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Curious Kids: Dogs

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Some books below may be eBooks or audiobooks. ask a librarian or parent for help.

Fun Activities

Tail-Waggin’ Tutors
Love dogs? Ask your parent or guardian to sign you up for our Tail-Waggin’ Tutors programs at Centerville Library, where you can read to a dog! Check our Event Calendar for times. Open to kids who can read on their own, through 5th grade.

Dog Science Unleashed
Try out these experiments to learn if your dog is right- or left-pawed, and what smells are most interesting to him. For more, see the book, Dog Science Unleashed, in the list on this page! Be sure to follow the safety guidelines they give.

The Dog Park at Oak Grove Park
Be sure to read the rules for using the park before taking your dog, and watch the short, fun Dog Park Etiquette video linked near the bottom of the park page. Even park visitors without dogs can enjoy watching dogs play!

Humane Society of Greater Dayton- Become a Volunteer
Learn what it takes to be a Humane Society volunteer. (Volunteers must be at least 10 years of age.)

SICSA Kids PYPer (Parent & Youth Partnership) Volunteer Program
The Society for the Improvement of Conditions for Stray Animals (SICSA), a local charity, offers this volunteer program for kids 8-12, working with their parents.

Bailey’s Responsible Dog Owner’s Coloring Book
Kids and dogs, in pictures to print out and color.

Movies

101 Dalmatians [DVD | Blu-ray]
Pongo and Perdita have a litter of 15 Dalmatian puppies, and Cruella De Vil wants to buy them from their human owners, to make herself a lovely Dalmatian skin coat. When the puppies are "pup-napped," Pongo and Perdita must use an animal communication system to help find them all!

Balto [DVD]
Balto, a sled dog in Alaska, brings life-saving medicine to a distant town during an epidemic. This animated movie is based on a true story.

Dog [DVD]
Learn how wild pack animals became today's popular and loyal pets, discover their wolf connections, and find out what a dog's life is really all about.

The Incredible Journey [DVD]
Three devoted animal friends – Labrador retriever, a bull terrier and a Siamese cat - find themselves separated from their owners, so they embark on a journey across the Canadian wilderness in an attempt to be reunited with them.

Lady and the Tramp [DVD | Blu-ray]
The classic Disney animated story about Lady, the family dog, and Tramp, the lovable stray.

Oddball [DVD]
In Australia, a chicken farmer and his granddaughter train his mischievous dog, Oddball, to protect a wild penguin sanctuary from fox attacks. Based on a true story!

Websites

A Sled Dog Life
Author Gary Paulsen and two other mushers answer questions about the lives of their dogs.

American Kennel Club for Kids/Juniors
The AKC’s page for kids. To read about all the AKC-recognized breeds, click on “Breeds A-Z” on the top navigation bar.

Gem City Dog Obedience Club
GCDOC is a volunteer club, which aims to “train people to train their dogs, promote responsible dog ownership, and make better canine citizens.” They also offer agility training and competitions, and they have a junior membership program for kids 8-18 years old.

Jr. Iditarod – Celebration of Success
Did you know there’s a junior Iditarod dogsled race, for mushers 14-17 years old? It’s about 150 miles long, and takes two days to run. The link will take you to a page about the 2020 winner. To learn more, and see more photos, click on the links on the left side of the page.

The Dog Listener: Be Safe Around Dogs
Read this booklet from the AKC to learn how to be safe around dogs, even dogs you don’t know!

Top 100 Dog Names from the American Kennel Club
For girl dogs
For boy dogs