Teaching Children to Prevent Dog Bites

Teaching children to prevent dog bites

When you're teaching children about dog bite prevention and how to be safe around dogs, keep it simple. Discuss animals, how we relate to them, and the role of animals in your family, not just how to avoid being bitten. If you have younger children, always supervise them around dogs and be mindful of how the child interacts with the dog so they learn to be gentle from the beginning.

Avoiding Incidents With Strange Dogs

• Stay away from dogs you don't know. If you or your child sees an unknown dog wandering around loose and unsupervised, avoid the dog and consider leaving the area. Consider alerting animal control.

• Don’t ever pet a dog without asking first. Both adults and children should always ask the owner for permission to pet their dog, even if it’s a dog you know, or that has seemed friendly toward you before.

• Quietly walk away. When confronted by an aggressive dog, slow movements are best.

• Be a tree. Stand still if a dog comes after you, then take a defensive position. Stand quietly, with hands low and clasped in front. Remain still and keep your head down as if looking at your feet. If knocked down, cover your head and neck with your arms and curl into a ball.

• Avoid escalating the situation by yelling, running, hitting or making sudden movements toward the dog.

Avoiding Incidents at Home

• Never tease dogs by taking their toys, food, or treats, or by pretending to hit or kick.

• Never pull a dog’s ears or tail, and don't drag, climb on, or try to ride dogs

• Don't try to play dress up with the dog. Some dogs won't like it.

• Leave dogs alone when they're eating or sleeping.

• If a dog goes to bed or to their crate, don’t bother them. The bed or crate is the dog’s space to be left alone. A dog needs a comfortable, safe place where the child never goes. If you’re using a crate, it should be covered with a blanket and be near a family area, such as in your living room or another area of your home where the family frequently spends time. Note: don't isolate your dog or their crate, or you may accidentally encourage bad behavior.

Tips for Parents

It's important to educate children at a level they can understand. Don’t expect young children to be able to accurately read a dogs’ body language. Instead, focus on gentle behavior and that dogs have likes and dislikes and help them develop understanding of dog behavior as they grow older.

• As a parent, report stray dogs or dogs that frequently get loose in your neighborhood.

• Keep dogs away from infants and young children unless there is direct and constant supervision.

• Teach children that the dog has to want to play with them and when the dog leaves, he leaves -- he’ll return for more play if he feels like it. This is a simple way to allow kids to be able to tell when a dog wants to play and when he doesn’t.

• Don’t give kids too much responsibility for pets too early - they just may not be ready. Always supervise and check on pet care responsibilities given to children to ensure they are carried out

• Remember: if you get your kids a pet, you’re getting yourself a pet, too.

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Dog Biting and Prevention Training

Dog bites pose a serious health risk to our communities and society. More than 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year in the United States, and more than 800,000 receive medical attention for dog bites, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC). At least half of those bitten are children. Here are more dog bite facts:

• Almost 1 in 5 people bitten by dogs require medical attention.

• Children are the most common victims of dog bites and are far more likely to be severely injured.

• Most dog bites affecting young children occur during everyday activities and while interacting with familiar dogs.

Any dog can bite: big or small, male or female, young or old. Even the cuddliest, fuzziest, sweetest pet can bite if provoked. Remember, it is not a dog's breed that determines whether it will bite, but rather the dog's individual history and behavior.

Why do dogs bite?

Dogs bite for a variety of reasons, but most commonly as a reaction to something. If the dog finds itself in a stressful situation, it may bite to defend itself or its territory. Dogs can bite because they are scared or have been startled. They can bite because they feel threatened. They can bite to protect something that is valuable to them, like their puppies, their food or a toy.

Dogs might bite because they aren't feeling well. They could be sick or sore due to injury or illness and might want to be left alone. Dogs also might nip and bite during play. Even though nipping during play might be fun for the dog, it can be dangerous for people. It's a good idea to avoid wrestling or playing tug-of-war with your dog. These types of activities can make your dog overly excited, which may lead to a nip or a bite.

Most dog bites are preventable, and there are many things you can do at home and within your community to help prevent them.

What you can do to prevent dog bites

Socialization

Socialization is a good way to help prevent your dog from biting. Socializing your pet helps your dog feel at ease in different situations. By introducing your dog to people and other animals while it's a puppy, it feels more comfortable in different situations as it gets older. It's also important to use a leash in public to make sure that you are able to control your dog.

Responsible Pet Ownership

Responsible pet ownership builds a solid foundation for dog bite prevention. The basics of responsible dog ownership that can help reduce the risk of dog bites include carefully selecting the dog that's right for your family, proper training, regular exercise, and neutering or spaying your pet.

Education

Educate yourself and your children about how—or whether—to approach a dog.

Avoid Risky Situations

It's important to know how to avoid escalating risky situations and to understand when you should and should not interact with dogs.

You should avoid petting a dog in these scenarios:

• If the dog is not with its owner

• If the dog is with its owner but the owner does not give permission to pet the dog

• If the dog is on the other side of a fence—​don't reach through or over a fence to pet a dog

• If a dog is sleeping or eating

• If a dog is sick or injured

• If a dog is resting with her puppies or seems very protective of her puppies and anxious about your presence

• If a dog is playing with a toy

• If a dog is growling or barking

• If a dog appears to be hiding or seeking time alone

Pay Attention to Body Language

Reading a dog's body language also can be helpful. Just like people, dogs rely on body gestures, postures, and vocalizations to express themselves and communicate. While we can't always read a dog's body language accurately, it can give us helpful clues as to whether a dog is feeling stressed, frightened, or threatened.

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