Teach children how to protect themselves from problem dogs
By Pet Connection Staff
September 9, 2009
In this week’s Pet Connection syndicated newspaper feature, Dr. Marty Becker and Gina Spadafori have some advice to help keep kids safe around dogs:
(Y)ou can’t control what other people do with their animals. That’s why you have to make sure your children know how to behave around dogs to protect themselves. Here’s what everyone should know, and what parents need to teach their children:
- Never approach a loose dog, even if he seems friendly. Dogs who are confined in yards, and especially those dogs on chains, should also be avoided. Many are very serious about protecting their turf. If the dog is with his owner, children should always ask permission before petting him and then begin by offering him the back of a hand for a sniff. Further, they should pat the dog on the neck or chest. The dog may interpret a pat from above as a gesture of dominance. Teach your children to avoid fast or jerky movements around dogs, since these may trigger predatory behavior.
- Be a tree when a dog approaches, standing straight with feet together, fists under the neck and elbows into the chest. Teach your children to make no eye contact, since some dogs view eye contact as a challenge. Running is a normal response to danger, but it’s the worst possible thing to do around a dog, because it triggers the animal’s instinct to chase and bite. Many dogs will just sniff and leave. Teach your children to stay still until the animal walks away, and then back away slowly out of the area.
More tips from Gina and Dr. Becker right here.
Contributing editor Christie Keith gets the facts on canine flu, and in “The Buzz,” Dr. Becker and Mikkel Becker Shannon take a look at the effect of the pet trade on wild parrots:
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is reviewing the status of 12 parrot species, of which many or all may be considered endangered because of rapid declines in population resulting from the pet trade. Under review, according to The (Portland) Oregonian: the blue-headed, great green, hyacinth, military and scarlet macaw; the grey-cheeked parakeet; the white, Philippine and yellow-crested cockatoo; and the crimson shining, red-crowned and yellow-billed parrot.
Want more? Read the entire Pet Connection for this week, or view it here in the PDF version we sent to our client newspapers.
Yesterday, I got an e-mail about this feature that just made me smile. The e-mail, my response, and his response:
Reader: I read an article from you today in the Sacramento Bee about minimizing dog attacks. Your advice was to stand still with one’s hands underneath the chin. My understanding is when dogs attack they go for either the throat or groin and having one’s hands beneath the chin provides a very vulnerable crotch. Am I wrong?
Me: If you’re being attacked by a dog who wants to kill you, you need to protect your life not your package. That means your neck.
Reader: Makes sense. Thanks!
:)
Comment by Gina Spadafori — September 9, 2009 @ 7:36 am
LMAO!
Comment by Kim — September 9, 2009 @ 10:23 am
Good Call!
Comment by Janine — September 9, 2009 @ 11:14 am
It’s not just children that need to learn how to be safe and politely approach dogs…
I see a lot more adults that suffer from Acute Boundary Deficit Disorder (an apparently incurable disease that makes adult humans squeal like toddlers as they grab at dogs and try to hug and love them) than kids afflicted with it.
Comment by Janeen — September 10, 2009 @ 7:24 am
After about two years as a shelter volunteer, I was finally getting used to dogs. (Even though I am a cat person, I took all the dog training because I knew I’d benefit.) I was walking along a dead end street and a dog hurtled out, barking at me. I looked at the dog and the little voice in the back of my head said, “Former shelter dog.” I said, firmly, “Sit!” while moving my hand and body in the way I was taught in obedience classes. The dog sat. Yup. Had to be one of ours. They all get trained. I said, “GOOD DOG!” and the dog just waggled herself senseless with joy.
Comment by EMR — September 10, 2009 @ 1:04 pm