Kindred Dog Brings “Doggie Detective™” Children’s Workshop to La … will present a Doggie DetectiveTM workshop for children and families at the La Jolla Riford Library on Saturday, December 13, 2025, beginning at 10:00 a.m. The free community program aims to teach children how to read dog body language and how to behave safely around household pets and dogs they meet in public.

The session is billed as a hands-on, family-centered learning experience that combines brief demonstrations with interactive activities. Organizers say the format is designed so caregivers and children attend together and can practice techniques in real time, leaving with concrete skills and printed materials to use at home.

Susie Petrucci, founder of Kindred Dog and a Certified Dog Trainer, Behavior Consultant, and Licensed Family Paws Parent Educator, will lead the workshop. “Kids often adore dogs, but they don’t always know how dogs communicate,” Petrucci said. “We want children to feel empowered, confident, and safe when they’re around dogs.” Petrucci brings a background in education and family-focused instruction to the local program, organizers noted.

Organizers describe the Doggie DetectiveTM curriculum as a component of the broader Dog Aware® educational effort associated with Family Paws®. Family Paws® provides the larger Dog Aware® program, and Doggie DetectiveTM supports that outreach by focusing specifically on practical skills for younger learners and their caregivers. Kindred Dog is hosting the La Jolla presentation in the library’s Community Room.

The workshop will use clear examples of dog behaviors so children can recognize when a dog feels safe, stressed, uncertain or excited. that children will be taught to notice include yawning, lip-licking, trembling, crouching, turning the head or body away, and tucking the tail or ears down. Dogs may also show stress by freezing with a tense body or by showing the whites of their eyes, sometimes called “whale eye.”

In addition to reading body language, program materials stress polite greeting behaviors and everyday strategies parents and caregivers can practice with their children. Parents can teach dog safety by always supervising child–dog interactions, setting clear rules not to disturb dogs when they are eating, sleeping, or in their designated “safe zones,” and showing children how to pet gently without pulling ears, tail, or fur. Organizers emphasize that these lessons are meant to be practiced at home as well as in public settings.

The organizers said the local presentation will include short demonstrations, guided practice, and opportunities for children to ask questions. Kindred Dog staff will lead exercises and discussions tailored to young learners, with attention to keeping activities age-appropriate and engaging for families.

The program also addresses the public health context behind the curriculum: about half of dog bites involve children. Humane Society and American Veterinary Medical Association figures indicate roughly 50–51 percent of dog-bite victims are children, with the highest rates in those aged 5–9. Common contributing factors include children interacting with familiar dogs at home and inadequate supervision, points the workshop seeks to address by teaching recognition of warning signals and promoting safer interactions.

Local listings for the event include a community notice on Patch, which confirms the date, time and venue for the free workshop. The session will take place in the La Jolla Riford Library community room at 10:00 a.m. on December 13, 2025, with Kindred Dog staff on hand to facilitate hands-on learning and distribute follow-up materials for families.

Parents and caregivers interested in attending should plan to arrive a few minutes early to secure seating in the library’s community room. The interactive structure is intended to give both children and adults practical, repeatable steps for safer interactions with dogs, guided by a trainer with certified credentials in canine behavior and family education.

For more information, the local event posting on community news sites lists the workshop among upcoming library programs and provides contact details for follow-up questions.