While dogs may be man’s best friend, there are steps you can take to help your dog be a better neighbor.

Being a Good Pet Neighbor is a free online course. It is a collaborative effort between world-renowned animal behavior expert Victoria Stilwell and State Farm.

State Farm believes responsible pet ownership is key to reducing dog-related injuries. This new course is the company's latest effort to educate people about dog body language and safely interacting with dogs.

The three-lesson, 35-minute course is designed for both new and experienced dog owners. It is available online through the Victoria Stilwell Academy for Dog Training & Behavior. Lessons teach and reinforce what it means to be a good pet neighbor in the home, yard, and community.

“I founded the Victoria Stilwell Academy to teach both dog owners and aspiring dog trainers how to provide their dogs with very best," said Stilwell from her Atlanta headquarters. "Partnering with State Farm to deliver a course specifically aimed at promoting responsible pet ownership through training, awareness and education was obvious win-win."

What's Included in the Free Online Course?

You will learn immediate and long-term solutions in the course. This include how to:

• Manage barking

• Secure pets in the yard properly

• Play safely and enrich your dog's life

• Introduce your dog to other people and animals

• Understand your insurance policy coverage

As a bonus, you can access a second, online course called Building Your Dog's Confidence. This course helps you understand how confidence shapes a dog's behavior and ways to build your dog's confidence.

It’s Not the Breed

Dog ownership does not come without risks. State Farm is one of the few insurance companies that does not have a breed restriction list. It does not exclude homeowner or renter insurance coverage because of the breed of dog owned.

In 2018, State Farm paid $123 million dollars for 3,280 dog bite and injury claims. Many dog-related injuries occur in the home and involve family members. Most dogs will never bite but it is important to remember that any dog can.

Just like humans, dogs are individuals. Every dog has a unique personality. While a dog's breed may dictate what the dog looks like, how it reacts to people or situations isn’t guaranteed by breed or type. Many factors may result in a dog biting or injuring a person. These include heredity, health, pain, training, fear and aggression.

Most bites are a perfect storm of situation and circumstance. Often a dog's physical and vocal language is misunderstood or missed. Avoid putting your dog into situations that could result in a fearful, anxious, or aggressive response.

Anyone who’s experienced a severe storm knows it can be overwhelming or even traumatic. Helping your family prepare in advance is a great way to alleviate some of the worry. The tips below, and this free downloadable coloring page, can spark the conversation in a fun way.

Make emergency preparedness a family affair. Get everyone involved before weather strikes.Talk as a family about potential weather hazards in your area. Once you’ve identified the risks, take these preventive actions:

Action: Create a Plan

• Designate a meeting point if you get separated
• Assign each family member responsibilities should a storm occur
• Create a home evacuation plan
• Maintain a home inventory in case of loss

Action: Make an Emergency Kit

• Bottled water
• Protein-rich food
• Battery operated radio
• Extra clothing
• Flashlights
• Blankets or sleeping bags

Action: Don’t forget about your pets!

• Pack items in advance so your pet is also ready for the next emergency.
• This coloring page shows what to include.

Well, that depends on your financial goals, which are different for everyone. And thinking about your financial well-being can be anywhere from simple to incredibly complex.

For Camile, “Financial well-being means having my expenses for the month covered and being able to save at the same time. Staying debt-free is the main goal.”

Shanda says, “I think it’s going to be different for everyone. A lot of people think of it as security. Some think of it as having money to buy whatever you want. For someone else it could just mean having money to pay for a modest home and make sure your kids go to a good school.”

State Farm^® challenged Dallas residents to spend a few minutes just thinking about their financial goals in a temporary, pop-up space called “Let’s Start Today Café.” The café was open for several days and offered complimentary hot beverages.

Yamid was curious about the pop-up space. “You’re like, ‘What’s going on in there?’, so you want to walk in,” he says. “Next thing you know you are thinking about your life choices, financially. So that’s pretty good for the community.

“This year, I definitely want to try to purchase a home, my first home,” he adds. “Hopefully here in Dallas where my family and friends are. That’s my main goal.”

Professional football running back Alfred Morris, known for his frugality, participated in the event and drew a large crowd. Many came into the café for free coffee and spent a few minutes talking about their financial goals.

Mike says, “What’s financial well-being? For me it’s to spend time with my friends and my loved ones. So that would be my true definition of financial well-being.”

Find more financial resources at LetsStartToday.com.

Every second counts when first responders race to their destination. But what happens when they arrive at the scene and find someone trapped inside tons of snarled steel? How do they get the people out safely? Extrication.

Often, local fire departments and rescue squads have limited budgets. This means limited opportunities to receive vitally important, hands-on extrication training. State Farm is here to help first responders learn the intricacies of extrication from coast to coast.

Salvage Value in Virginia

In collaboration with the National Auto Body Council (NABC) and Holmatro, State Farm helps provide free extrication training for first responders. This is through NABC’s First Responders Emergency Extrication (FREE) program. The insurance company also provides salvage donations for use at training events. This no-cost training is a rare opportunity for hands-on practice on newer vehicles equipped with sophisticated new materials and technologies.

Two training events took place at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Vehicle Research Center in Ruckersville Virginia. First responders were first trained to cut and extricate passengers properly and safely. This was done in vehicles equipped with new technology. The new technology included high strength steels, sophisticated electronics and multiple airbags. This training is vital to protect not only the lives of crash victims, but also the lives of first responders.

“It’s impossible to measure the true impact when State Farm and our industry participate in programs like FREE. It is a very real way we are able to show our true commitment to building safer, stronger, and better educated communities,” shared Elizabeth Clark, a NABC Executive Board member and State Farm leader.

Crunch Time on the West Coast

Crunch Time is a two day extrication training class every September in Gig Harbor, WA. The training program enhances first responders’ skills at emergencies. This includes events such as vehicle collisions, machinery entanglements, parking garage or bridge collapses, and natural disasters.

Participants rotate through 12 different scenarios. They include ones such as school bus extrication, car vs. semi-truck, and vehicles which have plunged into an irrigation canal. Besides patient extrication, participants experience heavy lift scenarios, learn proper use and handling of hydraulic tools, and stabilization techniques.

Working around air bags, cutting through different metal alloys, and computerized panels found in hybrid vehicles pose different safety challenges than just 10 to 15 years ago. Many safety features drivers expect in their vehicles today add safety risks to rescuers.

That’s why fire departments and responder units from Alaska, California and states as far away as Florida send their personnel to the largest training of its kind – Crunch Time.

More than eighty cars were used in September 2016 training. State Farm is one of a handful of sponsors that provide annual grants to keep the program current with the most up-to-date equipment. Since 2003, State Farm has donated more than 85 vehicles to Crunch Time. This includes a hybrid vehicle that was cut open to display the internal components.

“Crunch Time helps students become safer in their rescue attempts. It also teaches them to be more effective at handling emergencies. And even better at handling traumatic events,” shared Lt. TJ Teeple, Technical Rescue Lieutenant at Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One and Incident Commander for Crunch Time.

Lt. Teeple sums up the benefits of extrication training when he says, “The best measurement of success for the program is when firefighters tell us this training has saved lives.”