All Things Dog Blog

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

Recently I have had the opportunity to observe a couple of families whose youngsters seemed oblivious to the presence of their dog. Dogs can be a wonderful example to children in so many ways, but sometimes they need a little help getting interested. Enter Toki Poki, a social networking site for you and your dog, with the vision to include kids.

Recently launched, Toki Poki's trading cards were a big hit at the pet bloggers' conference in Denver, Blogpaws. Your pup or kitty can join up with Toki and make friends all over the world, all the while helping you to learn about other breeds and enjoy meeting new friends who befriend your dog, or other pet. Along with your membership, you receive trading cards to begin your collection. This seems like a no-brainer for kids, to me, particularly when you add the "this is my doggie" component to the trade. What fun this will be for young children!

I'm especially excited to see some of the features that owner Christy Myhre has planned for the near future. For instance, online quiz shows like Jeopardy will involve answers about actual members, encouraging children, young and old, to explore the membership and meet new furry friends.

Coloring pages can be reloaded, when complete, to show off a child's work. Memory games will test our Alzheimer's potential, while we'll also be able to upload our dog or cat's actual meow or bark to their profile. Imagine, then, a game of matching barks and meows to pet's profiles. Does this sound fun for kids? You bet!

Christy tells me there will also be a birthday party package available soon through the online shop, with all sorts of intriguing possibilities for parties. And don't miss their Halloween costume contest, launched earlier this week. That's your call to arms; it's time to join up and "Do the Toki Poki" right now! That's what it's all about!

Let's get some dialog going here. I know you guys will love Toki Poki for your kids. What else can we do with trading cards, or at home, to get our children involved in learning more about dogs? Dogs are nature...right in our homes. This is a learning opportunity that we should not ignore.

Christy, of Toki Poki, mentioned another possible game where kids could play a 'guess the breed' game. There will be plenty of ways to research the answers on the computer, even right on Toki Poki's website. Have you got any other ideas you'd like to share? What do you do to involve your children in your dogs' care? Check out our poll on this topic at 5 Minutes for Fido.

Prize Giveaway Announcement:

Comments on this post, our 5 Minutes for Fido post, or on Facebook, whether questions, conversation or opinions, will be considered an entry in this week's contest. You can enter (with a comment) as often as you like. Prizes will be announced next Friday, October 8, and will include Toki Poki Tshirts, stickers, trading card starter sets and more. Oliver has even promised to dance next week. Check it out at "Lets do the Toki Poki and Turn Yourself Around". Oliver and Tanner's cards turned out adorable, as you can see above, and I'm enjoying putting them in each prize winner's package of goodies. What about your pup?