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The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, May 13, 2003-17 1l 1-r . T7~~ I i j i E iiytzzizztzî Board game teaches kids how to act around dogs By STEPHANIE THIESSEN The Champion ilo-ra eietsTrs Lewin and Joan Wormald 1Lwere sick and tired of hearing yet another report of a child being mauled by a dog. They were also fed up with dog owners claim- ing their dogs could neyer bite anyone. Il was time tor some public educat ion on dog bite prevention. And who better to do the job than tbemselves, as dog trainers? Thai was their Ihinking a year-ind-a-bial ago. and today Ibey're busy promoting their message ssibh a unique method: a board game. -We knew we bad to tind a ssay to gel our message outIo1 a (wide) audience and a gamne seemed lîke a good way bo do Ibis.- said Ms Wormald. wbo belps witb the training aI the obe- dience school Teresa Lesvin ossos.s Milton K9 Obedience. 781 Main Si. Sbe s al.so a scientist specializing in risk assessrnent. The game svwhicb is CUrrenîly being pro- duced and shoutd bc asailable next monîh - s called Doggone Crazy and it*, already eaming rave revievis and is esen being shipped b Ithe United States. Il targeis children aged tour 10 12, but Ms Lewin and Ms Wonnald are quîck îo point out that even aduits enjoy il. The goal, Ihey said, is to îeach kids how 10 acî around dogs. -We îeaeh children how t0 recognî.'e danger- ous situations and avoid îhem. They have t0 know how 10 keep safe -Ibey can't rety on their parents or the dog handier." said Ms Lewin. a canine behaviour speciatist. It's easy 10 misinterpret an anima's body Ian- guage, they boîh said. For example. sshen a dog yawns, most people think il means the dog is tired. Not so. tt actually means the dog is anx- ious, Ms Wormald said. Likewise. few people understand that a dog is feeling womred when il lifts a paw. It's important 10 understand Ihese actions, Ms Lewin said, because every dog has the potential 10 bite. "When people ask me if our dogs bite, we say they have teeth, Ihey may use theru." she said. In Doggone Crazy, kids move their markers along the board and, depending'on the colour of the square they land on, they may bave t0 answer a skilltesting question. collect a bone - he player wîîh îhe mosî bones at the end wîins -or pick up a 'See-See-See-It' card. These cards tea- ture piclures of dogs displayîng various types of behaviours - aken by Ms Wormald in Ms Lewin's classes, at the obedience sehool. From the photos, children must identify whether the dog would be safe 10 pet. The game has been endorsed by the Canadian Federation of Humane Socielies, the Professional Animal Behaviourists and the National Association for Humane and Environmental Education, an armn of the U.S. humane society. The Canada Safety Council estimates that about 400,000 people are bitten by dogs every year in Canada. What most people donît know, the women said. is thal mosî vicîims know the dogs that bite them -ollen they're their own dogs. Both Ms Lewin's and Ms Wormalds chîldren have been instrumental in the creation of the gamne. they said. For more information on how Io obtain Doggone Crazy, visit www. doggonecrazy.ca. Or, for a sneak peak, you can visit the Doggone Crazy booth at the Brookville School fair June 7.* The gaine wilI also be available - starting next month -at Milton K9 Obedience, Pet Value, the Animal Hospital of Milton, Hawkin's Animal Hospital and the Brookville Vterinary Clinie. Stephanie Thiessen can be reached ut sthiessen@miltoncuanadianichampion.c-oni. From left, Jennifer Wormald, Joan Wormald, Anne Wormald, Teresa Lewin and William Lewin show off a prototype of their new board game, Doggone Crazy. The game - a joint venture between the two families - was spawned from the local women's ongoing concerns over dog attacks. The game will b. available next month at a number of local animal cen- tres including Milton K9 Obedience, Pet Value and the Animal Hospital of Milton. Photo by GRAHAM PAINE -ai.md.o iay (cbed 7»m ly 13 -12M m.ây 15) M -,Mý - - - 0 R& Rbtm Plem pU picIqyow mawtcwd atHuon RegOon Fuanc.D.evInuwi, 1151 EWntRo& okvNe.Va nd M, - îa, vM d 'l For ma On -OIn, plseo c@1-U-40-Me.t.7015. -4 -7 I-M