Thursday, July 10, 2008

MJCC Summer Camp Meets Avery the Dog

The campers in the Noah's Ark program at the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta were treated to a visit from Avery the dog this week. AARF partner dog trainer Lennox Gavin introduced the kids to his dog, Avery, and taught them the safe way to approach a new dog, as well as the signs to look for that a dog is unsafe to pet or play with.

The children learned that if they see a strange dog, they should "be a tree" (see picture below), standing still with their arms down, and that if a dog approaches them snarling, they should "be a rock," curling into a ball on the ground. They also learned how to recognize if a dog is "safe" or "unsafe" by its behavior.

The campers took turns "meeting" Avery, asking Lennox first the key question: "May I pet your dog?" and then asking Avery to sit.






As a grand finale, Avery showed off all her skillful tricks, including "saying her prayers," and "dancing."

A big thank you goes out to the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta and the Noah's Ark campers!

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