Part One – Keeping Children Safe Around Dogs – The Facts
Website design By BotEap.comKeeping children safe around dogs should be a number one priority for all dog owners, whether they have children or not. Also for parents, it should rank as high as driver education and home safety. I don’t want to alarm anyone or discourage them from owning a dog, but we all need to be aware of how quickly dogs can become aggressive and the inherent dangers they pose. You would not leave your child unattended in the bathroom with a hair dryer. You should consider leaving a child alone with a dog in the same light.
Website design By BotEap.comI am a dog trainer and have owned many dogs and at no time would I allow any of my dogs to be alone with children. My dogs aren’t vicious or out of control, but I understand the basics of canine behavior and that they don’t get along with kids who don’t. I want to keep the kids safe and I don’t want to have to put my dog down because he bit a kid.
Website design By BotEap.comIf we start with the premise that all dogs are dangerous, we are well on our way to keeping children safe around dogs. A dog’s behavior is based on wolf instinct (about 80%) and breeding and training (about 20%). Therefore, a dog will react if threatened by an attack and this can happen in a split second with no overt warning signs such as growling or barking.
Website design By BotEap.comAll dogs have a tolerance level for abuse based on the breed and the dog’s experience and training. Dogs bred for hunting, chasing, fighting, or herding flocks have a lower tolerance for abuse from children. These are dogs that are more aggressive by nature. There is nothing wrong with this, it is just a product of your upbringing. For example, Fox, Rat, and Jack Russell Terriers are bred to run down dark holes and bring out game. This takes a lot of courage and determination, but these qualities often don’t go well with boisterous children who pull their tails and pinch their ears.
Website design By BotEap.comHerding dogs have a higher tolerance. These dogs are bred to be more patient and observant. They are larger but more docile in the family environment.
Website design By BotEap.comThese are just general guidelines and we all know the Border Collie who lets the kids sleep in his bed and the Golden Retriever who would rip your hand through the fence. However, that is no reason to dismiss the investigation. When choosing the best breed for you, do your research and ask experts, breeders, veterinarians, and animal shelters what their opinion is on a particular breed.
Website design By BotEap.comAll dog owners and trainers must accept responsibility for keeping children safe around dogs. Dogs have twice as many teeth as we do and have much more strength in their jaws. When they attack, they shake and tear apart their prey. And when they attack children, the dogs instinctively go for their faces causing terrible damage.
Website design By BotEap.comIf we all work together to keep children safe, our dogs and children can develop a wonderful relationship based on trust and love. Children who have grown up with dogs have a more communal mindset, are better able to empathize with others, and show kindness and tolerance towards people and animals.
Website design By BotEap.comTo develop these wonderful characteristics in our children, they must grow up with dogs in a safe and supervised environment.