Child And Dog Safety Outdoors

Child And Dog Safety Outdoors

Most of the victims of dog bites are children. Cathie Cino teaches you how to identify an aggressive dog, and how you can teach your children to behave around dogs and prevent themselves from unwittingly provoking or escalating a dog attack.

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Step 1:

Don't Run Away

There are over 4 million dog bites per year in the United States. Unfortunately, the majority of victims are children. When an aggressive dog approaches a child the natural reaction is to scream for help and run away. Children don't realize that when they're running away. They think they're going to escape to safety. Unfortunately, that's what escalates the attack.

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Step 2:

Be Aware

It's important to be able to identify an aggressive dog. Just because a dog seems calm and isn't growling doesn't mean he's friendly. Body language tells us a lot. It tells us how the dog is feeling. If a dog is up and forward he's mean or mad. If he's back and down he's feeling scared, and both of those dogs are dangerous.

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Step 3:

Warning Signs

If you're approaching a dog and all of a sudden you see a stillness occur or a closing of the mouth as you approach those are huge warning signs and you must stop going near that dog.

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Step 4:

Look For A Safe Zone

The only time a child should consider escaping is if they find a safe zone. That could be a car, a house, or even a tree house; a place that a dog cannot get into. A child must remain calm and quiet and walk very slowly into that safe zone area.

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Step 5:

Important Lessons To Know

Here are some things you can teach your child to prevent a dog attack. Children should not show fear when a loose dog is around them. Never stare a dog directly in the eyes. In dog language this means, "Let's rumble." If all else fails and a dog attack occurs the child should drop to the ground, curl into a ball, cover their face with their hands, and stay quiet. Or an older person can do the same thing over a child. Play it safe and your child will not be a dog bite statistic. For the pet report, I'm Mitch Wilder.