Why Dogs Bite Children, And How To Prevent It

December 13, 2017

“Mommy, I want a puppy”! – you can hear it pretty often from a child. Dogs can be wonderful companions for children, they grow together and become best friends, but while you are thinking of getting a dog, you may concern of potential risky situations, like biting. How to avoid the situation when a dog bites a child?

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First of all, you need to know how to behave around the puppy, and how your new pet perceives surrounding. You should be aware that any dog may bite if feels pain, or threat, or lack of personal space. Before making a decision about getting a new member of the family, there is a need to educate your children about being around with dogs. So here are the ground rules:

Do not provoke a dog by teasing him, pulling his ears, fur, or tail, climbing on him, or hugging without his will;

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Do not run away from a dog, scream or make a fuss around, the dog may take you as a prey, or may get overexcited because of such a game and bite accidentally;

Do not neglect dog’s personal space, you may not disturb a sleeping pup, or try to play with him while he is eating – even more dangerous to take away his food or pulling something out of his mouth;

Do not take away dog’s toys when he is playing or just chewing them;

Avoid staring into dog’s eyes – persistent eye contact is taken as a threat.

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Dogs tend to bite when they want to protect their owner. So if you have siblings and they fight in front of a pup (even if in a form of game), this could be taken as a situation a dog might want to intrude into.

The key to a successful communication between a child and his pup is respect and kindness. It is recommended to visit a training class, so that you could know how to develop dog’s positive attitude. When you invest in training your pet, you both benefit from it, making a bond stronger, and making a dog more expected in his behavior.