Author: JoAnn Dahan

ISBN: 0-9776861-0-8

Susan:  JoAnn, please tell our readers something about yourself. Specifically, what motivated you to write a dog-training book for kids?  

JoAnn: As a breeder and trainer for over 15 years, I am often asked by new puppy owners if there’s a puppy-training book on the market that I can recommend to them for their children. There are many training books on the market. Most are for adults and the rest are geared toward older children ages nine and up. I wanted to write a book specifically for young children ages 4-8, that age bracket is when children are really interested in helping out with the training and raising of their new puppies. When I began creating Kids Training Puppies in 5 Minutes I submitted my book to at least a hundred editors, the feedback was very positive but they wanted more substance, they wanted to see chapters and that wasn’t what I felt was needed. Anyone who goes on line or to a library will tell you there are hundreds of chapter books on training there are none for young children.  

Susan:  What message do you hope kids, and perhaps even parents, get from your book?

JoAnn: In breeding and training, I found that the more you gave pet owners to do, the more their eyes glazed over. Let’s face it most people are working two jobs to make ends meet they barely have time for themselves let alone train a puppy. So why not give children the job. Children like puppies have high energy, they both are eager to please and both thrive on praise. Put the two together and both are achieving success and are feeling proud of their accomplishments. My hope is that by giving children a much-needed training tool that fewer dogs will become unwanted.

Susan: What’s your background in training dogs?

JoAnn: I have been around dogs all my life. I have always had a way with dogs and animals so I think of what I do as more than just training. I think they respond to me because of my attitude toward them and became I'm relaxed around them. I began working with dogs seriously about 15 years ago before my children were born and continued to train very often with my children on my back. I found that when I would train my dogs in the field with friends of mine that their dogs responded better when I handled them. And as you know Susan, my trainees have been in major motion pictures on TV, most recently HBO’s The Sopranos and Saturday Night Live. They have been seen in print ads on greeting cards and my dog Tilly and I worked with Ogilvy & Mather for the IBM commercial “Sliced Bread” which is currently airing.  

Susan: Do you have a background in literature? Have you written anything else? Are you currently working on a new book? If so, what’s it about?

JoAnn: I’m writing all the time, I also host and produce a TV show so I have to write for that as well. I’m working on a new tricks book for kids, Kids Training Puppies: Tricks; I’m also working on a “Puppy Problems” book for unruly pups, which will be geared toward young children as well.

Susan: A dog-training book probably required some unique research. How did you prepare yourself to write this book? What kind of sources did you use?

JoAnn: I always jump into a project with both feet and believe I can do it. I have never thought, “What if someone doesn’t like it? Or what if it doesn’t work?” I know my book will be successful because I work with kids all the time and I see how well they do in my puppy classes. Kids are capable of doing so many things today, they can remember long lines in movies, and they compete in the Olympics, they win gold metals, and they can without a doubt train a puppy.

Susan: I understand that Kids Training Puppies in 5 Minutes is self-published. Why did you choose that route? Did you try the traditional route of querying publishers and editors first?

JoAnn: As I mentioned earlier I did submit my book to many editors and pitched my idea to many and they were not interested in the book the way I created it. So I took it upon myself to self-publish. It has been hard getting attention for my book, but I’ve had doors open for me I never dreamed would. Hosting and producing my own TV show Kids Training Puppies is one of those doors. My mom always told me, “You will never know unless you try and if you try all they can say is, “No.” That being said, when I pitched my TV show idea to a producer for the first time at the end of my pitch I waited for the, “That sounds nice but we aren’t interested.” But instead the producer said, “That sounds like a great idea, you produce it and we’ll air it.” I couldn’t believe my ears, so I calmly said, “Thank you so much, I’ll have a show produced by next month.” I kept that promise. I casually walked out the door got in my car and screamed, “yahoo!!!” Kids Training Puppies was born. The show is for families. I feature reputable dog breeders and dog breeders of mixed breeds (designer dogs) on the show along with three young children who help ask the breeders questions about the breed and demonstrate puppy training. The show is great fun and is very informative for viewers wanting to learn about specific breeds. With kids and dogs on one set, you never know what’s going to happen. I love the challenge.

Susan: Are you getting good responses to the book so far? Have you heard from any children who have read the book and tried your training program?

JoAnn: I’m getting great responses from puppy owners and I do hear from kids who love to tell me how they’re dog training is coming along. Mostly I hear from the parents who tell me how amazed they are that their dog or puppy is learning so quickly and how fun it is to watch how well their children are doing. I always thank them and remind them that they must be consistent and if they continue being consistent that in the end they will have one great dog. Not just a good dog but a dog that people admire and want to be around.

JoAnn Dahan produces and writes Kids Training Puppies, a television program that airs in New Jersey and Pennsylvania on Comcast channel 21 on Wednesdays, Patriot Media Mondays on channel 8 at 3:30 PM, Service Electric channel 50 and 90 Fridays at 4:00 and RCN Saturdays 9:30 AM. For more information, visit www.kidstrainingpuppies.com.

The above interview was conducted by: Susan Sales Harkins:  Software consultant and the author of several articles and books on database technologies. She and her husband, William, collaborate on children's non-fiction. Click Here to read more of Susan’s Reviews

To read Susan's review of   Kids Training Puppies in 5 Minutes CLICK HERE