Teach the kids how to behave around dogs.  Be gentle!

Your kids are home for the summer.  They have friends over.  Some have pets; some do not. Young children are frequently left alone with the pets while parents “run a few errands”.

Can problems happen?  You bet they can.   What can you do NOW to help enforce safety when it comes to kids and dogs.

First off, all children should be taught to respect other living things.  The key words are “be gentle”.  It is as simple as that.   One day your children will encounter an animal, if it is somebody else’s pet in a controlled environment, or meeting a strange dog on the street.  What can you teach your kids now to help avoid problems later?

Three Basics for Dog Safety with Kids:

1. Be Gentle:  some parents do not even notice how rough their children are.  Teach them how to pet “gently”; not pulling on ears or fur, no squeezing handfuls of fur, not pulling tails.  You might use a stuffed animal to teach these lessons. 
2. Approach the dog properly:  Ask the owner for permission to pet first! After given permission, do not run to a dog, ever!  Safely let the dog sniff you, letting him decide how close he wants to get.  Some dogs love attention, but the first minutes of the new meeting is critical.  If it goes well, then maybe a hug.
3. Don’t overdo fear:  Showing your child how to respect dogs and animals is a vital lesson.    If the child reacts overly fearful, the situation may become even worse.

What do I do when there’s a stranger’s dog wandering around without a leash?

Keep a cool head, and do not scream and run.  This will trigger a “prey” response and a dog that was ok sitting and watching will suddenly chase.  The dog will be thinking “This is playtime,” but this could result in possibly hurting the “prey”.  What should you do then?  Use a loud firm voice and tell the dog to “go home”.  Do not panic.  Is the dog just watching you with curiosity with ears perked, tail wagging and a relaxed stance?  If so, you can calmly WALK away.

If the dog appears to be standing in a threatening manner (ears back on head, body tense, tail up) then this is a threatening posture.   Say firmly “go lay down”.  Do not yell, do not scream, do not make sudden movements. Start to away slowly. If the dog advances on you and lunges, drop to a “turtle” position, yell for help.  Parents, if you come across your child in this position, do whatever you have to to get the dog away.

Never approach a dog when he is eating.

This is common sense and your children must know this if you have pets in the home or not.  If your own dog is food protective try to train him out of it.

Remember

• A dog should never be left alone with a child under five years of age.
• Your dog should have a place he can retreat to, away from active kids and their excitement.
• Neighborhood kids should not tease your dog.  You might need a crate if there are many boisterous kids around.
• A dog tied in the yard can lead to aggressive behavior especially when screaming kids run past him.  You might want to limit tug-of-war games if you have many children around because the dog will consider kids’ toys something to grab which could result in problems.
• Even the most gentle family dog might bite if he is in pain or has just “had enough”. 

All it takes is a little safety review now, especially at the start of summer when there might be more children around pets unsupervised.

For more information, visit CanisMajor.com and Dogs on About.com

Never hesitate to call animal control if a strange dog is roaming loose or seriously threatens your child.   Loose dogs are a menace and these irresponsible owners should be held accountable.  If a dog owner does not care where their dog goes or what they do then they should not be a dog owner!