According to the Canada Safety Council, studies show that the in 71 percent of dog bite cases the victim knew the dog and 25 percent lived with the dog. Out of those, 64 percent of dog bite injuries were children under the age of 10. Parents can take a large “bite” out of these high incidence rates simply by learning some basic guidelines that will help their children avoid getting bitten by their own dogs as well as educating their children to be safe around other dogs.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
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Liz Bradley is a dog lover who lives in Ottawa, Ontario with her husband,