Preventing Dog Bites In Children

Did you know that 4.7 million dog bites occur each year and that 50% of them are in children under 12?

Do you know how, or better yet, have you taught your child how to meet a strange dog?

Sure, it seems simple enough. You ask the owner first, and when they say yes, you extend your hand to be sniffed, forging a friendship that will ultimately lead to a good head rub for the pup at hand. 

That's all there is too it, right?

Well…maybe not.
 

Here's an example…It was a balmy summer evening in July when a I met with group of my friends at an area Dairy Queen with our dogs, as we'd often done before. We got ice cream for our dogs, then moved to a grassy area where we could sit down, eat and hang out with each other. It's commonplace for people to approach, ask if the dogs are friendly and if they can pet them. A boy of about 10 came over to us.

“Can I pet your dog?” he asked, glancing over at Winter, my certified therapy dog whose leash I was holding. 

As a therapy dog, Winter tolerates just about everything, and there's really no wrong way to pet her, so I responded that he could pet her, not feeling the need to give him any special instructions.  As the boy made friends with Winter, I was momentarily distracted and when I turned back around, found that he had wandered over to my other dog, Joey and was reaching for his face.
 

Joey is not a therapy dog and while friendly, isn't so keen on strangers invading his space. Before I could tell the little boy the proper way to pet THIS dog, Joey let out a whiny bark, stood up and backed away from the boy. Startled, the boy started to cry and said that he didn't do anything wrong. By the time I got over to them, the boy's father was dragging him away from the “mean” dog. I apologized, explaining that Joey had been scared. “Let's learn how to properly pet the dog,” I suggested to no avail as the father pulled his boy away.

 

What IS the proper way to pet a dog?

It ALWAYS starts with the owner. 

Ask for permission, and if the owner says yes, extend your hand to let the dog sniff it. 

Once the dog takes a whiff, walk around to the side of the dog and pet it from the neck back. Never pet a dog directly from the front on the top of the head. Some dogs will tolerate it, and others won't. You don't know how each dog will react, so it's best to go around to the side. 

 

Here are a few "do's" and “don’ts” that you should teach your children, EVEN WITH YOUR OWN DOG to ensure a positive experience for both the child and the dog:

• DO give the dog his space/DON'T hug or squeeze a dog or put your hands near or on the dog’s face
• DO treat a dog gently/DON'T pull on a dog’s ears
• DO pet behind the neck or under the chin/DON'T pet on top of the head
• DO remember that your dog is a dog and not a beast of burden/DON'T ride on the back of your dog
• DO allow the dog his own area at mealtime/DON'T touch a dog while it’s eating. 
• DO be kind to the dog/DON'T tease the dog
• DO keep your distance from a dog in a car/DON'T try to pet a dog that’s in a car even though his head is sticking out of the window.  The dog can be very territorial of his car!

Remember that "No" means no. The owner knows their dog best and if they say no, say thank you and walk away.

 

Winter and I participate in a Dog Bite Prevention Program. Trainers from Camp visit schools, clubs and libraries where they read a book and discuss how to properly meet a strange dog. Winter is the “strange” dog that kids can practice on.

As our story above shows, two different dogs react in totally different ways in exactly the same situation. Be respectful of them and teach these tips to your children and interactions with dogs, even strange ones, can be positive experiences for all involved!

*Editor's note: the author of this article is my sister and her dogs are wonderful! They are the same breed (Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs) and very large. I can vouch for their different personalities. These guidelines apply to ALL dogs, not just big ones! The only dog bite I've ever had was from a good friend's tiny dog! So owners train your dogs and parents train your kids!