Posted on 02/25/2008 9:01:36 AM PST by bulliepupsrus
How To Keep Kids Safe
Kids receive most of the dog bites for various reasons. Children lack restraint, they tend to move fast and have a small size. Some dogs consider them competitors while other dogs may view them as prey.
So teaching a child the correct approach to greeting a dog is extrememly important.
Rules for Avoiding Dog Bites:
Never approach a strange dog. Do not pet a dog who is not with his owner. Ask permission from the owner before petting the dog. Wait for the dog to come to you. Do not approach a dog that is tied up, in a car or in a fenced yard. Let the dog sniff your hand by holding out your hand with the palm facing down. Do not pet a dog on the head or face, instead stroke his body gently in the same direction his hair grows. Don't stare the dog directly into his eyes. Never pull the dog's ears or tail. Never poke at his eyes, mouth or nose. Do not run from a dog. What to Do if a Dog Threatens You:
For added safety, make sure your child know what to do if threatened by a dog.
Stand still, do not run and do not turn your back to the dog. Don't look the dog directly in his eyes. Back away from the dog slowly. If the dog moves toward you, command him to go home with a low voice. If a dog attacks you, curl into a ball and use your arms and hands to protect your head and neck. If you have a jacket or backpack, try to place between you and the dog. Shared by bulliepupsrus.com
There are no bad dogs....only bad dog owners.
So, if a dog bites you, don’t fight back?
I honestly do wonder how people survived in the past without this knowledge?
If a dog bites you, attack the owner. (PS: prepare for additional dog bites.)
Personally, I keep a smaller child close by to distract the dog, in order to let the other child escape.
I’ve got Jack Russells and they generally aren’t kids dogs. Mine have been pretty good with kids but the Jacks do watch them for sudden movements.
These look like rules for kids. I doubt seriously that they will be able to fight back against a determined dog. These rules make it clear that you are not to approach a dog without its owner near. Personally if a dog is going to attack me I will let it get hold of my forearm so I can bring it in close and snap its neck.... but thats just me.
My husband has told their parents that we will call the police next time. As for me, I told the kids that if I catch them doing it again I am going to open the gate and let the dogs out so they can defend themselves. That seemed to scare them most of all. We are now in the process of re-socializing my German Shepherd, we have to keep him muzzled or in a pen when we have company. I hate punishing the dog for what the kids did to him.
I let a strange dog inspect my hand, palm down, but with fingers closed. I read somewhere that's the best way. It makes sense. A deep dog bite to the fist is bad but you’re less likely to be missing fingers.
I didn’t say that.
Then again I’ve both had and been around dogs all my life and I’ve never been bitten.
Keep the dog in it’s fenced yard, or on it’s chain and they cannot bite kids. But you can change that to inside the house.
Unsocialized dogs can come pretty close to being "bad dogs." They may fall under the heading of "my mom's owners were bad(ignorant) people." The one I have now was taken from her litter far too soon, but she's improved. Thankfully she looks at adults with a great deal of suspension , but loves kids.
What about keeping the dogs safe? LOL My grandson—1 year old last Weds.—learned to growl at 6 months. We have 3 rat/chi’s. Hubby tried to take a pork chop bone away from gbaby last week, and gbaby growled at him. The interaction between our dogs, who have been “baby” for all of their lives, and gbaby, is hysterical.
I know how you feel being a dog owner myself, but I wouldn't make such a statement for fear that if the dogs did manage to get out that it would be taken as an intentional act on my part.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.