Good Dog! Kids Teach Kids About Dog Behavior and Training is, as you’d expect from the title, a book written by kids. Evelyn Pang and Hilary Louie began writing this book when they were 9 years old, and Dogwise published it when they were 14.

The book is written for kids to read themselves, so it had to be clear and simple. It is… I read some of it online, as you can do if you click the image and choose to look inside the book. I was pleased that clicker training is taught.

Dogwise Publishing commented, “We’ve believed for a long time that someone needed to write a book about dog behavior and training targeted towards young readers in the 8-12 year old range. There are lots of “read-to” books for little kids, but as children become good readers and interested in actually understanding and training dogs there has been little to choose from. So we were ecstatic when we were presented with the opportunity to work with two amazing young women on this book – not only did they write the book, but they illustrated it as well!”

The premise of the book is that when kids teach kids about dogs, everybody has fun! Kids will learn how to watch a dog and figure out what he is feeling or doing by gaining an understanding of body language and calming signal basics.

And they can learn how to teach him cool things like “Sit,” “Come,” and “Stay” just like professional trainers do – and even learn how to use clickers and targets when they train!

And, perhaps most importantly, kids can learn how to be safer around dogs they may come in contact with.

So if you are not a kid, but know a kid who is showing an interest in dogs, check this book out and get him or her started off right working with dogs.

What Others Are Saying

“This book, created by kids who clicker train, tells other kids how to use clickers to understand and communicate with their pets: a great idea and a useful and amusing book, with illustrations by the authors.” — Karen Pryor, founder of clicker training

“We know that kids learn best from their peers—so it is surprising that it has taken so long to get a dog training book written by kids for kids. Good Dog! Kids Teach Kids About Dog Behavior and Training covers the real essentials of being responsible and effective in caring for and training dogs. The emphasis is on safety and empathy—two things often overlooked in the profusion of books by adults. A must-read for any child or teen starting out with a new dog, or trying to better understand a longtime companion.”
-Randall Lockwood, PhD, CAAB, author and Senior Vice President, ASPCA, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals