I love kids and I love dogs. However, kids do not always love dogs and dogs do not always love kids. I have read different studies, and some suggest that children are the number 1 victim of dog attacks, with some resulting in fatalities. To protect your child, and protect your dog, the rule should always be to not approach a dog unless an owner has given permission.
To help kids understand, teach them that pets do not have words so they can’t tell you if they are scared, or they are friendly. And…ANYTHING WITH TEETH…can bite. If you are with a child and you see a dog, you must ask the owner if it is okay to pet the dog. It is better to assume that it is not okay to approach the dog or any animal. A child may not realize when a dog is scared or not feeling well. It’s better to act with caution than to have a dog bite.
If you have a dog, it is important to pay attention to people approaching you and your dog. Assume that the people will not know to ask permission to touch your dog. Afford warning to people to avoid a situation nobody wants.
I have traveled back and forth between the Cape and Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard for more years than some of our readers have been alive. On any typical day, there are dogs on the ferry and dogs travel on the planes as well. I cringe when I see a little one running for a dog laying at an owner’s feet while mom or dad are trying to catch up with the little one. I have seen situations which could have sent a child to the hospital because they jumped for a dog they wanted to hug. In both instances, the dog was asleep, and was startled by the child, then someone swooped up the child.
With this in mind, here are some good family rules to follow about pets:
- Never approach a dog unless its owner has given you permission to do so.
- If you have permission to pet an animal, approach it slowly and gently.
- Pet the dog, do not hug the dog because some dogs do not like to be hugged.
- Keep the child’s face away from the dog’s mouth.
- Never, ever approach a pet when it's eating or pull its food, treat or water away.
- Never bother a pet when it's sleeping.
- If you see an animal with babies, stay away from the animal.
- Never pull a dog’s tail, ears, or fur.
- Never pick up an animal by its ears.
I hope this article helps keep you, your children, and pets safe. To help reinforce the importance of respecting space between people and animals, have your child draw some pictures of what a person or pet looks like when it’s happy, it’s scared, and/or eating. There are likely videos online about safety with pets well. Here’s hope to reducing the number of dog bites that happen with good people and good dogs!
