Kids & Dogs.

[mariabogas]

Dog Article: Kids & Dogs.

Scarred for life by Tricia Grey, Kasharno GSD
Published - QLD Dog World - November 2000

Recent dog attacks have once again raised public awareness of dogs and dog ownership. Being aware of the possibilities when combining children and dogs is fine but, in my opinion, being prepared is better.

There are very few "bad dogs" and therefore the responsibility for protecting children and our dogs must rest with us. We, as adults, should take steps to reduce the chances of a set circumstances leading to a tragedy.
No dog is 100% reliable with children.
Understanding why dog attacks happen is very important. The reason for an attack is often forgotten by the media and if an attack involves a child the injuries are usually facial and severe.

I am sure we all shudder when we read of another attack but do we ever look at our own family pet and think it could happen in our home. Of course it could. We understand how important it is to socialize our dogs with people but this is not enough. A well-educated dog still has 42 teeth and a basic instinct for survival.

A dog's behaviour is influenced by his surroundings and his previous experiences. If a dog has never seen an infant he may "read" this new "thing" as a threat and attack. Why does the dog not see the infant as human? Simple… They don't sound human, they don't move as humans do and thanks to powders and lotions they don't smell human. The dog with no memory to draw on, may misread the situation. A proper introduction of the baby and dog is needed. Once the dog understands this 'thing' is no threat he can draw on these memories next time.

An adult dog lies in the sun and falls asleep. Deep sleep. What bliss. Suddenly the dog is jumped on or fallen over by a toddler. The dog wakes with a large dose of fear and the instinct for self-preservation takes over. Attack is the best form of defence. The child is badly bitten and the dog is on a one-way trip to the vet. All of this could have been avoided.

A young child is eating a biscuit. The family dog wants the biscuit. The child lifts his hand higher to keep the biscuit away from the dog. The dog jumps up. The child falls and screams. The scream triggers an attack from the dog. The child is badly bitten and the dog on a one-way trip. Again, all of this could have been avoided.

Kids and the dog go down to the creek for a swim. The dog is in the water with the kids and keeps a watchful eye on them. Good fun until the kids start to jump in off the creek bank. One at a time the dog can cope with, but the kids jump in two or three at a time. Dog becomes distressed. He can't keep track of the kids. Dog starts swimming frantically, biting at the water trying to find the missing child. You know the rest.

We spend many hours teaching our children about "Stranger Danger". We spend many hours teaching them to ride a bike. Kids are taught more about road rules than how to treat the family dog even though both can kill. I have seen some cruel acts by little children on dogs and yet we don't allow the dog to retaliate. A little bit of forethought and a lot of education would go a long way to reducing the risks.

Dog Article: Attacks

TITLE: Parent told: beware of the dogs
Published: The Sunday Mail December 31 2000.
By: ELISSA LAWRENCE

CHILDREN are at risk of dog attacks because their parents are ignorant of basic safety measures.

A recent study of parents whose children had suffered injury from a dog attack showed most had not recognised the telltale signs of danger. In retrospect, however, most parents said they saw ways the attack could have been prevented.

The study by the University of Western Australia's department of Public health examined 150 dog attacks on children over a 12 month period - an average of almost one every two days.
Parents of 64 children were surveyed.
Results show 75% of dog attacks on children aged between one and six occurred in a private setting and that the head, neck or face was the most common part of the body injured.

About 60% of parents said the dogs involved were familiar with the child, and more than half of parents (57%) said they could now identify ways that the attack could have been avoided. Bigger breeds of dog such as Rottweilers, German Shepherds and Dobermann's accounted for about 13 % of attacks, compared to Blue Heelers (14%), Kelpies (11 %), Mongrels (9.5%), Border Collies (6%) and Bull Terriers (6%).

Three out of five attacks were the result of a child disturbing the dog, playing with or feeding the dog, waking the dog from sleep or using body language perceived as threatening by the dog.

Study author Alex Willson said parents were often unaware of the dangers. "Parents need to have increased awareness about prevention. Education is the Key" he said.
"Most attacks happen in people's backyards and parents tend to be fairly complacent."
"In most cases, they know the dog because it is their own pet or their friend's or neighbours dog. But they need to be just as careful around familiar dogs as strange dogs."

Kay Hodges, manager of Bark Busters, a behavioural dog therapy and training business said school holidays were a prime time for dog attacks. "It's a time when people are getting a new dog for the kids and dogs are being played with a lot more" she said.
"Kids gets excited in play and the dog's adrenalin is building up. Dog's play differently to kids. They jump up and get excited and they snap. "We need to get the word out that it can be avoided. The last thing we want is to see kids out there being bitten unnecessarily.

TIPS - FOR PARENTS
1.Never leave a child alone with a dog.
2.When visiting a friend's house, don't let your child play with the dog unsupervised.
3.Don't allow a child to feed a dog unsupervised.
4.Never let your child discipline your dog.
5.Never allow your dog to snatch food from your child.

TIPS - FOR CHILDREN
1.Never pat a strange dog, even if the owner is present.
2.Stay away while a dog is sleeping or eating.
3.Never pull a dog's tail or ears or tease it.
4.If knocked to the ground by a dog, roll into a ball, cover your face with your arms and stay still.

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[MDogster]

TIPS - FOR CHILDREN
1. Never pat a strange dog, even if the owner is present.

Acho que era mais correcto: "Never pat a strange dog without the owner's consent".