Key City Kennel
Club, Inc. ~ Mankato, Minnesota 56001
|
Key City Kennel
Club, Inc. ~ Mankato, Minnesota 56001
|
|
http://www.mankatofreepress.com/news/story.php?storyid=67192 February 8th, 2004 Children make canine friends at library event Trainers advise acclimating kids and pets to one another By Nicole Christiansen Free Press Staff Writer MANKATO — Calvin Duis gently took his daughter's hand and helped her reach out to the brown puppy. She hesitantly petted the dog for a second and then backed away. "I want my dog to have a pink nose like that one," said Riley, who described herself as "two and five-quarters" years old. The Duis family was one of many who visited the Dog Days of February, held Saturday at the Blue Earth County Library to help acquaint kids with dogs. The Duises recently moved to Lake Crystal from Alaska, and had to leave their dog behind. Now Calvin Duis is ready to get another one. "We're dogless and I'm not liking it," he said. Riley petted a vizsla named Max, a little more kid-friendly than the rottweiler the family had in Alaska. Duis said he and his wife taught Riley to be wary of it, and maybe that's why she's shy around dogs now. But other kids weren't so shy. One child grabbed a small shetland sheepdog by the muzzle and poked his thumbs in its eyes. 
Photo by Pat ChristmanDana Redlin (left), Karin Davey and Megan Redlin play with Angela, a shetland sheepdog, during the Dog Days of February program at the Blue Earth County Library. Families came to the Saturday event to acquaint their children with dogs. The dog's owner, Lynn Davey, wasn't surprised that her Angela didn't fight back. She wouldn't have taken it for long, but Davey said the dog was socialized to all kinds of people when she was very young and knew what to expect from the littler ones. Davey, the training director for the Key City Kennel Club, said it's wise for families with kids to learn about different breeds of dogs before they buy instead of just buying a dog and dealing with the issues then. She talked to a group of dog lovers about teaching their pets to get along with all sizes of people in all situations - and teaching their kids how to behave around dogs. For example, the kids wouldn't want to run too fast around B, a big briard herding dog, or she might try to herd them. "She wants no stampeding in this building," said her owner, Sue Erickson, although she said B is very calm around non-runners. About 20 members of the kennel club came to the Dog Days show with about 20 breeds of purebred dogs, from greyhounds to golden retrievers. "If you're a semi-dog lover or more, you're in seventh heaven," Library Director Tim Hayes said. Even with that many dogs in one place, there was minimal barking. The little kids made much more noise than the dogs. Davey said that's a result of good training and good socialization. About 100 people and their dogs register for each of the Key City Kennel Club's four training sessions throughout the year, she said. |
| Key City Kennel
Club, Inc. Mankato, MN 507-344-1159 http://www.keycitykennelclub.org We teach you to teach your dog. |
|
Sue Erickson, President Ron Schulz, Vice-President Neil Schuette, Secretary Lynn Davey, Treasurer |
Home | Announcements | Meetings | Training | Class Schedule | Events | Big News | Membership | Breed Resources | Puppy Page | Club Contacts | Club History | Links | Newsletter | Map |
||