Business Donor for Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund-raising Event!

Friends of mine have a son with Type 1 diabetes, so I agreed to participate in a fund-raising event on September 11, 2010 at College Park Ministry Center at 96th Street and Shelbourne Rd in Indianapolis. There will be several other businesses and vendors there from 1 to 3pm and a then a concert. Tickets are only $5 and can be purchased at www.iansarmy.com. Each ticket can be used to enter various prize drawings so it's a win-win situation.

After I posted this information on FB, I found out two more friends have children with this disease. I already knew of one more, so that brings my personal connection total to 5 children in 4 families. I had no idea it was such a prevalent disease. And there is no cure.

Please come out and support this event. You can see me work my dogs, meet some clients with their puppies (this event doubles as Sensible Puppy Field Trip), listen to some great music and even win a prize or two!

Hope to see you there!

More Books for Young Readers

(photo by Becky Andrade)
Summer reading programs are almost done! Here's a list of recommended books for your K-3rd grade dog enthusiasts! Let me know how you like them!

Early Readers

Barkley – Sid Hoff

Big Dog…Little Dog – by P.D. Eastman. A study in contrasts with two dog friends.

Clifford the Big Red Dog (Series) – Norman Bridwell

The Digging-est Dog –Al Perkins. Silly story with rhyming text will appeal to young readers.

Go, Dog, Go! P.D. Eastman

Good Dog, Paw! – Chinlun Lee. A veterinarian and her dog share a day filled with love.

Grouping at the Dog Show (Rookie Read-About Math) – Simone T. Ribke. Exploring the differences of dogs using sets and subsets.

Harry the Dirty Dog (series)– Gene Zion. Also, Harry by the Sea, No Roses for Harry!, others.

Henry and Mudge (series of titles) – Cynthia Rylant. Delightfully funny, easy to read stories about a boy’s adventure with his large dog Mudge. A favorite author at our house.

A House for Little Red. – Margaret Hillert. A boy has trouble finding a house for his pup, until Dad comes to the rescue and they build a house together.

Just Me and My Puppy – Mercer Mayer. Sweet little story about learning the responsibilities associated with puppy care, and what may go wrong! Fun Mercer Mayer characters.

May I Pet Your Dog? – Stephanie Calmenson. “The How-to Guide for Kids Meeting Dogs (and Dogs meeting Kids”

Mr. Putter and Tabby Walk the Dog –Cynthia Rylant Hilarious adventure when Mr. Putter and Tabby care for their neighbor’s dog while she is unable to walk him.

My New Boy. Joan Phillips – Step into Reading Step 1 Book. Cute story of a pup’s big responsibility, taking care of his new boy.

The Mystery of the Missing Dog. – Gwendolyn Hooks. Cute story of a missing dog and the boy who looks for him.

Our Puppy’s Vacation – Ruth Brown. Delightfully and beautifully illustrated, this expressive puppy will win your heart! Simple text, some bigger words.

Tara and Tiree, Fearless Friends – Andrew Clements. A Ready to Read level 2 book based on a true heroic story.

We Both Read About Dogs (We Both Read Series) – Bruce Johnson. Adult reads left page with details, child reads simple right page text. Nicely done. Good photos.


Grade Levels 1-3

Barry The Bravest Saint Bernard – Lynn Hall (STEP into Reading 4). Exciting story about a famous rescue dog and the monks who bred and trained him.

Caring for Your Dog. First Facts Series – Preszler. Concise, easy to read book of the responsibilities of dog ownership. Typical evolutionary statement that dogs came from wolves. Otherwise, good basic information.

Dog Day Detectives: Mini-Mysteries for a Summer Day – Rick Walton. Easy to read, but tough to solve, short logic puzzles often using clues provided by the children’s dog. Answers provided.

Dog Heroes Series – titles include Disaster Search Dogs, Dog Scouts of America, Fire Dogs, Guide Dogs, Hollywood Dogs, Medical Detective Dogs, Military Dogs, Police Dogs, Security Dogs, Seizure-Alert Dogs, Service Dogs, Sled Dogs, Snow Search Dogs, Therapy Dogs, Water Rescue Dogs and Wilderness Search Dogs. Accurate, well-designed, educational.

Dog Poems – Dave Crawley. Cute and funny poems for the young dog lover.

Dog to the Rescue : Seventeen true tales of dog heroism - Jeannette Sanderson – Great short stories of dogs rescuing people from various trouble. There is a second volume by a similar title.

Dog Watch Series Mary Cassanova Mystery fiction series centered on the antics of dogs who have interesting personalities, struggles and triumphs. Fun. Titles include: The Turtle Watch Mystery, Trouble in Pembrook, Dog-Napped,, Danger at Snow Hill, To Catch a Burgler, Extreme Stunt Dogs

Domestic Dogs Series – Susan H. Gray. Breed books written for elementary ages.

Eye to Eye with Dogs series. Lynn Stone. Breed books simply written for about 3rd grade level.

Freckles: The Mystery of the Little White Dog in the Desert – Paul M. Howey. A true story of an abandoned dog found guarding her puppies. She begins a new life and a new career with love and patience. Plenty of desert information – a mini study of the southwest.

Foxie – Ingri and Edgar Parin d’Aulaire. A small dog is mistreated by his master and has an adventure ending in understanding, forgiveness and a new start.

Give a Dog a Bone: Stories, Poems, Jokes and Riddles About Dogs – compiled by Joanna Cole and Stephanie Calmenson. A delightful anthology of elementary level dog literature.

Gretchen The Bicycle Dog – Anita Heyman. A dachshund’s true story of overcoming paralysis with love and the aid of a wheeled cart for mobility.

Hachiko; The true story of a loyal dog. – Pamela S. Turner. Hachiko was a real dog who waited for his master at a Japanese train station. One day, the master died and did not come home. For seven years, Hachiko met the train anyway, gaining a loyal following. Hachiko dies but is remembered still with a statue in the spot where he waited.

Henry and Ribsy – Beverly Cleary Henry Huggins makes a deal with his father--if Henry can keep his dog Ribsy out of trouble for a month, he can go fishing with his father. Ribsy does his best to make Henry lose the deal.

More Than Man’s Best Friend; the story of working dogs – Robyn O’ Sullivan. A concise introduction to dogs used for search and rescue, herding, therapy, service, guide and other work.

Mutts – Tammy Gagne. Non-fiction all about mixed breed dogs.

Not My Dog – Colby Rodowsky. After a girl brags about getting a puppy, she inherits an adult dog from her great-aunt Margaret and takes a while before she accepts it as her own. Sweet.

Ribsy – Beverly Cleary Separated from his owner, Henry Huggins, in a shopping center parking lot, an ordinary city dog begins a string of bewildering adventures. I laughed out-loud several times reading this great adventure that has a happy ending!

Sammy Dog Detective – Colleen Stanley Bare. A true tale with photographs of a beautiful working police K-9 who is also a loving family member.

Shep – Sneed B. Collard III. True story similar to Hachiko. Takes place in Montana during the Great Depression and into WWII. Shep died tragically, but is still remembered worldwide.

Tornado – Betsy Byars. A story-within-a-story about a mutual love between a boy and his dog. Larger print for younger readers, 49 pages.

Woof and Wag: Bringing Home a Dog. A Picture Window Book. Davis. Covers all basic responsibilities with making a dog your family pet. Nice resource guide included.

Your Pet Dog Revised Edition A True Book by Elaine Landau. Nice book about the responsibility and care involved with owning a dog.

Books and More Books!

I am doing a literature review for children's dog books. I have read a few hundred books at this point and thought I would post here some of the books that have "made the cut."

These are jP books - picture books intended for your younger children -but also quite wonderful for the whole family. Future blog posts will include books for older students and adults. Enjoy!


Juvenile Picture Books - Enjoy these with your students of any age!

A Boy, a Dog and a Frog – Mercer Mayer. Wordless picture book tells cute story of a boy’s adventure with his puppy and a frog from a pond.

The Adventures of Taxi Dog – Debra Barracca. Wonderful story in rhyme of a New York city stray who finds a new life with a taxi cab driver. Fantastic pictures with things to find.

Angus and The Ducks, Angus Gets Lost, and Angus and the Cat. Marjorie Flack. Cute stories of a just-a-bit-too-curious Scottish Terrier with a ton of personality and perserverance.

Dogger – Shirley Hughes. A little boy loses his favorite stuffed dog but big sister comes to the rescue and sacrificially redeems Dogger for her brother. Wonderful.

Fang – Barbara Shook Hazen. A little boy struggles through fears and becomes brave for his dog, who is also fearful. Sweetly illustrated.

Find That Puppy; a story in rhyme with things to find. – Marcia Leonard. Rhyming text and busy pictures. Good for storytime together, especially with very young children.

Finders Keepers – Will and Nicolas. Winkle and Nap are two dogs who argue over a bone, then discover that working together gets them the best of all situations.

First Dog Fala. Elizabeth Van Steenwyk. Historical account of President Roosevelt’s third term, which included his little Scottish Terrier observing many events during WWII. Fala grieves the passing of the president at the end.

Hardworking Puppies – Lynn Reiser. Ten puppies find jobs doing all sorts of things, including being “just” a family pet. Delightfully illustrated and fun text.

James Herriot’s Treasury for Children : “Only One Woof “ and “Market Day Dog” James Herriot These are very beautifully illustrated. This book is worth purchasing!

Lass – Roland Gebauer and brilliantly illustrated by Cheri Bladholm. “A story for children based on the best-selling book Lessons from a Sheepdog by Phillip Keller.” Life lessons about Jesus from the experience gained transforming an unwanted Border Collie into a working sheepdog.

Madeline’s Rescue – Ludwig Bemelmans. Madeline is saved by a dog, but then the Inspectors send the dog away, only to have her return again, with a surprise for Madeline and all the girls.

My First Book About Dogs – Sesame Subjects Series. Grover takes us on a factual tour of basic dog information. Short, true and well-illustrated.

Officer Buckle and Gloria – Peggy Rathman. Fictional Officer Buckle becomes famous for his safety talks until he discovers it’s really his dog, Gloria, the children want to see. Will Officer Buckle learn to share the spotlight? Caldecott Medal.

Owney, The Mail-Pouch Pooch – Mona Kerby. A true story of a dog that guarded the mail on trains and in postal offices in late 1800s Amercia.

Pinkerton, Behave! Steven Kellogg. Pinkerton does everything wrong in training class, but rescues his owners one night when the owner asks for the “wrong” behavior at the right time! Funny pictures.

Plunk’s Dreams – Helen Griffith. A boy imagines great adventures in his dog’s dreams. Fun, especially to stir conversations about a dog’s cognition.

Puppy Love – Dick King-Smith. A well-illustrated tale of a family’s history with several puppies by the famous author of Babe, The Pig.

The Puppy Who Wanted a Boy - Jane Thayer, Lisa McCue A puppy wanders in search of a boy who doesn’t already have a dog…and finds a houseful of boys to love him.

Riptide – Frances Ward Weller Based on a true story, a golden retriever becomes a lifeguard when he rescues a girl. But then, he gets pulled to sea by a riptide. Will the strong swimming dog make it to shore?

Rockwell: A Boy and His Dog – Loren Spiotta-DiMare. Fictionalized account of the boy and dog being models for the famous painter, Norman Rockwell.

Salty Dog -Gloria Rand. Based on a true story about a dog who rode a ferry to reach his master, a man prepares a boat for sailing. Can his puppy become a sailboat companion?

Spot a Dog: A Child’s Book of Art – Lucy Micklethwait. Thirteen paintings included from 1493- 1921. From the back of the book: “Playing a game of spot the dog is the perfect way to encourage young children to look closely at paintings… their first steps toward a lasting appreciation of art.

Stickeen – by John Muir as retold by Donnell Rubay. An Alaska, 1880 true, thrilling adventure telling how Muir and Stickeen escape a deep canyon of ice.

Superdog: The Heart of a Hero – Caralyn Buehner. A silly fiction story of a small dachshund with big dreams. Fun illustrations with hidden things to find.

W is for Woof: A Dog Alphabet – Ruth Strother. Wonderful overview of everything dog.

Walk the Dog – Bob Barner. A simple tour of a variety of dog breeds by alphabet.

Why is Blue Dog Blue: A Tale of Colors – George Rodrigue. The famous artist explores some fun ideas of blue dog in other colors.

Puppy Head Start!

Sometimes raising a puppy seems more like a chore than a blessing. It's a lot of work, all that supervision and rewarding of proper behavior. For some people, an attractive option is to let a professional give your puppy a head start. That's why I am happy to announce a new service for my puppy clients. The Puppy Head Start program is where I bring your puppy home with me for one, two or three weeks. Your puppy will live with me and my family, in our home, until your goals are met. In that time, I will work on establishing patterns for proper potty training, provide great socialization outings and adventures with exposure to children, work on soft-mouth training and self-control exercises. In essence, your puppy will get all the love, care and devotion that my own puppies get. Unlike other trainers who provide boarding and training, our family is home all day most days, so your puppy won't be stuck in a crate, but instead will be learning good habits all day!

When you get your puppy home again, you will receive one full hour of private instruction for every week of training. So, if you board your puppy with me two weeks, you will get two lessons of instruction so that you can know what your puppy knows! Additionally, you will receive written information, customized for your particular puppy's needs. Potty training, leash manners, public greetings and playing nicely with children - that's a good Puppy Head Start! Call today if you would like more information about this unique service! 317-727-9015

Family Meeting!

Here's a great family showing unity by all participating in puppy class!

However, sometimes I see conflict between family members about how to train or treat the family dog. It's important for unity, and for the dog's sake, that people in the same household are consistent toward the dog. It may be helpful to have a family meeting and discuss these questions:

1. What are our goals for this dog?

2. Who will be the primary trainer? (This should be an adult.)

3. How can the rest of us support the training efforts of this person? (The person holding the leash tells the dog what to do - others should be quiet!)

4. What are the commands we will use with the dog, and what exactly do these words mean? (Make a list and post it on the refrigerator!)

5. How can all family members participate in the training? (Even small children can do small tasks.)

6. What are specific jobs each person can have? (Write these down!)

Use these questions as a guide to beginning the conversation with your family about the dog and the training you envision. Keep the meeting very short - no more than 20 minutes. Find points of agreement, for example, "We all want the dog to ______."

Above all, remember that your family relationships are more important than your pet. Treat one another with respect and consideration as you work together making changes that will help everyone enjoy your dog more.

Puppies Bringing Love - Join Us!

Our upcoming Sensible Puppy field trip will bring us to Hoosier Village Health Care Center at 2pm on February 13. Since it's Valentine's Day weekend, we get to bring some four-legged love to the residents there! What a great opportunity for socialization, training and fun.

Please email me and let me know you are planning on attending. (Catherine@SensibleK9.com) All current puppy class members and puppy class members whose puppies were born after 12/08 are invited to attend.

Bring: "scoop" bag(s), treats for your puppy, fabric or nylon soft leash, gentle leader or buckle collar. Have your puppy on leash and under control at all times! Puppies will be given potty-breaks as needed - plan on an outside trip every 20 minutes or so. We will visit for about 75-90 minutes.

DIRECTIONS: We will meet at 2pm in the foyer at the entrance to the building. We will enter as a group. Hoosier Village is just north of 96th Street, between Zionsville Rd and Michigan Road. Follow the entrance drive to the back of the property. It will make a big right turn. You will see Crawford Manor on your left, then a small sign to the Health Care Center on your right. Turn right onto that little drive and follow it to the end. You will see the entrance to the Health Care Center at the large parking lot, on the far end from the Chapel.

My Cell number is (317)727-9015, in case you get lost!

Puppy Field Trip

Grab your warm coats and meet us for a walk in the park! We will meet at Zionsville Lions Park, on Hwy 334, just east of Zionsville Road at 12noon on this Saturday, January 16. Please drop me an email if you plan to attend! Catherine@SensibleK9.com

Brr! It's COLD out there!

Too cold for puppy field trip this coming Saturday! I see a "high" of 17 forcasted. I dunno about you all, but that's just too cold for me. Let's see what one more week brings. Mark your calendars for Saturday the 16th and cross your fingers for warmer weather!

Meanwhile, new Sensible Puppy Classes are begining at MRAH this month. Know anybody with a Christmas puppy? Owners of puppies up to 16 weeks are invited to come join us at 7pm on the 20th of January. The following week, puppies can come, too! Sign up by calling Michigan Road Animal Hospital: (317) 228-0645.