well being of both children and dogs. Raising Puppies & Kids Together: A Guide for Parents Dog Behavior Decoded

This is a children's FICTION book. If it was NON-FICTION, then I would understand all the sound and fury over it. Should I also stop reading "Green Eggs and Ham" to my children? After all, I don't want them thinking eating green eggs and ham is okay--they might get food-poisoning. How about the book, "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie?" We all know junk food isn't okay to feed pet mice...right...right? That's it, another book in the garbage--at this rate, my list could go on and on. My point is, if a parent isn't going to take the time to educate their children on the proper way to behave around dogs, no amount of book banning is going to change that. Educate the parents by launching a separate campaign, not by picking on a book.