Never Take Chances

It is becoming all too common to hear on the news of a dog attack on a child.

There is never a reasonable amount of time to leave dogs and children alone together. The list of variables is huge as to when or if an incident will happen: the sequence of events as interpreted by the dog, the dog's history and associations, the environment and situation, the behaviour of the child, the temperament of the dog, etc, etc, etc... The bottom line is, it is NEVER safe. Only when parents take all precautions and kids are taught how to behave around dogs that bites will not occur and the dogs and certain breeds are not blamed for human mistakes. See the below for helpful tips to keep all safe:

TIPS FOR PARENTS

• Never leave a child or baby alone with a dog.
• When visiting friends or relatives, who have a dog, don't allow your child to play in the yard unsupervised. If that's not possible, ask the owners to put the dog away.
• Do not allow your child to feed a dog unsupervised, as some dogs can be very protective of food and never allow your dog to snatch food from your child.
• Do not allow your child to pull on the dog's collar to lead it outside the house, it could bite them. The dog should be taught to respond to a verbal command.
• Children without adult supervision should not be allowed to walk a dog. A child could unwittingly be dragged into a fight with another dog.
• Never let children discipline a dog.
• Your child should always precede your dog through a door or gate.
• Never buy a dog as a toy substitute. Dogs are living, breathing creatures with feelings. Children should be taught this fact from an early age and shown how to treat dogs with respect.

RULES FOR CHILDREN

• Never pat a strange dog, even if its owner is present.
• Stay away from a dog while it's eating and sleeping.
• Stop your bike if chased while riding.
• Never retrieve a ball from someone else's yard.
• If visiting a friend, who has a dog, ask them to put the dog away if you want to play.
• Stay away from a dog that has puppies.
• Stay away from a dog that is tied up.
• Never pull a dog's tails or ears as dogs feel pain too.
• Never tease a dog or make it angry.
• Stand totally still if a dog runs at you barking. Cover your face with your hands.
• If knocked to the ground by a dog, roll into a ball, cover your face with your arms and stay as still as you possibly can. Don't try to get up.

Check out Bark Busters Dally Says Do Right No Bite dog safety for children. 

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