Kids & Dogs

A common Sense Approach

Understanding dog bites and how they occur as well as
how to prevent them.

This article by Vicki DeGruy, originally published in
Dog Owner's Guide, was the winner of a 1993 Dog
Writer's Association of America Maxwell award for best
article in a canine newspaper.

Kids and dogs are wonderful together -- when adults
use good sense and put safety first. Dogs can help
prevent allergies if sleeping inside at night, help a
troubled child read & become the best friend a child
ever has.

Question: I'd like to get a medium to large breed dog
for my family but I'm worried. I've heard so many
stories about dogs biting children. How can I be sure
that it will be safe for my kids?

Answer: You have good reason to be concerned.
Statistics show that most dog bites causing serious
injury involve medium to large sized dogs and children
under the age of five years. The dog is usually known
to the child or is the family's pet.

To understand how these bites occur, what causes them
and how to prevent them, a little education in the
nature of dogs and the nature of small children is in
order.

A dog's temperament is first inherited, then modified
by events in his life and proper training. Some breeds
and certain bloodlines within breeds are friendlier,
more tolerant and more adaptable to training because
they were bred to be that way. A responsible breeder
wisely puts emphasis on good temperament when
selecting breeding stock. Breeders without adequate
knowledge of dog behavior may not understand what a
correct temperament is and use unsuitable dogs for
breeding.

Unscrupulous breeders sometimes deliberately breed
dogs with poor temperaments. There are some dogs, just
like there are some humans, that are mentally
disturbed or have an illness or physical defect that
affects their behavior. A dog's basic temperament,
instincts and training have the biggest effects on how
that dog reacts to the world around him and his levels
of tolerance.

Very few bites happen without provocation -- the first
step to find out the cause lies in good parenting and
asking the child 'What did you do to the dog?' We
need to realize that dogs are not little people in
furry costumes. They don't think in the same way that
we do. They look at the world around them with a
different perspective. Most of their actions are
instinctive. A dog will react to situations according
to what his instincts tell him unless these instincts
are overridden by the consistent training and
socialization he needs to receive from his owner
throughout his life. In other words, a dog from a
very good environment of socialization and guidance is
not one we are worried about. It would be the child
who likely caused the situation to change so
drastically. Realize that children need as much
training and guidance as do the dogs.

Here is one of the most commonly reported scenarios in
a bite case: A very young child sees a pretty dog he'd
like to pet. The dog may not want to be petted. The
dog's first instinctive reaction is show his
displeasure by giving a warning -- growling. The growl
means that something more unpleasant will follow if
the warning isn't heeded.

The type and number of warnings given can vary. Many
dogs faced with a child like this would just walk
away. Walking away can be considered a warning. If the
child keeps trying to pet the dog, a sterner warning,
usually a growl, will follow. Some warnings are more
subtle -- a stiffening of the body, for example. Few
dogs bite without giving some indication beforehand.

Small children (and some adults) don't recognize a
warning when they see or hear one. A very young child
(under age six) doesn't know what a growl means. What
may be obvious to an adult isn't understood by the
child. The child continues to pet or follow after the
dog even though the dog has now clearly told him what
will happen if he doesn't stop.

Dogs instinctively set up an invisible "fight or
flight" boundary around themselves. The size of this
boundary depends on his level of confidence and
tolerance. A fearful dog will give itself a wider area
than a more stable one. When someone who the dog
perceives as threatening or unwelcome enters that
area, the dog has two choices -- it can run away or it
can defend itself. If it feels that it can't run away,
it will fight instead, no matter how afraid it might
be. Some dogs will choose to fight first, rather than
run.

A small child that's petting or hugging a dog has
already intruded well within the dog's flight or fight
boundary, the dog's safety zone. If the dog has tried
to leave or has issued a warning with no response from
the child, the dog (in his mind) has no other recourse
-- he bites. This is normal, instinctive behavior --
to the dog. He is responding to what he perceives as a
threat and is doing what his instincts tell him to.
Remember that dogs don't think in the same way that
people do. A child's innocent action, petting the dog,
can be provocation for a bite when seen through the
eyes of the dog.

There are other circumstances that can provoke a dog
to bite a child. Running, playing, screaming kids can
trigger an instinctive predator-prey reaction in some
dogs. Children who rough house and wrestle with dogs
unknowingly encourage them to use their teeth.

Dogs equate this kind of play with littermates or
other dogs where using teeth is allowed. Startling a
sleeping dog or petting him when he's eating can also
provoke a bite. What can be done to prevent dogs from
biting children? I feel that, first, it's essential to
understand that almost any dog will bite under the
right circumstances. Second, a dog is a dog, an animal
whose behavior isn't the same as humans and can't
always be predicted with 100 percent accuracy, no
matter how friendly or reliable he is.

Obedience training and socialization are absolute
musts for a dog who'll be spending time with children.

Remember that a dog will act according to his
instincts if he doesn't receive proper training or if
that training isn't kept up through regular practice.
The dog needs to be taught to obey commands under all
conditions no matter how distracting. Just as
responding to the command to "come" could save the
dog's life someday, an immediate response to the
command "leave it!" could save a child from serious
injury.

Just as children need to be taught how to be
well-behaved around other people, they need to be
taught to be well-behaved and respectful around
animals. They need to learn what kinds of games are
appropriate, how to touch the dog properly, how to
interpret the dog's body language and when the dog is
not to be disturbed. When they're old enough to
understand, kids should be involved in the training
process. They should learn to give the dog commands
and be able to enforce them.

Adult supervision is essential! Small children should
never, ever be left alone with any dog, no matter how
reliable the dog has been before. A responsible adult
needs to be on the scene to prevent any aggressive
behavior by the dog and to keep the child from putting
him or herself in danger. Telling the toddler to stay
away from the dog isn't enough! Remember that young
children don't recognize when they may in trouble.
It's up to the adult to keep them safe from the dog
and to keep the dog safe from the children. I can't
stress enough that adult supervision around children
and dogs is absolutely critical! If you can't be right
there to handle whatever might come up or if you have
any doubt about the dog's behavior around children,
the dog should be put away out of reach of the kids.

Almost all of us would agree that it would be nice for
our children to grow up with a dog. Kids and dogs are
wonderful, almost an American tradition. If you're
thinking of getting a dog for the children or already
have one, here are some guidelines: Consider
postponing the purchase of a dog, especially a large
one, until your children are at least six years old.

Take your time when looking for a dog. Do your
homework. Learn the differences in the various breeds
and choose one best suited to your lifestyle and
experience.

Be honest with yourself about the amount of time and
work you're willing to put into a dog. If you don't
have time to raise and train the dog properly, don't
get one.

Train and socialize your dog properly! Get help if you
run into problems. Don't fool yourself into thinking
the dog will "outgrow" it or that the problem will go
away on its own.

Teach your children how to behave correctly and safely
around animals and to respect them.

If your children are too young to understand, it will
be up to you to physically supervise them and protect
them from potential harm. Don't take chances with
their safety! If you can't be right there to take care
of a problem or if you can't control your dog or your
child -- put the dog away.

Remember that what your dog tolerates from your own
children may not be tolerated from someone else's. You
need to take extra safety precautions when other
children visit and make sure that the children obey
your ground rules.

Kids and dogs are wonderful together -- when adults
use common sense and put safety first.