Dog Safety Around Children

After hearing about a recent dog attack on a 1 month old baby I thought I’d post some safety tips for children and dogs.

Just remember no matter how trustworthy you think your dog is, don’t ever leave a dog and child/baby unattended.

• Don’t let your child run up to a dog
• Never let your child grab or hit a dog.
• Don’t try to touch a dog that is eating or in possession of a treat or toy.
• Don’t let your child pull a dog’s tail or fur.
• Teach your child to ask for permission to pet a dog.
• Keep your face away from a dog when playing or approaching them (My sister got bit on the face as a little girl while hugging a strange dog)
• Tell your children if a dog is chasing you, stop running, as this encourages them to chase you
• Teach your child to avoid eye contact with aggressive dogs; the dog may view this as a challenge.
• Make sure your dog understands that babies and children are high ranking members of the pack.

All dogs are capable of biting children, not just the pit bulls, Rottweilers, German shepherds, etc. My sister got bit by a Golden Retriever (this was the 2nd time it had bit someone) and I recently saw a news story about a Cairn terrier/poodle mix that attacked a baby. The larger dogs just get most of the attention because their bites usually cause more injury.