Kids and Dogs: Teach Them to be Safe
By Roxanne Willems Snopek
Think back to grade school. Do you remember what to do if your clothing catches on fire? Stop, drop and roll. Fire fighters taught us, and we remembered. But did you ever learn the safe way to pet a dog, or what to do if a strange dog approaches you outside? More importantly, do your children know?
National data from Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program (CHIRPP) show that hundreds of people are treated for dog-bite injuries each year, and the majority of these are children under the age of 10. According to a 1993 study done by CHIRPP:
- 71.2% of victims knew the dog and 25.7% lived with the dog.
- The head and face were injured most often, followed by the arm, leg and trunk. Of children aged 1–4 years, 74.1% were bitten on the head or face; only 20.0% of people aged 15 years and older sustained bites to the head or face.
- Wound length ranged from 1 mm to 150 mm; the average length was 10 mm.
- More than a third of patients reported ordinary interaction with the dog (e.g. petting, feeding or playing). Only slightly fewer people (32.7%) reported unusual interaction (e.g. teasing, hurting or taking away food or a toy).
Obviously, children need to learn how to interact safely with dogs. As physically painful as these injuries are, the emotional scars can be just as devastating, sometimes causing a life-long fear of animals. Most dogs do not bite without cause; usually they have given clear warning signs that have simply been unnoticed, ignored or misunderstood. Children need to know that dogs “talk” with their bodies. Teaching your child to understand what dogs are “saying” with different behaviour will help protect them from being bitten. Dr. Wayne Hunthausen, of Westwood Animal Hospital in Westwood, Kansas, is an internationally recognised authority on canine behaviour. “Some dogs don’t recognise children as ‘people’,” he says, “because they behave differently from adults. They have higher voices and quicker movements which can be irritating, or exciting to dogs.” Children are more impulsive and less cautious in new situations which also contributes to the danger of their being bitten.
Education is the key to preventing bite injuries in children, says Dr. Hunthausen. “Be proactive in helping your child develop a good relationship with animals,” he encourages parents. “Don’t assume your children know how to behave around dogs.” Training both the puppy and the child right from the beginning will help each behave appropriately around the other.
How do dogs like to be petted?
When being introduced to a new dog, teach your child to extend the back of his hand, palm down for the dog to sniff. Dogs learn a tremendous amount of information from their noses; giving them a chance to do this reassures them that you mean no harm. Then, teach your child to stroke a dog along the side of his back, moving in the direction of the fur. Do not touch the ears or face, as these areas are especially sensitive.
When should a dog be left alone?
Like humans, food and sleep are very important to dogs. Never disturb a dog when she is eating, sleeping or playing with a toy. Dogs are gregarious animals; they will initiate contact with people. If she avoids you, there’s a good reason for it. Pursuing her is asking for trouble!
How can you tell if a dog is frightened or angry?
Dogs confined to backyards or tied on leashes should never be approached. Teach your children to ignore these dogs. Frightened dogs often assume a lowered body position and attempt to move away. They may bark, they will often carry their tail low, tucked between their legs, their ears may be folded back. Extremely frightened dogs may urinate or defecate. Caught in a primal survival instinct, fear-biters can be very dangerous. Angry dogs are no less dangerous, but display different body language. They carry themselves high, often straining to get closer. Their tails are high and may be wagging slowly, but don’t be deceived. They make direct eye contact - the classic sign of a dominant dog - and they will probably bark or snarl, showing their teeth. Guard dogs, or household pets that feel responsible for protecting their people will display this behaviour when their territory is threatened. Do NOT go near dogs displaying these signs!
What should you do if a stray dog approaches you?
Dogs roaming at large are often particularly frightening to children. Want an easy-to-remember response for encounters with strange dogs? Dr. Hunthausen says "stay like a tree, lay like a rock". When a strange dog approaches them outside, he will be curious. Teaching children to stand still will prevent them from stimulating the chase instinct that can occur if they run away. Remind them not to make eye contact with the dog, either, but to look at the ground instead. If the dog does not leave, or becomes more threatening, teach your child to drop to the ground and curl up with fists over his ears, elbows tucked against his side. This “lay like a rock” position protects the vulnerable neck and belly areas and also positions the child closer to the ground. In pack mentality, the least dominant animals always lie down for the stronger dogs. Once submission is demonstrated, the dominant animal can leave.
There’s no fool-proof way to guarantee your child will never be bitten by a dog, but there are ways to minimise the risk; whether your child lives with dogs or not, she needs you to teach her. What’s the most important lesson Dr. Hunthausen recommends for kids? “Always ask permission before petting a dog, whether you know it or not.” But teaching children to understand the body language of animals does more than simply protect them from injury. It increases their confidence and helps foster rewarding relationships with all the animals in their lives.