Keeping children safe around dogs is a topic that we really do need to improve our knowledge on. So many dog bites on children happen when some very basic rules are broken. With this in mind I thought I would run through some of the key ways that you can avoid running into problems with your dog and young children.
Tolerance
The more a dog believes that they are the pack leader the less tolerant they will be of all the things I mention below. So many bites revolve around space being invaded and food, and the more you have trained your dog to understand their position in the pack, the more your dog will relax and let people get away with breaking the pack rules a little. Of course every dog is different so you really do need to be careful, as some are far more dominant and very intolerant of people breaking their rules.
Stranger danger
Be very careful approaching a strange dog. It is because every dog is so different that you need to be so aware. Let’s look at the lovely big dog at the café, calmly sitting there with their owner. The chances are, you can’t read their body language that says don’t pat me or I’ll bite you, and there may be no warning if you don’t recognise their freeze pose.
Ahhh, look at the cute doggie…
When a dog is tied up at the shops, unable to get away, then it is always safest to stay well away from them. Personally, I would never leave my dogs tied up outside the shops. My dogs are fantastic but there are far too many people I do not trust. I owe it to my dogs to keep them safe. Dogs only have a few options of what they can do when tied up and if their option to run away has been removed then they may well be forced to resort to fight (with a quick snap) if they are scared or feel threatened when some stranger moves in for a big pat.
The growling dog
If a dog growls then it is a good time to focus on looking around at what was making the dog upset and learning from the situation. The chances are a child was probably thinking of coming into the dog’s space or up to some mischief and the dog is simply saying leave me alone. If your dog is warning with a growl it is beneficial in many ways since it gives you a chance to respond, learn and avoid those situations next time. It’s also an early warning device that gives you time, as a parent, to get your child safely out of the dog’s space.
Over confident children
The over confident children really need to be watched. This is especially true of children who are noisy, excitable and enjoy saying hello to dogs they do not know. The secret is to stay calm and stand a little way off then check with the owner before meeting.
Food
If your child has food and you are unsure of how your dog may react then keep them apart until they have finished, it is not worth the risk. So many accidents happen when dogs, food and children mix, unsupervised. It is a recipe-for-disaster so keep them apart unless you are certain of how your dogs will behave.
Let sleeping dogs lie
“Let sleeping dogs lie” is one of the oldest of all dog sayings yet there is far greater truth in the words than most people realise. All dogs should be given a safe place where they know they are safe from being disturbed but one of the most important rules is also closely connected to this famous saying. Here is the one piece of advice I suggest you never forget:
If you want to greet a dog in a way that is safest then you should call the dog over to you, and only if they come to you can you stroke them. If they do not, leave them alone. Respect them and their wishes and let sleeping dogs lie.
Please share this with as many friends as possible. The consequences of not being careful and aware are just too horrible.
If you have a dog and want to help ensure that nothing dangerous happens between your dog and your kids, I want to encourage you to check out my program, The Dog Calming Code.
This program will teach you how to get your dog to relax and listen to you when it matters most!
Or, if you have a puppy, I encourage you to get started with my Puppy Coach training program!
+Cheers,
.
14 Responses
Hi Dan,
We have a 10 wk old puppy and I noticed her growl at my almost 4 yr old this morning. I have caught him a few times hurting her by accident where he was bit too excitable. We’ve been teaching him about how to touch her, about what she likes and doesn’t like and when to leave her but he’s a boisterous little boy. We don’t leave him on his own with her but obviously don’t have eyes in our back…what would you recommend we do when she growls when he hasn’t hurt her?
Thank you!
Ketie
Hi Ketie,
Supervising children when they are with dogs and puppies is my key recommendation so that you can help your 4yo understand how to behave appropriately towards your puppy. I do recognise that close supervision is not always possible and so the next best option is to separate the two until a time where you can supervise. Puppies growl for many reasons…they may growl when playing and it can have a very different motivation than being aggressive. Puppies can also growl as a warning to try and stop whatever interaction is happening, especially if they feel threatened, scared or are being hurt. I’m a really big advocate of not punishing a dog for growling, in most circumstances, as this is a key piece of communication about how they are feeling that you don’t want to lose! Rather, when a dog growls look at the scenario from their perspective so that you can get a better understanding of the interactions that may challenge them. You always want them to feel safe around your child and so intervening when things are getting a bit too excited or intense is really important in setting up the right behaviours from both your child and your puppy. That may mean that you place your puppy in their crate or pen for a little chill-out time until things have calmed down. Best, Doggy Dan
great safety tips for dogs n kids.
Thanks Laura…appreciate it 🙂
Winderfull to watch.not all humans are bad LoL
Thanks Grace, no I agree most humans are great 🙂
I'm going to take some time to 'digest' the first sentence on the Tolerance' paragraph. My 'unqualified' take on the matter is that a dog lower in the pack lacks the self confidence that the pack leader has, and is therefore more apt to feel his standing is being threatened and will act accordingly. Good points on the over confident child…
Hi Jj, what I have found which is very much how it works in the wild is that the pack leader dog is the one that will be more likely to discipline dogs stepping out of line. It is kind of complex to explain in a few sentences however when a dog sees themselves as the boss then they decide who is in the wrong and corrects. When a dog corrects then they tend to do it with a bite.
This answers a few questions for us which is great! – thanks Doggie Dan! Great to meet you in Auckland recently – Jo 🙂
I've been watching Doggie Dan's videos on dog training and can highly recommend them. They are fabulous and well worth the look! They certainly have answered a number of questions regarding situations I've experienced with my dog over the past few months. And… given us great ways to alter this too…
Thanks Jo lovely to meet you also…Good to hear that things are moving in the right direction on the dog front 🙂
It is the parents responsibility to teach their children to respect animals-they are not toys they are living creatures.No matter how sweet or tolerant a dog a child should not be allowed to sit on,pull on or do things that we as humans would not like done to us.People should not yell at a dog who growls when something like this is done as this is their way to say hey I do not like that.It is a sad fact that dogs get blamed for alot that is not their fault because they cannot defend themselves.I do agree every dog should have an area where they can go and not be bothered “their” space to get away.
You are more than welcome Gayle, thanks for the feedback, your dog looks lovely 🙂
Great reading, thank you! Shared.