According to the Center for Disease Control, roughly 4.5 million people are bitten every year by a dog. About one in five of those people require medical care for the wound.
Most disturbingly, children between 5 and 9 years of age are most at risk of a dog bite, and they are also more likely to need medical attention. Another fact that is more than a bit disturbing is that many of these bites involve family pets.
Dog Bite Prevention Tips for Parents
As parents, there are many things that we can do to help teach our children how to interact with dogs. Here are some suggestions that can help keep your kids safe.
- Never reach for, pet or interact with a leashed dog without asking the dog owner’s permission to do so.
- Never approach an unsupervised dog that is tethered, in a yard or is running loose.
- Never make eye contact with a strange dog. Many dogs interpret this eye contact as threatening.
- Never attempt to take any object away from a strange dog.
- If you are approached by a strange dog, stop moving and “be a tree.” Do this by planting both feet on the ground, hold your hands in front of you and look downward. Remain motionless. Stay calm. Do not attempt to run from the dog. Do not raise or flail your arms. Do not shout.
Though it may seem counter-intuitive, “being a tree” is a child’s best protection against a serious injury. Dogs chase things that move but they rapidly lose interest in a stationary object. By “being a tree,” your child will be of much less interest to the dog and he will go away and look for something more interesting to pursue.
Kids and Dogs at Home: Keeping Your Child Safe from Your Own Pet
Unfortunately, many dog bites occur at home and involve the family dog rather than a strange dog. In many of those cases, the dog is not particularly aggressive or mean. Often, the dog simply becomes over-stimulated by the activity around it or becomes annoyed with continual harrassment.
Again, there are some simple things you can teach your child that will help keep both kid and dog safe.
- Do not approach or bother your dog when he is sleeping, resting or eating.
- Do not attempt to take toys, food, treats or other objects away from your dog while he is focused on them.
- Teach your child to recognize the signs that your dog wants to be left alone. Learning how to read your dog’s body language may be your child’s best defense against a bite.
- Teach your child to “be a tree” if your dog becomes too boisterous and begins chasing, nipping or jumping on your child.
- Teach your child not to pull your dog’s ears, tail or hair.
Many of these techniques can be practiced with your child. Play a game with your child pretending you are a dog that is chasing your child and then show your child how to “be a tree.” Use flash cards or photos to depict a dog that is showing aggression, fear or annoyance and practice with your child to recognize those signs.
This podcast interview contains some additional tips and information about teaching kids to be safe around dogs and avoid dog bites. The interview features Joan Orr, president of Doggone Safe, an organization that provides dog bite safety information and training for parents, schools, shelters and other groups. You’ll learn more about how to teach your child to “be a tree” and how to understand your dog’s body language. Please listen and enjoy.
Photo Courtesy of Gunni Cool/Flickr.com