Dog bites occur in an instant and it could happen to any family and their beloved pet. Please be very careful even if your fido is the most loving pup around.
Warning: Graphic Content.
The AVMA & CDC state the following:
- Every year, people receive medical attention for dog bites; at least half of them are children.
- Children are, by far, the most common victims of dog bites and are far more likely to be severely injured.
- Most dog bites affecting young children occur during everyday activities and while interacting with familiar dogs.
CDC goes on to state the following:
"Among children and adults, having a dog in the household is associated with a higher incidence of dog bites. As the number of dogs in the home increases, so does the incidence of dog bites. Adults with two or more dogs in the household are five times more likely to be bitten than those living without dogs at home."
How can the beloved family dog be responsible for many of these statistics? The collage of pictures below is a good example.
In every single photo you see above the children are interacting improperly with the dog. Bottom line? The adults in charge need to stop considering it "cute," put the camera down, and teach the child that what they are doing is NEVER acceptable.
"But our family dog LOVES the children!"
I don't doubt it! But how would you like to be stepped on, grasped in a wrestling hold, or ridden like a horse when you're trying to rest or go about your day? You parents out there know how tiring it gets after you've reached your limit. Consider how the dog feels. And he can't tell them to stop like you can.
"Yeah, but our dog was raised as a puppy with the kids...he's used to the rough play."
Okay, so he's socialized. Awesome! So were mine. That still doesn't change the fact that he probably doesn't appreciate (or understand) the physical closeness, especially if the child slips and pulls on his skin, tail or ears. No one appreciates being pinched, kicked or tugged on. I'm harder on my kids when they are interacting with the dogs than I am at any other time. I absolutely will not tolerate any inappropriate play, and they know it.
"I always supervise my kids and pets."
Awesome! Kids and children should always be supervised. However, it may not be enough. Too often the dogs are sending off signals (body language) that untrained adults fail to notice. If you don't know what to look for when the dog is sending stress signs, you'll miss that chance to stop the child before it's too late.
Bottom line: teach children to behave appropriately with dogs.
Play games such as
- fetch,
- hide and seek,
- find it,
- obedience commands and/or tricks,
- swim together,
- go hiking or walking together (age appropriate),
- tug-o-war under control,
- and many, many other things.
Remember that showing affection toward your dogs is not the same as showing affection toward your kids.
Sandra Elvenholl
Source : www.familydogu.com
This dog bite prevention video illustrates why so many people are bitten by dogs every year. In this animation, a child approaches a dog in spite of the fact that the dog shows many body language signs showing that he's scared. Because the child keeps approaching and the dog feels cornered, the dog turns to aggression in order to protect himself.
