I've briefly touched on the topic before but for all the parents or soon-to-be parents out there, on February 7th, Pet U is offering a class on how best to manage families that include babies or children and dogs or cats.  I hope you'll mark your calendar.

I can't stress enough how important it is for parents (especially new parents) to get some solid information and advice on managing children and pets and related topics, such as reading canine body language.  With a basic understanding of what a dog means when he picks up his toy and moves away, or looks at someone out of the corner of his eye, potential problems can be avoided.  

Why is this so important to me?  It's simple:  Lots of pets are surrendered to shelters because owners fail to manage their children and pets appropriately - and sadly, the end result is often fatal to the family dog.  This is a highly frustrating reality to me and others in the animal welfare field, because information & guidance on how to safely manage children and pets is readily available - if only people would realize that they need it.  So many times we come across people who are highly confident that they know all there is to know about dogs because they "grew up with dogs" or have had a dog their "entire life."  And others are just so sure that their dog "LOVES" children -- when the dog's body language actually is saying, "I am tolerating this but just barely."   I wish these folks could put aside their arrogance for a moment and realize that people who study animal communication and the human-animal bond for a living might know a little something more about it than they do.  A dose of humility and an open mind could save a lot of people (and animals) a world of hurt. 

 Pet U - an educational series for pet owners brought to our community by the UI College of Veterinary Medicine and the CARE Center is offering a one-night class on Monday February 7th on Pets, Babies, and Toddlers.  The instructor is Kitty Yanko, a humane educator with some 20 years experience in helping humans and animals to understand each other.

The cost of Pet U classes is only $8 if you register early, or $13 if you miss the "early bird" deadline.  They run from 6:30-8:00 pm at the UI Veterinary Teaching Hospital.  You can Register online at https://vetmed.illinois.edu/opeconf/?confid=petu10u

This is a great opportunity for parents in C/U.  I hope you'll take it and that your children and pets will live happily everafter!

Do you know how this dog really feels?