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Since it IS National Dog Bite Prevention Week, I thought it would be a good idea to share this video along with some helpful tips from our friend, the Atlanta Dog Examiner, Sandy Weaver Carman. You may recall that she did a feature story about me a while back.
When she posted this video, she had some great tips for family dog safety:
As the weather gets warmer, children spend more time outside. And so do peoples’ dogs. Most of the time, not a problem. Sometimes – a problem.
Emergency room staff see more dog bites in the warmer weather, and most of them involve children. Many doctors report that the child instigated the accident without knowing any better.
It is imperative that parents teach their children safety around strange dogs. It’s not hard, as this video shows, and kids understand that it’s for their own safety around dogs. Here are the top three things every child should know about meetings with strange dogs:
- If a dog is chasing you, stand still like a tree and keep your arms down. Never run.
- If you meet a strange dog, extend your hand and let him sniff you before you try to pet him. If he seems unfriendly, stand still like a tree.
- Never stare at a dog you don’t know. Dogs interpret staring as a threat and may be more likely to bite. Never stare.
Watch the video with your children as often as you need to in order for them to understand the importance of their behavior around strange dogs.
Thanks, Sandy!
Tags: Atlanta Dog Examiner, chasing, family dog safety, National Dog Bite Prevention Week, safety, stare, strange dog
If you keep your dog in a back yard, please keep the fence/barriers inspected. My sister had the sweetest dog – large (his name was Bear) but sweet. But he got out of the yard, chased an adult bicyclist, and gave her a minor bite. He was branded a dangerous dog, had to be attended and muzzled whenever he went outside and my sister’s homeowners insurance dropped her. Many states have really strengthened their dangerous dog statutes because of all the horror stories, but even casual accidental bites are often handled with the full force of the law. In Virginia, there was no gradient punishment. Frankly, we were lucky that they didn’t make her put him to sleep.
Thanks for that suggestion, Nancy! It sucks that your sister was doing the right thing, and she still ended up having such bad luck.
Mom is always making sure that we are not left unattended outside, regardless of fencing, restraint, etc.
[...] I would like to address the issue of most concern to me, and that is the relationship between the dog and the children. I like to remind humans that dogs and children are not always a good match, especially young children. Young children have a knack for viewing everything as a playmate or a toy. Some children simply play too rough, even hurting the dog. Six years old is about the right age to begin teaching a child how to play with a dog properly. If you need some direction about teaching your children about dog safety, check out this video. [...]