10 Things We Can Teach Our Children to Prevent Dog Bites
*** I was not compensated for this post. With all the recent videos of dogs biting - there needs to be a bit of teaching from the adults in a kids life as well. I thought this was a great list and I wanted to share.
May 18-24 is National Dog Bite Prevention Week and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)has great ways to help parents and their children understand how they can prevent dog bites, so you can help your kids - and dogs-stay safe and happy!
May 18-24 is National Dog Bite Prevention Week and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)has great ways to help parents and their children understand how they can prevent dog bites, so you can help your kids - and dogs-stay safe and happy!
10 Things We Can Teach Our Children to Prevent Dog Bites
- Avoid dogs you don't know. If you see an unknown dog wandering loose and unsupervised, avoid the dog.
- Ask before petting! When the owner is with their dog, always ask the owner for permission to pet their pup. Even if it's a dog you know, asking first can help prevent sudden movements that may startle the dog.
- When confronted, don't panic. If a dog confronts you, walk confidently and quietly away. If a dog goes after you, stay calm and stand still, keeping hands low and clasped in front of you. It's important to take a defensive position, so the dog won't think you are trying to harm him.
- Don't make it worse. Avoid escalating the situation by yelling, running, hitting or making sudden movements towards the dog. All of these actions will make the dog feel threatened and can make the dog more aggressive.
- Let sleeping dogs lie. When a dog is sleeping or eating, leave the dog alone.
- Never tease dogs. Don't take their toys, food or treats, and never pretend to hit or kick them. This could create distrust in the dog, and make him or her more aggressive.
- Playtime has a beginning and end. A dog has to want to play, but when the dog leaves that's your cue that playtime is over. The dog will come back for more play if he feels like it.
- Never pull a dog's ears or tail. Pain makes a dog feel like he is in danger and he could respond by biting.
- Dogs aren't toys. Never climb on or try to ride dogs. Not only could this scare or anger the dog, but it could also injure the dog if he cannot support the weight or tries to get away.
- Dog crates are safe spaces. Don't bother a dog when he is in his crate. Dogs need a comfortable, safe place where the child never goes. Remember, dogs need alone time too!
I'm so over careful with this... our neighbor sometimes brings his dog over to the wood fence between our yards (think low, open fence). I don't like my little one getting too acquainted with it, because the dog is bigger than my son. So I pick my son up to let him pet it. Strange maybe, but way better safe than sorry. You were awesome to share this list!
ReplyDeleteExcellent points. It reminds me of something that happened years ago. I was in front of my apartment with my dog and another dog, a pit bull, came flying toward us. Turns out she was after any other female dog, but I didn't know that at the time. I didn't know what to do! I opened my car door and the pit bull jumped into my car. I closed the door, returned my own dog to the apartment, then went to locate the pit bull's owner. It's a funny story now, but it wasn't at the time!
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