Dog Safety for Kids
By Michelle Posge, DVM
Friday, April 22, 2006
Published in the "Your Pet" column of The Nashua Telegraph.
The column runs on the second and fourth Fridays of each month.
Young children are generally drawn to animals like they are to candy. A family dog can be a source of unconditional love and companionship to a child. Not only that, caring for a pet dog provides repeated opportunities to teach lessons of responsibility and humanity towards animals. But don’t forget that dogs have teeth.
Children are at least three times more likely than adults to sustain a serious dog bite. Especially at risk are children between the ages of five and nine. And if you have an active son, it may not be surprising to know that boys are more at risk than girls.
Dog bites are largely preventable by teaching children safe behavior around dogs. Remind your children that dogs are not toys and should be treated with respect. Verbal reminders can go along way to avoid physically and emotionally scaring dog bites.
Children that live with a tolerant dog often take liberties with unfamiliar dogs. Prior experience may create a casual attitude towards dogs in general and decrease more cautious behavior around unfamiliar dogs.
Here are the do’s and don’ts your child needs to know to be sage around dogs:
Do:
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Ask a dog’s owner if you may pet the dog.
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Allow the dog to sniff the back of your hand before petting.
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Pet a dog under the chin or on the chest.
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Approach from the front or side—never from behind.
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Be very still (e.g., “be still like a tree”) and look away from a loose dog until he goes away.
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Avoid direct eye contact with a dog.
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Always tell an adult if you are hurt by a dog.
Don’t:
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Pet a dog without allowing it to see and sniff you first.
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Pet on top of the head—this is threatening gesture to some dogs.
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Run and scream from a loose dog because this will cause the dog to chase you.
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Pet a dog by sticking your hand through a fence, inside a pen, or in a car window.
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Take a bone or special toy from a dog’s mouth.
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Bother a dog that is eating, sleeping or caring for young puppies.
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Tease, poke, or pull your dog’s hair, ears, or tail.
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Assume a wagging tail means a dog is friendly; aggressive dogs also wag their tails.
Remember that no family dog is 100% bite proof. Always supervise you child’s interactions with animals, even your own. By learning a few simple rules, man’s best friend is can also be a child’s best friend.
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