I don’t have my own kids (just a needy mutt and a very prissy cat), but I bring up the issue of children and dogs because there are so numerous preschool and grade school aged kids in my house complex. They have no worry or respect for animals. They certainly have dogs of their own and run up to any dog, sticking their faces in the dog’s face.
According to dogbitelaw.com, 77 percent of dog-bite injuries to children are to the face. the most frequent attacks in the united states are to young boys between the ages of 6 and 9, with the odds of a child being the bite victim at 3.2 to 1.
Kids need to know how to act around dogs. They need to know all dogs are not friendly and some will bite. They also need to know even their own dogs can bite. When a child under age 4 is bitten, the family canine is the attacker 47% of the time, according to dogbitelaw.com. Ninety percent of these attacks occur in the family’s home.
Things children ought to know about how to act around dogs:
1. remain calm around dogs.
Children ought to be taught not to yell or scream around a canine and to relocation slowly. excitement could scare a dog. and all that extra energy will put the canine in a highly energetic state, too. This is when problems happen. Either the canine will get excited, jump on the child, unintentionally push the child over or bite if the canine is aggressive or playing too roughly. have you ever had a group of children running towards you and your canine screaming, “Look! Pies!” I know I have.
2. always ask the owner before touching a dog.
Some dogs just aren’t friendly, and children ought to be taught never to assume otherwise.
3. Do not put your face near a dog.This is a hard one for kids because they are closer to eye level with dogs, especially big dogs. much more children are bitten in the face than adults for this reason. Fortunately, many dogs are much more likely to give a child kisses than a bite, but in some cases even playful licking can turn into a nip.
4. Don’t make eye contact with a dog.Animals in some cases interpret eye contact as a challenge, making them much more likely to act out with either dominant or fearful aggression.
5. Leave a canine alone while it is eating.Many times it is the child’s responsibility to feed the family pets. This might be OK, as long as the child understands not to bother the canine after she has her food.
6. Leave a canine alone if she is sleeping.A canine can easily become startled if she is all of a sudden woken up. The initial reaction is in some cases to nip.
7. little dogs can bite, too.
In my experience, little dogs are actually much more likely to bite than a big dog. It’s just that the injury will not be as severe. children ought to be aware that little dogs may be cute, but they are often aggressive.
8. Don’t run away from a dog.
Running from a canine will only bring out its instincts to chase. Instead, children ought to know it’s better to slowly back away from a dog.
Can you think of anything else children ought to be aware of? Do you have any bad experiences with children and dogs?
