special report

Dogs for Kids

This bimonthly magazine for children 10 – 15 years old is published by Bowtie, Inc.

The Dogs for Kids website doesn’t include guidelines. However, the Magazine Markets for Children’s Writers 2007 (a great guide put out by the Institute of Children’s Literature) reports that Dogs for Kids buys feature articles from 1200 – 1800 words, department pieces up to 650 words, and puzzles, activities and games. The editor reports: “We are still interested in training tips, volunteering opportunities, nutrition, and profiles of working dogs.”

Articles use subheadings for organization.

Dogs for Kids buys first rights and pays on publication. The target audience is 10 – 15 years old – so take care not to “write down” to the reader. They like to be queried with writing samples. They respond in 8 – 10 weeks.

From the Masthead:

Editor: Jackie Franza
Assistant Editor: Kelly Rae Hickman

Editorial Office:

P.O. Box 6050
Mission Viejo, CA
92690-6050
dogsforkids@bowtieinc.com

ANALYSIS OF SPECIFIC ISSUE

DOGS FOR KIDS
February/March 2007

Inside Cover: Crazy Dog’s Bulletin Board. This is a cartoony style page of tips for young dog owners in the form of quick bits and cartoons. It also announces contests. And this issue had some dog related axioms and where they started.

Pooch’s Post Office: Letters from Readers. Some of the letters commented on past content, some just told about the reader’s great dog. One page/reader ages in letters: 10, 14, 10, 11.

Got A Dog-Related Question? Ask DFK? Reader questions about pets including how to deal with bad breath, allergic reactions to vaccinations, and anxiety over traveling without a pet. One page.

Nose For News: This department covers different dog related short news items – the licensing of Blue’s Clues products to Sanrio (the Hello Kitty folks), a pit bull who recently gave birth to 17 puppies, an audition in California for calendar dogs, and a promotion by Nestle for doggie poop accident videos. 2 pages.

Coco the Love Dog [Kelly Rae Hickman]. A profile of a poodle who is a therapy dog – the dog is owned by an adult, but the first page showed the poodle photographed with a reader-aged girl. Four page feature piece with a sidebar on Coco products and 7 photos.

Hugs & Kisses [Jean M. Fogle]. A personal experience piece about a specific dog expanded by tips for teaching your dog how to “kiss” on command. The directions are very clear and specific but not separated by a bulleted list. 1 page.

Fact or Fiction? Cool facts quiz with 7 possible dog facts (all fairly unrelated) given in a true or false quiz. 1 page.

Today’s Class: Mush! Dog Sledding is the Coolest School Subject Ever! [Matthew Schenker] A school in Alaska that has dog sledding class for students 12 – 17 years old. A feature length article at 4 magazine pages with 5 photos.

Cool Jobs: Dog Show Judge [Christine Chan] Profiles a husband/wife team of dog show judges and their career. It also tells what a judge's job is, how to become one, and what are the good/challenging parts of the job – lots of anecdotes. 3 pages.

Kids Can Do It: A Dog Named Flash [Jean M. Fogle] A profile of a girl whose drive to have a well trained Welsh Corgi grew into helping other kids learn to train, writing for the breed newsletter and even writing a book on dog training. 2 pages.

Howling Horoscopes – horoscopes for dog lovers. One page

February – a calendar

Getting Fido Fixed: Five Reasons to Spay or Neuter Your Dog [Karla S. Rugh, D.V.M., PhD.] Gives reasons for the operation and debunks some spay/neutering myths. The article ends with a page explaining how a dog is spayed/neutered.

Double Trouble. A word puzzle where the answers are dog breeds with double letters – 12 words total.

Top Dog: English Springer Spaniel/Top Dog: German Shorthaired Pointer/Top Dog: Irish Setter/Top Dog: Labrador Retriever/Top Dog: Weimaraner. Breed Reports include a text section telling very briefly about the history of the breed, temperament, and challenges to owners. Then has specific list of traits – size, place of origin, group (these were all sporting dogs), colors, personality, lifespan, grooming needs, and a fun fact. Plus a website for more information on the breed.

Lucky the Leprechaun: A word search featuring Irish related words (blarney stone, eld, etc) for St. Patrick’s Day.

The Toy Box. Short “reviews” of dog related products – this month had a movie, a water dish, and a small dog backpack.

Continental Canines. A Crossword puzzle featuring dog breeds and their origins.

Crazy Pet Photo Contest.

Safety First [Rose Boccio] Explains common safety issues for puppies and how to make your home puppy safe. Includes tips for being prepared for possible poisoning emergencies and signs of poisoning. 4 pages.

Comedic Canines [Joan Banks] A funny dog show from The Comedy Barn in Pigeon Forge TN. Lots of description of the show with lively action, plus the history of the act and lots of quotes from the trainer. 4 pages.

From the Dog’s Mouth – A Caption contest, the winner gets the products featured in The Toy Box.

This page last updated on 01 July 2007