Dog Bites: What to Teach Your Children About Dogs

It’s important that parents teach their children how to be safe around dogs. Far too many dog bite injuries occur every year, and many of them involve children. Parents should spend a little time each week (and every time the opportunity presents itself) teaching their children about how to act around dogs, how to recognize a dangerous situation and how to avoid dogs that might pose a threat.

Teach, Don’t Scare, Your Children

While there are dogs out there that may harm your children, not all will. Teach your child in a conversational way in order to  avoidscaring them or making them overly fearful. If you own a dog, talk about how nice your dog is, how he protects the family by barking, and how, when other dogs bark, they are protecting their people. Tell your children that a barks and growls are warnings to stay away, and that they should do this. Next, discuss why you walk your dog on a leash. If they notice someone else walking a dog on a leash, they shouldn’t approach because that dog is concentrating on doing his job, which is walking nicely down the street. If you notice a loose dog, children should immediately go to an adult and should never attempt to pet or catch the dog. Explain to your children that the dog could be scared because he is lost, and it is better to get an adult’s help.

If you don’t have your own dog and your children are unfamiliar with how a friendly dog behaves, consider attending an obedience class and watching from a distance. Explain to your child that each dog’s behavior is different and that they should never pet a dog without your permission and assistance, even if the dog looks friendly. If your child is overly fearful of dogs, ask the obedience trainer if your child can pet one of the older, well-trained dogs to help them see that not all dogs pose a threat.

Contact a Personal Injury Attorney

If you or your child is injured by a dog, contact the Husband and Wife Law Team at Breyer Law Offices today to discuss whether or not you are entitled to compensation. Victims of dog attacks often face many difficult obstacles, such as medical bills, psychological trauma or losing time at work. Our experienced personal injury attorneys will fight to make sure you receive fair compensation for your losses.