The Top 5 Skills to Teach Your Children Around Dogs
Have you read the statistics about how often children get bitten? It’s pretty scary! Worse yet, most children are bitten by owned dogs that they know – their own dog or a friend’s dog. Fortunately, you can reduce the risk of a bite by teaching your children certain key skills. Here are the five most important things to work on with your kids:
1. Teach your child that animals have feelings and preferences too
Children need to understand that animals have feelings, likes and dislikes – just like people. It’s important to give animals the space to decide whether or not to interact, since they might not want to interact just then (or might not like children in general).
IMPORTANT NOTE
Not all children are old enough to understand that other beings have feelings and preferences. You may need to help your child do the right things around dogs before they can fully understand why.
2. Teach your child how to behave around dogs
Even if your child doesn’t understand why they should treat dogs with respect, you can teach them the actual behaviors they should (and should not do). Here are some rules and behaviors to discuss and practice:
A. Always ask an adult before interacting with a dog.
This is a great thing to practice and play-act in advance!
B. If the adult says it’s OK, ask the dog if the dog wants to interact.
Here’s how your child can ask the dog (feel free to tailor the language to your child’s developmental stage):
a. Stand sideways to the dog at least ten feet away from the dog (presenting the side of the body, not facing towards the dog or away from the dog).
b. Bend your knees a little.
c. Use one or both hands to pat the side of your legs at knee level while verbally inviting the dog to say hi.
d. Keep your feet in the same place as you do this!
C. If the dog comes over, pet the dog’s body (NOT the top of the head).
Most dogs do not love being patted on the top of the head. The best way for your child to pet a dog is to gently stroke the dog’s back.
D. Whenever you are petting a dog, stop every three seconds, take your hands off the dog, and wait.
The best way to ensure an encounter between a child and a dog both starts and ends well is to have the child stop petting the dog after three seconds, take their hands off the dog, and wait. If the dog walks away at that point, the dog has had enough. Make sure your child keeps repeating the “pet for three seconds, then stop and take hands away” routine.
E. Stay away unless you’ve done all of the above!
This last part may seem obvious to us as adults, but it may not be obvious to a child. Remind children to stay away from dogs as a default.
3. Learn – and teach your child – canine body language
Dogs say a lot through body language. It’s important to watch for body language signals of joy, comfort, distress, irritation, etc., so you can respond appropriately and head off problems before a dog starts growling (or worse). Here are some body language signals that can indicate the dog is feeling stressed:
- Repeated blinking
- Looking or turning away
- Sniffing the ground
- Yawning
- Lifting one paw
- Flicking the tongue in and out
- Using the tongue to lick the dog’s nose (unless there is a treat around)
- Falling onto their back (this does NOT usually mean they want a belly rub!)
- Shaking off (as if wet)
You may be wondering: What do you do when you see a sign of stress from a dog? Give the dog space! A little distance goes a long way to preventing bites!
Here are a few resources you and your children may find helpful:
4. Set up household rules about when, where, and how dog interactions happen
If you have a dog in your own home…
Put up barriers and create zones where the dog can get away from the children.
Make sure children and dogs are never left alone unsupervised.
Children’s play should happen away from the dog.
Also, teach your children basic dog etiquette:
Leave the dogs’ toys, food, and treats alone.
Leave the dog alone when the dog is sleeping, eating, or pottying.
Be gentle with the dog – no pulling on their ears or tail, no climbing on them, no hitting them, no playing dress-up with the dog, etc.
When the dog walks away or goes to their bed or crate, leave them alone (this one was mentioned above too, but it bears repeating).
5. Teach your child what to do around loose or other unknown dogs
Loose and unknown dogs aren’t always aggressive, but enough of them are that it’s not worth the risk. Any time your child sees an unknown dog – whether the dog is on or off leash – they should move away from the dog and go find an adult.
NOTE: Teach the child how to move slowly and calmly away by practicing these skills in advance.
If a strange dog starts to follow the child, the child should stop and stand still, with their hands together in front of their torso, their feet planted, their lips closed, and their eyes looking at their feet or up at the sky.
If the dog knocks them over, they should curl into a ball and cover their head and neck with their arms, which is the best way to avoid critical injury.
IMPORTANT NOTE
Most dogs are excited by noise and movement. Yelling, running, sudden movements (either towards or away from the dog), and other similar behavior increases the odds of the child being knocked over or bitten. Staying still, either in a standing position or curled up in a ball as described above, is the best way to stay safe.
One more note: If you notice stray dogs in your neighborhood, let animal control know.
A Quick Review of What to Teach Children About Dogs
1. Dogs have feelings too.
2. Children should always ask an adult before interacting with a dog.
3. Dogs communicate through body language; if they turn or look away, let them go.
4. Follow all the household rules and be gentle with the dog.
5. Stay quiet and move slowly away or stand still around strange dogs.
Help keep your child – and your dog – safe by teaching your child these five things!
Contributing author Irith Bloom CPDT-KSA, CBCC-KA, CDBC, CSAT, KPA CTP, VSPDT, CBATI, VSDTA Faculty, DWA Faculty is a certified dog trainer and behavior consultant who specializes in teaching dogs how to make better choices. She helps clients worldwide live the good life with their pets.
