Today’s guest was Kim Merritt, co-founder and chief advocate for Good Dog in a Box.  Good Dog in a Box is a dog products company with it’s roots in positive reinforcement dog training.  Their flagship product is a subscription dog training programs for families and their dogs.  The program includes a little bit old school mail order, a little bit high tech e-learning, a dash of fun and games, and a pinch of puppy love.  You can get a six month or 12- month subscription.  Every month there’s a set of new activities for families and their dogs to work through.  The goal is to have happy, well-trained dogs and happy families where everyone has learned to speak the language of their dog.

One of the goals of Good Dog in a Box is to reduce the number of dog bites in this country. Kim reported there are 4.7 million dog bites per year.  The most common victims are children between the ages of five and nine.  A new study reveals that dog bites are not breed specific as the categories of “unknown” and mixed breed are in the top 3 named sources.  Biting is most likely to occur when a dog is teased or when a child pulls a tail, tugs the dog’s hair or yanks the dog’s paw.  All of these can be avoided through the proper training and education of humans – both children and adults.

To make learning fun, Good Dog in a Box has developed the Dog Smart Card Game and the SAFE Dog Bite Prevention curriculum including a SAFE curriculum for obtaining a Girl Scout’s patch.

Good Dog in a Box now also offers Good Dog Pro with curriculums and training programs for the professional dog trainer.  Part of this program includes two new podcasts, including Good Dog Nation.  Some of the new courses are a puppy course with Gila Kurtz, founder of Dog is Good, Pet End of Life with Jodi Clock of Clock’s Timeless Pets, Therapy Dog Training with Michelle McCarthy and Estate Planning for Pets with yours truly, Peggy Hoyt.

Future programs will include Dogsurance, a program designed for business owners that allow dogs in the workplace.

For more information about Good Dog in a Box, you can find them on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.