Dog Bite Prevention
by Ty Brown
There are certain codes of behaviour and etiquettes that we as people should
observe and teach to our children with regards to interacting with dogs. These
behaviours serve as dog bite prevention, such that tragedies can be avoided.
* Don't run past dogs. Especially important for children. Dogs have an
inherent drive called prey drive. This drive inspires them to give chase to
moving objects, tennis balls, neighbourhood cats, or shrieking children. This
doesn't mean that you cant go jogging, it just means that you must exercise
caution when getting your daily exercise. I once had a running coach who
instructed me to stop running when I saw a dog and walk past until safely out of
the way. I don't necessarily recommend you go to this extreme but it definitely
wouldn't hurt with dog bite prevention.
* Allow dogs to introduce themselves to you. A mistake many people make
is to rush up to a dog to tell him hello. Many dogs see this as an invasion of
personal space and a threat and may react in kind. By allowing a dog to make
introductions on his terms, the level of stress he feels is much lower. By
lowering the amount of stress with the introduction you greatly reduce the
chance of a dog bite.
* When you allow the dog to meet you and do his obligatory sniffing, allow
him to sniff your closed fist instead of your open hand. If he does decide
to bite, much less damage will be done. Better to get bitten on a closed fist
than to lose a finger by taking a direct bite to your digits.
* When a new dog is approaching to meet you, position your body at a sideways
slant. This is a much less threatening posture than a straight-on affront.
It is a more submissive posture and makes a new dog feel more at ease.
* Don't have staring contests with strange dogs. Some dogs will see this
as an invitation for conflict.
Children are the victims of
the majority of dog bites. All children should learn the above codes,
plus there are additional behaviours that children should learn when dealing
with dogs and dog bite prevention.
* Children should always ask permission to meet a new dog. By asking the
owner of the dog permission, the owner is now more in a mindset of supervisor.
He will now be in better control of the dog. Never should a child run up to a
new dog to make an introduction whether or not the owner is around. In fact, a
child should never attempt to meet a strange dog who is without an owner.
* Children should learn to be calm around dogs. Dogs will often bite as a
result of stress. A running, screaming child can cause many dogs a lot of
stress. This could provoke a dog bite and should be avoided.
* Although children are shorter, they should work to avoid being face to face
with a dog. Allow the dog to instead sniff the child's closed fist. This
makes sense on a few different levels. If a dog is going to bite, the last body
part you want near him is the head or face. Also, the act of a child putting his
face near the face of a dog can be seen as a threat by the dog. This could
provoke a dog bite.
* If possible, when making introductions to new dogs, children should be still,
higher in elevation than the dog (sitting in a chair or on the lap of an adult),
and calm. Allow the dog to come make the introduction on terms that are
comfortable for him.
* Children would be do well to feed new dogs a treat. By making an immediate
positive association between child and dog you are much more likely to avoid a
dog bite.
Above all, use common sense when dealing with man's best friend. Common sense is
the best form of dog bite prevention.
About the Author
Author Ty
Brown is a renowned dog trainer whose training adventures and clients have taken
him to 18 states and 5 countries to teach others how to properly train their
dogs. Go to
dogbehavioronline.com for
more dog training articles, advice, tips, and answers from a professional dog
trainer.
Previous
Next
Home
Products
Lost &Found News
& Info
Feedback
Links
Link Exchange
Web Rings
Testimonials
Site Map
Search
