Karen Peak founded the Safe Kids/Safe Dogs project in 2002 to educate the public about how to interact with dogs and reduce dog-related accidents. She offers free talks and public lectures in Prince William County, where the project

is based, and in the surrounding area.

What’s the No. 1 misconception about dogs that you’ve encountered?

There’s two, and they go hand-in-hand. One is that certain breeds of dog are inherently dangerous. The second is that certain breeds of dogs are inherently safe, when you assume, “My dog will never bite.” ... Usually, if you want to go by what the media states, they want you to believe that pit bulls, Rottweilers, German shepherds, some of these mastiff breeds, are the dangerous ones. But it’s amazing how many kids have been bitten by Dalmatians, cocker spaniels, or Labs. The problem is there are no accurate statistics about dog bites. Different jurisdictions have different rules about reporting dog bites, or different rules about when a dog is labeled dangerous.

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What sorts of programs do you offer?

I offer talks for children of all ages, dog owners, people who are considering getting a dog to see if they’re ready. I offer safety programs for deliverymen and field workers, for pregnant women and people who are looking to adopt. Pretty much you name it and I can adapt a program to it.

What tips do you have for people dealing with disobedient pets?

First is carefully choose a trainer. Don’t wait until things get out of hand because once they do, most families can’t or will not give the dog the time it needs. Just because a trainer gets immediate results doesn’t mean it’s the best for your dog. It never hurts to schedule an at-home behavioral consultation. Don’t expect miracles. The longer a certain behavior has gone on, the longer it’s going to take to retrain.