Children, Dogs and Education (eBook)

Mary Renck Jalongo, Ph.D. has worked for Springer as the editor-in-chief of a bi-monthly journal since 1995 and as senior editor for their Educating the Young Child book series since 2006. She is the author, co-author, or editor of over 30 books with various publishers including Jossey-Bass, Teachers College Press, Allyn & Bacon, McGraw-Hill, and Pearson. In 2015, she earned emeritus status from Indiana University of Pennsylvania where she was a professor for 38 years and was honored as the outstanding university professor in 1992.  More recently, her work has focused on the human-animal bond. Books on the topic include The World's Children and Their Companion Animals: Developmental and Educational Significance of the Child/Pet Bond (Association for Childhood Education International, 2004) and Teaching Compassion: Humane Education in Early Childhood (Springer, 2013). In addition, she has co-authored numerous journal articles on the child-canine bond for Childhood Education, Society & Animals, Early Childhood Education Journal, and the national Parent-Teacher Association's Our Children. She volunteers frequently with her registered and insured therapy dogs at the university, in elementary schools, in public and academic libraries, and mental and physical health care facilities. Since 2015, she has been teaching in a service dog training program housed in a correctional facility. In this initiative, carefully selected prison inmates acquire the skills of professional dog trainers and prepare these animals to assist people with a disability.  In terms of practical experience with dogs, Mary volunteers three days a week at an animal shelter, is a tester/observer for Alliance of therapy dogs, and is a frequent contributor to Celebrating Greyhounds.  

Acknowledgements 6
Contents 7
1 Introduction: Children and the Dogs in Their Lives 9
Introduction 9
Goals for the Book 13
Why This Book at This Time? 13
Conclusion 23
References 23
Dogs in the Family 27
2 An Attachment Perspective on the Child-Dog Bond: Interdisciplinary and International Research Findings 28
Dog Keeping in Families 29
Influences on the Child-Dog Bond 33
The Uniqueness of Attachment to Dogs 36
Canine Attachment Behavior 38
Conclusion 40
References 43
3 Building Behaviorally Healthy Relationships Between Children and Dogs 49
Definition of Behaviorally Healthy 51
“For the Children”: What Children Seek from a Dog 54
“For the Children”…the Nicest Dogs 58
Growing up Together…Developmental Trends in Relationships 61
Teaching Responsibility…Guardianship of Dogs 63
Re-Thinking the Family Dog 67
Conclusion 72
References 73
4 The Family Dog: Influence of Parents on Children’s Concepts of Responsible Dog Care 76
Why Study Dog-Human Bonds in Families? 77
Background of Dog-Human Bond 79
Methods 80
Participants 81
Instrument 81
Results 82
Current Dog 82
Value of Dog to Family 83
Worth of Dog to Family 84
Responsibility for Care of Dog 84
Child Safety Rules 86
Giving Up On the Family Dog 86
Changes in Treatment of Dogs from Childhood to Adulthood 88
Changes in Parents’ Ideas About Keeping Dogs 89
Child Sex and Age 90
Discussion 91
Parents’ Perspectives on Dogs 92
Parents’ Childhood Experiences with Dogs 93
Parents’ Expectations for Children and Dogs 94
Limitations and Implications for Parents and Families 96
References 97
5 Becoming Parent: The Role of Dog as Baby in Learning How to Care 100
Introduction 100
Japan: The First Born 101
Australian Dog/Baby 102
Time and Becoming Animal/Becoming Human 102
Becoming Human 103
The ‘Cute’ Discourse 104
Anthropological Turn 105
Puppy Mills 107
The Cost of Production 107
Learning to Parent 108
Training 108
Control Issues 109
Environmental Decision Making 110
Conclusion 111
References 111
6 Children’s Ideas About Canine Behavioral Issues and Training Practices 113
Introduction 113
Acceptance Within the Family 116
Canine Behavioral Issues 119
Obedience Training 123
Training Practices 124
Recommendations and Conclusion 132
References 134
7 Final Gifts: Lessons Children Can Learn from Dogs About End-of-Life, Loss, and Grief 135
The Dog Matters. The Relationship Matters More 135
End of Life: Lessons from the Dog 137
Farewell Dear Friend: Death, Dead Bodies, and Rituals 143
Lessons About Loss and Grief 146
Color Your Grief 147
References 151
Dogs as Support for Children’s Development and Learning 154
8 Developing Literacy Skills in Children Through Interaction with Dogs 155
Introduction 155
Dog-Assisted Literacy Programs: History and Models 157
Program Structure and Theory 159
Library Settings 161
Educational Settings 163
Science or BFF (Best Furry Friend)? 168
Future Directions 172
Conclusion 173
Appendix A: Conceptualizing the Program and Getting Started 174
Appendix B: Handling the Logistics 175
References 177
9 Promoting Children’s Well-Being: Therapy Dogs 181
What Is a Therapy Dog? 183
Evidence-Based Rationale for Therapy Dogs 186
Objections to Therapy Dogs 188
The Three Main Types of Therapy Dog Activities 191
Therapy Dogs and Grief Support 192
Goals of Working with Therapy Dogs 196
Developing a Program that Involves Therapy Dogs 199
The Partnership, Participants and Protocols, and Products 202
References 207
10 Ameliorating Children’s Stress and Trauma: Roles for Dogs in Counseling, Therapy, and Disaster Relief 212
Case Study of Poppi* 212
Involvement of Dogs in Post-Trauma Work: Roles 214
Post-Disaster Relief 214
Psychotherapy and Counseling 215
Legal Aspects of Child Trauma Cases 218
Selection and Preparation of Dogs Involved in Trauma Work 219
Selection and Socialization of Therapy Dogs 219
Training Therapy Dogs 220
Relationship-Building and Advocacy 221
Impact of Animal-Assisted Trauma Work on Person and Dog 222
Mick?s Case 223
References 226
11 Mitigating Physical and Psychological Disabilities: Service Dogs for Children 229
Introduction 229
Characteristics of Service Dogs 231
Rationale for Partnering Children with Service Dogs 232
Obstacles to Acquiring a Service Dog 234
Caveats About Service Dogs 236
Right of Access: Service Dogs Come to School 239
Evaluating Outcomes of Service Dogs on Children’s Lives 243
References 247
Dogs in the Community 250
12 Finding Out About Dogs: Children’s Use of Popular Media 251
Introduction 251
Overview of Children and Media in the 21st Century 252
Children and the Family Dog 255
Children’s Media Use Pertaining to Dogs 256
Children’s Literature: Print and E-Books About Dogs 257
Children’s Television Show and Movies About Dogs 261
Age-Appropriate Social Networks and Websites Related to Dogs 262
Dog-Related Applications for Children 266
Implications for Children’s Media Use 267
References 270
Children’s Literature 274
13 Keeping Children Safe: Children’s Ability to Interpret Canine Behavioral Cues and Dog Safety Interventions 275
Dog Bites: Definition and Incidence 276
Child Behaviors that Tend to Precipitate Dog Bites 277
Dog Safety Concepts for Children 279
Children’s Misconceptions About Interacting Safely with Dogs 280
Dog Safety Concepts for Children 283
Working with Families and Communities 285
Effectiveness of Dog Bite Prevention and Safety Interventions 286
Program Evaluation Issues 290
Conclusion 293
References 294
14 “Dogs are Great Listeners”: A University Course Project Leads to Young Children’s Reading to Shelter Dogs 297
Introduction 297
Review of Literature 299
Types of Child-Dog Interaction 299
Benefits on Children’s Development 300
Teacher Preparation in Humane Education 301
University Course Project 302
A Snapshot of the Students’ Project Outcomes 304
Benefits from Child-Dog Interaction 304
Incorporating Dogs in Children’s Lives 305
Reflection from Course Instructor 306
Reading Buddies: Reading to Shelter Dogs 307
The Reading Buddies Program for Young Children 307
Perceptions of Participants on the Reading Buddies Program 309
Children’s Perceptions on Benefits 310
Parents’ Perspectives 311
Perspectives of Shelter Personnel 313
Recommendations for Creating a Reading to Shelter Dogs Program 314
Final Thoughts 316
References 316
15 Future Directions in Canine-Assisted Activities, Education, and Therapy 319
Rethinking Terminology 319
Respecting Each Dog’s Requirements 321
Trend 1: Increased Specialization of Dogs 322
Trend 2: More Emphasis on Canine Aptitude and Training 323
Trend 3: National Regulations and More Rigorous Requirements for Handlers 325
Trend 4: Applications of Advanced Technology to Document Effects 326
Trend 5: Mixed-Methods Research that Represents All Stakeholders 328
Trend 6: Higher Standards for Responsible Canine Care 329
Trend 7: Increased Demand for Facility Dogs 338
Aspen, an Elementary School Service Dog 339
Trend 8: More Canine-Assisted Interventions for Vulnerable Populations 344
Trend 9: More Community Outreach and Education by Animal Welfare Groups 347
Trend 10: Fuller Appreciation for the Child/Dog Bond 349
Conclusion 351
References 352
Appendix: Research Project: Child and Parent Perspectives on the Responsible Care of Dogs, Safety Issues with Canines, and Behavioral Problems in Companion Dogs 356
Introduction 356
Study Purpose 356
Background 357
Participants 358
Ethical Treatment of Human Subjects 359
Research Questions 359
Methods and Procedures 360
Instruments 361
Data Analysis 361
Limitations 362
Conclusion 362
References 362