Some children are too afraid of dogs. Others are not afraid enough. How should we behave when we encounter a strange dog? Harry, a longhaired, chocolate-dappled dachshund, encounters a young boy and gives him a series of concrete and practical instructions on how to be friends with a dog. The most important question to ask when approaching a person with a dog on a leash is, "May I pet your dog?" From that, the dachshund shows the boy how a dog likes to be petted: first letting the dog sniff the boy’s hand, and then allowing to boy to gently scratch its back. Pen and ink and watercolor illustrations are reassuring and genial, as the reassuring Harry guides the yellow-hatted boy in interactions with a series of friendly and not-so-friendly dogs. There is a wealth of information about dog behavior, ending with a simple recap of the information learned. A final page provides color photos of the real Harry, whom the author adopted as a puppy.

After sharing the book aloud, talk about dogs you have encountered. You can act out different dog scenarios, with one of you playing the dog. What might a cat or guinea pig or horse or snake have to say about how they would like to be treated? Take a further look at dog behavior in need of changing in Steven Kellogg's Pinkerton, Behave, David Shannon's Good Boy, Fergus!, Mark Teague's lDear Mrs. LaRue: Letters from Obedience School, and Rosemary Wells's McDuff Goes to School.


Themes: DOGS. PETS. SAFETY