Dog safety for children
Most dogs are friendly, but many dogs will bite if they think they have to. Understanding how dogs think will help you make friends without getting hurt. Dogs are a lot like people. When a person gets mad, they yell and hit. Dogs get mad too, but they can’t yell, so they use body language, barking, and growling instead. They don’t have hands, so they hit with their teeth instead.
A lot of dogs are scared of people. They might have been hurt by someone, or they could just be shy because they haven’t met many kids. If a dog is afraid of you, he may think he has to bite to protect himself.
Not all dogs like to be petted. How would you like it if a stranger came up to you and started petting you on the head? You might not like being scratched on the face. Always ask the owner if it’s okay before you pet the dog, and never try to pet a dog if his owner isn’t there.
To avoid scaring a dog,
Move slowly. Acting calm and friendly will make him less nervous.
Let the dog come to you to say hi, instead of walking towards him. He’ll be more relaxed if you let him introduce himself.
If it’s okay with the dog’s owner, give the dog a treat when he says hi to you.
Don’t make loud noises or act like you might hit him.
If you’re petting a dog and he backs away from you, don’t follow him.
Pet the dog gently, and never pull on him, squeeze him, or hit him.
If you run away from a dog, he could think you’re acting like a cat and chase you. If a dog comes up to you and you don’t know if he’s friendly, wrap your arms around your neck and face, then stand very still until he leaves. If you stand still and don’t talk to him, he’ll probably leave soon.
Dogs don’t like to share. If a dog is eating or has a bone, he might think you are trying to take his food away. This could make him mad enough to bite you. Always stay away from him while he’s eating or playing.
Let sleeping dogs lie. If you wake a dog up by petting him, it can scare him and make him snap at you.
Never go in to a yard or a house that has a strange dog in it. The dog may not know you’re friendly, and can think he has to protect his home from you.
If you have to walk to school past scary dogs and are afraid they will run up and bite you, talk to your parents about getting you some DirectStop Animal Deterrent Spray
This article written and copyrighted by Jessi Clark-White. All rights are reserved, and this article may not be duplicated in any manner without written permission from the author at www.K911dogtraining.com.
Our family has a 10 month old Rhodesian Ridgeback. Our 6 year old son continually shows his affection by putting his face too close to the dogs and does not respect the “sleeping dogs lie” rule. The dog reacted today with a bite to the top of the head. The behavior was not seen as it happened. The dog did not “attack” he appeared to retaliate for our son being invasive an then retreated remorsefully. Our son has ASD and understands the behavior antagonizes the dog, but gets overwhelmed showing his affection. Is there any reason to believe that the situation can be resolved with the dog and our son both existing in a healthy and safe environment? if so is there a course that can be reccomended to save the dog from an untimely departure from our home?
July 18th, 2008 at 12:37 amDavid,
While your dog is simply acting according to his nature, any aggression issue involving a large dog and a small child is potentially a very dangerous situation. I would advise finding a good dog behaviourist in your area and consulting with him or her. In the meantime, please keep your dog and your child physically seperated to protect both of them. These issues are simply too complex and the stakes are too high to resolve over the internet.
July 30th, 2008 at 12:54 pm