Privacy Policy for Dodge the Dog
Effective date: October 12, 2026
Dodge the Dog is a game made for children (about ages 6 to 12) by Annalyn (age 8), with her mother Lauren Girkin's oversight and advice ("we", "us"). We care about kids' privacy and follow the U.S. Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). This policy explains, in plain English, what information is handled when someone plays the game.
The short version
- There are no accounts, no logins, no chat and no way for players to share anything with other people.
- We never ask for a child's name, email, photo, contact details or any other personal information.
- Game progress (like treats and unlocked items) is saved only on the device. We don't receive it.
- We don't use any analytics or tracking tools.
- The iOS version has no ads and collects no data.
- The Android version shows kid-safe ads from Google AdMob. They are never personalized.
Android: ads from Google AdMob
The Android version is supported by ads from Google AdMob. We tell Google that the app is directed to children, and we only allow ads rated G (General audiences). That means:
- No personalized or interest-based ads. Ads are chosen based on context (for example, that this is a kids' game), not on who is playing.
- No advertising ID. The app does not access the device's advertising ID.
- No ad tracking across other apps or websites, and no remarketing.
To show ads, Google's ad software automatically collects some limited information from the device:
- Device and diagnostic information (such as device type, operating system version, app version, and crash or performance data);
- Approximate location based on the device's IP address (not precise GPS location);
- App interactions with ads (such as whether an ad was shown or tapped).
This information is used only to show contextual ads, to limit how often the same ad is shown (frequency capping), to measure ad delivery, and to prevent fraud and abuse. Under COPPA, this is "support for the internal operations" of the app; it is not used to build a profile of a child or to show personalized ads. We do not receive this information ourselves.
Ads always have a visible "Ad" label and can be closed. Optional reward ads (watching an ad for an in-game bonus) are always the player's choice. Reporting an ad is behind a grown-ups-only check.
Learn more from Google:
- Google Privacy Policy
- How Google uses information from apps that use its services
- AdMob: Tag an app for child-directed treatment
- AdMob developer docs: child-directed setting
iOS: no ads, no data collection
The iOS version (planned) has no ads and no third-party analytics or tracking tools. We do not collect any data from the iOS app. It does not ask for App Tracking Transparency permission because there's nothing to track.
In-app purchases
The game offers optional purchases (like removing pop-up ads or getting extra treats). Every purchase is behind a parental gate, a quick check that a grown-up is present. Payments are handled entirely by Apple (App Store) or Google (Google Play) under their own privacy policies. We never see or store payment details. We only learn, through the store, whether an item was bought, so the game can unlock it and restore it later.
Links outside the game
Links that leave the game (like this privacy policy) are inside the grown-ups area, behind the parental gate.
Parents: your choices and rights
Because we don't collect personal information from children, there is normally nothing for us to review or delete. Even so, parents can always:
- Contact us with any question at laurengirkin@gmail.com;
- Ask to review or delete any information about their child. If we have ever received any (for example, if a child emailed us), we will delete it promptly and won't use it;
- Delete game data stored on the device by uninstalling the app or clearing the app's data in device settings;
- Stop ads data collection on Android by not playing the Android version, or turning off the internet connection while playing (ads won't load offline);
- For information handled by Google's ad software, see the Google links above or contact Google directly.
If we learn that we have received personal information from a child by mistake, we will delete it.
Changes to this policy
If we change how the game handles information, we will update this page and the effective date above. If a change would mean collecting personal information from children, we would ask for a parent's consent first, as COPPA requires.
Contact
Lauren Girkin
PO Box 635
Eureka Springs, AR 72632
Email: laurengirkin@gmail.com