The Dogs Trust has recently launched a dog safety campaign. The campaign was the result of a survey, which shockingly revealed that a third of parents would let their child approach a dog they don’t know and one in three children were scared of dogs.
The safety of children around dogs is something I feel very strongly about. I am a dog person and most of my life has been spent with a least one dog at home. I adore them and truly believe that children benefit a huge amount from having dogs in their lives.
What worries me is the increasing number of pictures I see on social media of babies and small children draped across dogs. When all said and done, no matter how much you trust your dog, it is still an animal and until your child id old enough to not be unpredictable around the dog, then caution should be exercised. I would be mortified of Baby grabbed one of our dogs and the dog retaliated, and yes, I do trust my dogs. They would be entitled to react if they felt pain or discomfort.
Sadly the occurrences of dog attacks is on the rise. During 2013 1,160 children were hospitalised due to a dog attack.
This is where this campaign comes in; to educate people, especially parents, on how to stay safe around dogs.
Some worrying points highlighted by the survey;
- Over half of children surveyed believed a growling dog was a smiling dog (children aged 5-11).
- Almost a third of parents would let their child approach an unknown dog
- A fifth of parents have seen their child sit/lie on a dog, 19% have seen them kiss a dog’s nose, 18% pull a dog’s tail and 14% hit or shout at a dog.
Dogs Trust Guide To “Be Dog Smart” is just 10 simple steps.
Beware of disturbing dogs that are eating or sleeping
Even if for fun, don’t ever tease a dog please
Don’t approach a dog with no owner around
Only stroke a dog when the owner says ‘Yes, you can’
Get the dog to sniff your hand first, then stroke gently
Strange dog approaching? Stand still, look away, cross your arms
Move calmly and quietly around any dog
All that hugging and kissing – you might like it, dogs don’t!
Remember all dogs have teeth
Treat dogs with respect and they will respect you
You can find more information and download a family safety pack filled with great ideas here.
Do you have dogs at home? What do you think of this campaign?