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Showing posts with label dogs and kids. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dogs and kids. Show all posts

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Bringing Your Kids into Fido's Fold

by Carrie Boyko, CEB
(c) Carrie Boyko
Trading Cards for My Pups
 are a New Way to Share the Fun



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!
(c) Carrie Boyko
Trading Card Backs
Give You a Peek into the Pup

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?

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Friday, July 16, 2010

An Interview with Xena, my Super Sweet, Senior, Retriever Mix, Rescued Rover




(c) Carrie Boyko
Xena
Showing off her Gray Snout
We'll call this an interview with Xena, an idea that came from one of our readers. Xena is clearly the senior citizen at 13 1/2, and I am often asked "How do you meld your dogs' various needs?" Today we'll get Xena's take on the pack atmosphere, living with an almost 4 year old Golden Retriever and a 2 year old Papillon:

Xena:





"I'm clearly the head of this household, and the matron (duh!). These kids need whipping into shape and I'm fulfilled by having this a part of my 'job' around here. Each time a new pup, kitten or rabbit has come into the house, I have taken it under my wing, washed its ears, cleaned its backside when needed, and generally let them know when their behavior needed some work. It's a momma dog's job, and I took on that role long ago. Such is the life of a rescue--spayed before my first litter. Tisk!"

"Growing up in this house was a very busy time. With two boys and a girl I always had plenty of kids around to play with. I loved going to the park for family gatherings and having my daily walks with different family members every day. Variety is the spice of life, right?"

"Now that I'm a senior citizen, I appreciate the consideration that my housemates give me. Tanner is bigger than me, but we still enjoy a good wrestling match. He is a nice playmate that seems to know how far to go with me; I do have my limits."
"Oliver is finally coming out of the adolescent stage and respects my space these days. I guess our mom taught him that, cuz I sure didn't. Well, maybe that's not true. I did ignore him when he tried to play with me. That's great because now he uses Tanner as a jungle gym, instead of me."
"I'm glad to get out for my walks, but also happy to be dropped off at home when we reach the halfway point. These youngsters I live with have lots more stamina than me these days. I like the sanctity of the senior citizen ward; that's what we call the front porch. Have a good walk, guys; it's Xena's nap time now."

Sometimes it's good to get the straight scoop from the dog herself. If you ever have a question for Xena, Tanner or Oliver, feel free to write to them with their name in the subject line. They love receiving mail. Their email address is LetsAdoptaDogPark@gmail.comThey'll answer your questions over at their new blog, 5 Minutes for Fido. Their site includes short tips and commentary from the dogs' point of view.


You can also find some of the most popular posts from All Things Dog Blog at the link below the header: Best of All Things Dog Blog.  I suppose it's time for me to update that a bit. Thanks for reminding me. Happy tails!


Related Reading:


Senior Moments: Helping Your Dog Stay Young
Managing the Exercise Needs of Your Older and Younger Dogs


Watch for: An Interview with Oliver, coming soon to All Things Dog Blog
Help protect our precious dog parks
© Carrie Boyko, all rights reserved

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Follow All Things Dog at Twitter    Find me at Facebook    Dog Blogs - BlogCatalog Blog Directory
© copyright Carrie Boyko, all rights reserved
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