Prevnting Dog Bites in Young Children

"The mean doggie bit my tushy!" is still something of a meme in my family, a running joke that we bring up a few times a year. It refers to my hysterical utterances following an incident some twenty-two years ago, when a doberman pinscher pinned my then-thirty-pound body to the ground and ripped viciously into my rear end. As funny as it is in retrospect, the incident was serious-- and it's by no means rare. More than half of children will experience a dog bite by age 12, according to the ASPCA. As someone still bearing the scars from a dog bite in my early childhood, I'm very careful now to make sure to take precautions to prevent my young daughter from suffering a similar injury.

Here are some of ways that parents and dog owners can prevent dog bites.

Keep your dog restrained around children until you know how he will behave.

My friend's five-year-old daughter was attacked by a dog who fractured her skull and caused her to require extensive brain surgery. The dog was a "good dog" but had never been around children and his owners didn't know that he was unfriendly toward them. If you don't know how well your dog reacts to young children, keep him leashed and muzzled during his first few interactions with them. You can gradually switch to leashed and then supervised interactions with kids, but don't allow your dog unrestrained around young children until he is comfortable with them, both generally and individually.

Teach young children to respect a dog's territory. 
A few weeks ago, my daughter started to reach through a chain-link fence to pet a barking dog, but I immediately pulled her back and explained that she should never, ever do that. Children should be aware that dogs in parked cars, dogs on chains, and dogs behind fences are likely to attempt to defend their territory, even if they are normally very friendly. Explain to your child that a dog might see a child as a burglar trespassing into his home, and that even good dogs will bite if they think they need to defend their homes and families. Even a three- to four-year-old can likely understand this concept.

Instruct children to avoid strange dogs.

My daughter once saw a stray dog wandering the parking lot of our apartment complex and immediately asked to pet him. This was a perfect opportunity to tell her about the dangers of approaching unknown dogs. Remind your children that they should never attempt to pet a dog they do not know personally unless the owner is present and grants permission. A stray dog may be sick or aggressive. Without an owner to confirm that the dog is safe, a dog is best left alone or left for grown-ups to handle.

 Explain dogs' body language to kids.

Children can sometimes intuitively understand the body language of dogs, but you should still be sure to remind kids of how dogs communicate-- and to teach them to respect boundaries when the dog indicates it wants to be left alone. Describe the dog's language as your child interacts with him. "See how the fur on his back is raised? That means he's angry, so leave him alone," is an important lesson. Also point out to your child that most dogs don't like to be hugged, that they want to sniff a closed hand before being pet, and that they interpret eye contact as a threat. You can try role-playing as a dog to teach some of these important safety lessons.

 Don't be afraid to tell a child "no" when she asks to pet your dog. 
Suppose you have a sweet, friendly shih tzu who has never bitten anyone in her life, and a child at the vet's office asks to pet her. You may be nearly 100% certain that it would be safe, but your dog may react unpredictably to the stress of being in an unfamiliar place and meeting an unfamiliar person. The same applies when you are at the park or walking on the street. "Almost" certain isn't quite good enough when you're wondering if your dog can safely interact with a child. If you have any doubts, simply say no. Slight disappointment is far better for a child than serious injury.

If your dog is unusually aggressive or unfriendly toward children, it's a good idea to get in touch with your veterinarian and local animal control officers for advice on keeping your dog calm and avoiding confrontations with children. Schedule an appointment to talk with your veterinarian if you have specific concerns about your dog's behavior around kids.