Seven Tips for Preventing A Dog from Biting Your Children

Even if your family already has a child-friendly dog, this doesn't guarantee that your children won't face an aggressive dog and the potential for a dog bite some time in their life. That's why it will be important to not only have a dog around the house to let your children learn how to handle them, but to teach them how to handle strange dogs. Here are seven things you can teach your children about handling new dogs to avoid bites.

1. Children should ask permission from a dog's owner before petting the dog. This will address any problems and allow the dog's owner to tell the children that the dog simply isn't friendly enough for that.

2. Don't stare into a dog's eyes. This is true for adults who want to avoid confrontations with dogs, as well. While it might seem good to gain "dominance" psychologically over a dog, this little trick can actually stir up aggression and insecurity in a dog that needs to feel dominant.

3. Don't interrupt a dog while it's sleeping or eating, or pet them from behind if you've never met them. Even friendly dogs can get the wrong idea if you don't let them "meet" you first by sniffing you and getting a good look at you.

4. Don't help dogs that are injured - get an adult instead. Children might be tempted to help injured dogs, but they most likely won't be able to do much to actually help it. They can avoid any potential behavior problems simply by consulting an adult.

5. Avoid dogs that are behind fences or on leashes. Especially don't tease these types of dogs - while it might seem that a child is protected because a dog is restrained in some way, there's no accounting for an unlocked fence door or another potential situation that might occur that didn't need to.

6. Strange dogs can feed off of aggression, so let your children know that it's important to remain calm even in the face of danger. Doing this will also help prevent panic and create the right state of mind to find the right solution to a potential problem.

7. Don't go for a dog's puppies while the dog is caring for them. One of the most dangerous ways to incite aggression in an animal is to be perceived as going for that animal's children. That's why you'll want to generally let a dog who is spending time with its puppies be - this is especially true for children who might not know how to send the mother or father the right message.

Photo Credits: ratterrell

This post involves:

accounting, adult, adults, aggression, behavior problems, confrontations, dominance, fence, fences, insecurity, leashes, strange dogs, types of dogs, wrong idea

... and focuses on:

Family Kids and Dogs, Tips for Dog Owners

Posted by Dog Training Pet on August 7, 2011 in Family Kids and Dogs, Tips for Dog Owners. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.