Rules for Children to Avoid Dog Bites.
Rules for Children to Avoid Dog Bites.
Do not leave your dog alone with babies or small children. You may have read Alexandra Day’s popular “Good Dog Carl” series of children’s books about the family Rottweiler being left in charge of the baby, while mom and dad go out drinking (I don’t think they actually say where they go, but it’s a reasonable guess). These merry tales of felonious parental neglect always have happy endings, but in real life leaving dogs and babies alone together can have tragic consequences.
There have been many horrible stories in the news of children being harmed or killed by a family pet. Most likely it wasn’t an attack, but the dog trying to play with the baby or imitating something he saw the parent do. We’ve seen mother dogs carry their pups by the scruff of their necks. With a baby, that could be fatal. Toddlers are also prone to poke or hit dogs or try to ride them like a horse, which could also provoke a bite. Even if you only leave the room for a minute or two, you’re inviting a dangerous situation.
With half of the dog bites requiring medical attention happening to children, it’s especially important to teach kids how to behave around dogs, especially strange dogs, to avoid injuries or worse.
Stranger danger. As with unfamiliar people, children should not approach a strange animal. Especially if the dog is cute, a child might run up to pet it. Your child should never come up to a strange dog, especially if the dog is unaccompanied by a human. Even if the dog is with its owner, it’s a mistake to approach it, unless you clear it with the owner and get instructions on how to approach the dog.
Don’t run or scream. If a strange dog approaches the child, the child shouldn’t run or scream, but stand still and stay calm. Running could make the dog think it’s a chase game and screaming could also provoke aggression. Don’t escalate any situation by giving it more energy. If the dog knocks the child down, the child should roll up in a ball and lie still.
Report strange behavior. If a child sees a stray dog or a dog exhibiting strange behavior, they should tell a trusted adult immediately. Especially if the dog is behaving erratically, it might be rabid, and an adult can alert animal control. Under no circumstances should the child ever approach the dog in question.
Report bites to an adult. Make sure your child reports a dog bite to you immediately. If your child thinks they will get in trouble or get the dog in trouble, they might be hesitant to let you know that they’ve been bitten. Assure your child that if they’re bitten, no matter how minor the injury, you want to know, so you can make sure they receive proper medical attention.
No touch, no talk, no eye contact. When meeting a dog for the first time, this is the rule to remember, and for adults as well as children. Many of us watched in horror when news anchor Kyle Dyer put her hands on either side of a mastiff’s face and leaned in for a kiss and was severely bitten on live TV.
What we (and especially children) think of as a friendly overture can be interpreted as provocation by a dog. Let the dog come to you, sniff you, and submit to being petted.
Let sleeping dogs lie. This goes for your own dogs and strange dogs. I mean, if you wake ME up from a deep sleep, I can’t be responsible for what happens to you, and the same goes with a dog. This also applies to eating. No one likes to have their chow zone invaded. Hopefully you’ve trained your dog to be submissive when you remove his food, but to be on the safe side, if the jaws are rocking, don’t come knocking. Interfering with a dog caring for its puppies is also a way to get a warning nip.
Dog bites may be a frequent occurrence, but we can make them less frequent. A little caution and common sense and we can prevent almost all dog bites from happening in the first place.
Do not leave your dog alone with babies or small children. You may have read Alexandra Day’s popular “Good Dog Carl” series of children’s books about the family Rottweiler being left in charge of the baby, while mom and dad go out drinking (I don’t think they actually say where they go, but it’s a reasonable guess). These merry tales of felonious parental neglect always have happy endings, but in real life leaving dogs and babies alone together can have tragic consequences.
There have been many horrible stories in the news of children being harmed or killed by a family pet. Most likely it wasn’t an attack, but the dog trying to play with the baby or imitating something he saw the parent do. We’ve seen mother dogs carry their pups by the scruff of their necks. With a baby, that could be fatal. Toddlers are also prone to poke or hit dogs or try to ride them like a horse, which could also provoke a bite. Even if you only leave the room for a minute or two, you’re inviting a dangerous situation.
With half of the dog bites requiring medical attention happening to children, it’s especially important to teach kids how to behave around dogs, especially strange dogs, to avoid injuries or worse.
Stranger danger. As with unfamiliar people, children should not approach a strange animal. Especially if the dog is cute, a child might run up to pet it. Your child should never come up to a strange dog, especially if the dog is unaccompanied by a human. Even if the dog is with its owner, it’s a mistake to approach it, unless you clear it with the owner and get instructions on how to approach the dog.
Don’t run or scream. If a strange dog approaches the child, the child shouldn’t run or scream, but stand still and stay calm. Running could make the dog think it’s a chase game and screaming could also provoke aggression. Don’t escalate any situation by giving it more energy. If the dog knocks the child down, the child should roll up in a ball and lie still.
Report strange behavior. If a child sees a stray dog or a dog exhibiting strange behavior, they should tell a trusted adult immediately. Especially if the dog is behaving erratically, it might be rabid, and an adult can alert animal control. Under no circumstances should the child ever approach the dog in question.
Report bites to an adult. Make sure your child reports a dog bite to you immediately. If your child thinks they will get in trouble or get the dog in trouble, they might be hesitant to let you know that they’ve been bitten. Assure your child that if they’re bitten, no matter how minor the injury, you want to know, so you can make sure they receive proper medical attention.
No touch, no talk, no eye contact. When meeting a dog for the first time, this is the rule to remember, and for adults as well as children. Many of us watched in horror when news anchor Kyle Dyer put her hands on either side of a mastiff’s face and leaned in for a kiss and was severely bitten on live TV.
What we (and especially children) think of as a friendly overture can be interpreted as provocation by a dog. Let the dog come to you, sniff you, and submit to being petted.
Let sleeping dogs lie. This goes for your own dogs and strange dogs. I mean, if you wake ME up from a deep sleep, I can’t be responsible for what happens to you, and the same goes with a dog. This also applies to eating. No one likes to have their chow zone invaded. Hopefully you’ve trained your dog to be submissive when you remove his food, but to be on the safe side, if the jaws are rocking, don’t come knocking. Interfering with a dog caring for its puppies is also a way to get a warning nip.
Dog bites may be a frequent occurrence, but we can make them less frequent. A little caution and common sense and we can prevent almost all dog bites from happening in the first place.
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