The first anyone realized that dogs may have Mary Beth Close on a short leash — rather than the other way around — was 41 years ago. After a huge winter snowstorm, the traumatized five year old didn’t go out skating and sledding with her friends. Rather, she pleaded with her parents to round up the homeless dogs that she feared might freeze.

Close, along with respected industry experts, has launched http://www.caninekingdom.com/, a Web site devoted to separating fact from fiction about dogs.

Specifically, Close is trying to rid the canine world of the suffering that happens — more inevitably to the dogs — because people and their pets process information differently.

“Much of the information out there is a collection of hype, opinions and myths, and we will separate those from verified facts and methods that work,” says Close.

To that end, Close invites dog professionals to create a solution: a Universal Protocol Center at Canine Kingdom. She wants the protocol center to become an international knowledge base about dogs consisting of facts and methods backed by hard evidence. She asks dog professionals to submit evidence of proof that their proven methods work. After evaluation by an interdisciplinary panel of experts, the Universal Protocol Center will publish and promote valuable methods on the site, crediting developers and proponents of the methods.

“I’ve found that dog lovers are very dedicated people, devoted to doing the best for their animals. Unfortunately, with so much misinformation around, it is impossible to know what to do or whom to trust.”

Close’s devotion to animals has lasted a lifetime. An animal husbandry major in college, she planned to go to veterinary school, but realized that her passion was in keeping dogs healthy by studying them behaviorally, not treating them medically. After managing an animal shelter in upstate New York that served 13 cities, she returned to school to get advanced degrees in psychology and organizational management. Since then she has split her time between vocation and avocation: consulting with Fortune 100 and 500 companies on business and working with dog owners and groups offering pet services and advice.

Her life’s ambition is to integrate the two. Seven years ago, she began For the Love of Dogs, a holding company for her businesses and research arm to study dog parents and their needs. The result is http://www.caninekingdom.com/, which she believes is among the first efforts to scientifically evaluate dog training methods. To support this work, the advertising-free site does offer a selected group of products for sale, all determined to be high quality, safe and effective.