Resources Overview

Dogs are amazing family pets, but both they and children, need to learn to respect each other’s boundaries and how to interact with each other. It is your responsibility to teach your dog and your children proper behavior and interactions. A lack of training/teaching can lead to dog bites which can affect the mental and physical health of both the children and the dog. Proper training/teaching can prevent tragedy.

What should I teach my dog?

• Socialize your puppy or dog with children using supervised play time. Stop and separate if play becomes rough or too rambunctious.
• Work slowly with your dog on handling all areas of his/her body with soothing talk and rewards. If a dog objects to an area of the body, immediately return to an area they are comfortable with and continue touching and rewarding, slowly move back towards the area of discomfort, rewarding tolerance. Do not push the dog, but practice in small doses to keep from overwhelming the dog.
• Provide your dog with a “safe” area that is his or hers only such as a crate or a quiet room.

What should I teach my children?

• Your child should always be gentle and calm around strange dogs. They should never run, jump, scream, etc around new dogs as it could trigger a fear or predatory reaction in the dogs.
• Your child should never stare directly into a dog’s eyes. This can make even the gentlest dog feel uncomfortable or threatened.
• Your child should never try to pet a strange dog without permission.
• Children should never be allowed to take food, treats, bowls, or toys from a dog, even their own family dog.
• Children should never be allowed to climb on, lay on, or smack a dog. This is a recipe for causing a dog bite.
• Your child should never wake a sleeping dog or disturb them in their designated “safe” area. A dog may startle or feel protective and instinctively snap.

What should you know?

• If possible, take your family to training with the dog. This allows all older children and adult members to know what is acceptable dog behavior.
• Teach your entire family about dog body language. Every family member should know what your dog’s warning signs are when they’re feeling uncomfortable.
• Don’t stare your dog in the eye; this can be threatening.
• Observe your dog around other people and other children. Since they are not known to your dog, the dog may feel threatened or uncomfortable.
• If your dog’s personality abruptly changes, take him or her to a veterinarian immediately for evaluation. Your dog may be in pain.
• If your dog is known to not be good with children, ensure they are not placed in the situations with children. It is your responsibility to protect your dog and protect children.

Remember, a dog bite can cause physical damage to your child as well as mental damage, causing extreme fear. It can cause a dog to lose its home and its life. Take dog bite prevention seriously!