How to Prevent Dog Bites Around Children

It’s sad but true, most dog bites happen at home with the family dog . Research shows that the most likely victims of dog bites are children under the age of 5. This vulnerable age group are also the most likely to suffer bites to the head and neck causing severe injury. Dog bites happen more frequently through the spring and summer months as school breaks up and kids and dogs spend more time together at home. So what can we do to help prevent dog bites around children as the weather warms up? First, we need to understand why a dog might bite.

Why do dogs bite?

Dog bites rarely happen ‘out of the blue’. Often, the dogs previous attempts to ask for space have been ignored. A dog who in the past has been punished for growling or snarling may go straight to biting if they feel their safety is threatened. It’s crucial to understand that dogs only bite as an absolute last resort to regain a feeling of safety. A dog who feels the need to bite is themselves very stressed out. Other reasons a dog might bite;

Pain, illness or injury.
Guarding a valued resource – this could be food, toys, objects, even people.
Feeling they cannot escape from the situation. Fight v flight instincts kick in.
Fear when startled awake- the sleep startle reflex (e.g. by being pushed off the sofa when caught asleep there.)

It’s important to note there’s a big difference between puppy biting and an adult dog bite. Puppies are still learning how to inhibit their bite up to the age of 15 weeks. However, they will be quite ‘mouthy’ as they go through teething, which typically ends at around 6-7 months old. If you are concerned and need help managing your puppy or adult dog’s biting, contact us here.

Preventing Dog Bites

As a parent and dog owner, it is your responsibility to keep both parties safe. That also includes keeping them safe from each other! When thinking about preventing dog bites happening in your own home, you need to consider the individual personality, temperament and characteristics of your dog and your child(ren). Some dogs will genuinely enjoy spending time with young children and be tolerant of their noise and movement. Some dogs will find toddlers noisy and intimating but be happy to hang out with older, more predictable kids. Similarly, some children will enjoy the company of Grandma’s quiet, old Yorkshire Terrier but find a bouncy young Labrador far too boisterous.

If your dog is injured or unwell, ensure your children leave them alone. Even the most gentle of dogs can be intolerant of petting and even eye contact if they are in pain. If you have sensible, mature children you can teach them to leave your dog alone when they are eating or playing with their toys. Talk about ‘calming signals’ and growling with your older kids so they learn how to respect when a dog has had enough of interacting with them. Teach your dogs to empathize with your dog- most teenagers can relate to how annoying it is to be woken up when you’re happily snoozing!

Babies and Toddlers

We cannot expect young children to act ‘appropriately’ around dogs and vice versa. As a general rule, children under 5 should always be supervised when interacting with dogs. If this is not practically possible, then management solutions should be put in place. You can buy baby and pet gates in many different sizes and styles to fit in any home, have a look here for ideas. You can also utilize your dog’s crate if they have been crate trained. Keeping young children and dogs physically separated is the safest option without constant supervision.

Give your dog something to do in another room whilst your child eats and vice versa. Mealtimes with toddlers typically involve food flying everywhere and lots of funny noises. Imagine how novel and confusing this must be to a dog! By keeping dogs and young children separate at mealtimes, we can prevent dog bites as well as prevent begging developing too. There are some helpful educational resources available to help children better understand their doggy family members. This excellent book from veterinary behaviorist Dr Emily Levine ‘Doggy Do’s & Don’ts’, available here on amazon, is suitable for children aged 2 to 4.

Rules for Kids

Let a dog come to you if they want to play. Leave them alone if they walk away from you.
Remember to use your indoor voice around dogs, even if you’re outside!
Don’t approach a strange dog without permission from your parent and the dog’s owner.
Never scream or shout in a dogs face or pull on, poke or push, hug or kiss a dog.
Remember that dogs don’t understand how to share. Don’t take their food or toys away from them. If a dog has something of yours, ask a parent to help you.
Never get in a dogs crate or bed.
We treat our dogs like we do our brothers and sisters, not our toys.

Prevent Dog Bites- Rules for Parents

With a strange dog

Always supervise your children when meeting new dogs. A friendly greeting need only last a few seconds, then encourage your children to move on.
Never let your children approach a strange dog. It’s irresponsible to allow children to run up to dogs they don’t know.
Never let your children feed or pet a strange dog without its owner, even if it seems friendly.
Always think safety first. Whilst it’s great for kids to enjoy meeting new dogs, we don’t know what experiences any given dog may have had previously with children. At the wrong moment on the wrong day, any dog can bite.

With the family dog

Plan ahead for family picnic’s, BBQ’s etc. Arrange safe areas for children and dogs to be away from each other using management tools. Use gates and doors to block off areas, keep your dog on a lead or tether them somewhere, if appropriate.
Always keep safety in mind. If you know your niece won’t be able to resist your Spaniels fluffy ears, don’t give her the opportunity to irritate him by allowing her to play with them.
Get to know your dog’s body language really well. If a child is interacting with your dog and you notice them yawning or lip licking a lot, it’s time to give your dog a break from the situation. Reading your dogs behaviour and responding appropriately is crucial to prevent dog bites.

What to do if a dog bites a child

If a dog does bite a child, you will need to act quickly and calmly. Immediately separate child and dog, ideally into different rooms or at least out of sight. Assess the bite and if the skin has been broken badly or there is a lot of blood, take the child to A&E immediately. If the bite is not severe enough to require a hospital visit, you should still wash the wound under clean running water and make sure it’s clean. Even if it doesn’t look that bad, have the bite looked at by a medical practitioner if you don’t know the dog.

If the worst happens and your family dog bites your child, it’s crucial that you don’t punish your dog. Remember, this was a very stressful event for them too. Separate child and dog calmly, assess the bite and take the appropriate steps. Afterwards, ensure your dog and the child have at least 72 hours apart to decompress from the incident. Provide your dog with plenty of calming activities that get them chewing and sniffing. Try and think about the incident in an objective way and consider what led to the bite happening in the first place. This will help you to put the appropriate measures in place to prevent it happening again.

Given that research suggests that the average number of dog bites is actually increasing, it’s important to be aware of how to prevent dog bites. If you are concerned that your dog may bite a child, reward-based training can help. Through positive reinforcement, we can teach dogs more appropriate ways to react when they’re stressed than biting. To learn more about how we can help, contact us here.

Next steps

To learn more about how we can help you manage your dogs behaviour, especially around children, get in touch here.
Read more of our blog posts on training and care for puppies and dogs here.
For more family friendly learning, check out these pet education resources.

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