Kids and Dogs: A Common Sense Approach

Understanding dog bites: how they occur and how to prevent them

Someone asked me; should I get a large breed dog for my family, I'm worried?
I had a bad experience with a big dog and I've heard so many stories about dogs biting children.
How can I be sure that it will be safe for my kids?

And they have a good reason to be concerned!
The more, I talked to this person, all it did was remind me more and more, of the time a friend of mine's daughter had her face ripped off!

Statistics show that most dog bites causing serious injury involve medium to large sized dogs and children under the age of five years. The child usually knows the dog or is the family's pet. To understand how these bites occur, what causes them and how to prevent them, a little education in the nature of dogs and the nature of small children is in order.

A dog's temperament is first inherited, then modified by events in his life and proper training. Some breeds and certain bloodlines within breeds are friendlier, more tolerant and more adaptable to training because they were bred to be that way. A responsible breeder wisely puts emphasis on good temperament when selecting breeding stock. Breeders without adequate knowledge of dog behavior may not understand what a correct temperament is and use unsuitable dogs for breeding.

Unscrupulous breeders sometimes deliberately breed dogs with poor temperaments. There are some dogs, just like there are some humans, which are mentally disturbed or have an illness or physical defect that affects their behavior! A dog's basic temperament, instincts and training have the biggest effects on how that dog reacts to the world around him and his levels of tolerance.

"Very few bites happen without provocation"
I Will Say That Again!
"Very few bites happen without provocation"

The provocation may exist only in the dog's mind! We need to realize that dogs are not little people in furry costumes. They don't think in the same way that we do. They look at the world around them with a different perspective. Most of their actions are instinctive. A dog will react to situations according to what his instincts tell him unless the consistent training and socialization he needs to receive from his owner throughout his life override these instincts.

Here is one of the most commonly reported scenarios in a bite case: A very young child sees a pretty dog he'd like to pet. The dog may not want to be petted. The dog's first instinctive reaction is showing his displeasure by giving a warning growling. The growl means that something more unpleasant will follow if the warning isn't heeded. And a young child will not heed this warning!

The type and number of warnings given can vary. Many dogs faced with a child like this would just walk away. Walking away can be considered a warning. If the child keeps trying to pet the dog, a sterner warning, usually a growl will follow. Some warnings are more subtle a stiffening of the body, for example. Few dogs bite without giving some indication beforehand.

Small children (and some adults) don't recognize a warning when they see or hear one. A very young child (under age six) doesn't know what a growl means. The child doesn't understand what may be obvious to an adult. The child continues to pet or follow after the dog even though the dog has now clearly told him what will happen if he doesn't stop. Dogs instinctively set up an invisible "fight or flight" boundary around themselves. The size of this boundary depends on his level of confidence and tolerance. A fearful dog will give itself a wider area. When someone who the dog perceives as threatening or unwelcome enters that area, the dog has two choices, it can run away or it can defend itself. If it feels that it can't run away, it will fight instead, no matter how afraid it might be. Some dogs will choose to fight first, rather than run.

A small child that's petting or hugging a dog has already intruded well within the dog's flight or fight boundary, the dog's safety zone. If the dog has tried to leave or has issued a warning with no response from the child, the dog (in his mind) has no other recourse "he bites".

This is normal, instinctive behavior to the dog. He is responding to what he perceives as a threat and is Doing what his instincts tell him to. Remember that dogs don't think in the same way that people do. A child's innocent action, petting the dog, can be provocation for a bite when seen through the eyes of the dog.

There are other circumstances that can provoke a dog to bite a child. Running, playing, screaming kids can trigger an instinctive predator-prey reaction in some dogs. Children who rough house and wrestle with dogs unknowingly encourage them to use their teeth. Dogs equate this kind of play with littermates or other dogs where using teeth is allowed. Startling a sleeping dog or petting him when he's eating can also provoke a bite.

What can be done to prevent dogs from biting children? I feel that, first; it's essential to understand that almost any dog will bite under the right circumstances. Second, a dog is a dog, an animal whose behavior isn't the same as humans and can't always be Predicted with 100 percent accuracy, no matter how friendly or reliable he is.

Obedience training and socialization are absolute musts for a dog that'll be spending time with children. Remember that a dog will act according to his instincts if he doesn't receive proper training or if that training isn't kept up through regular practice. The dog needs to be taught to obey commands under all conditions no matter how distracting. Just as responding to the command to "come" could save the dog's life someday! And, could save a child from serious injury!

Just as children need to be taught how to be well behaved around other people, they need to be taught to be well-behaved and respectful around animals. They need to learn what kinds of games are appropriate, how to touch the dog properly, how to interpret the dog's body language and when the dog is not to be disturbed. "When they're old enough to understand", kids should be involved in the training process. They should learn to give the dog commands and be able to enforce them. I have seen and heard this so many time's, "O don't worry, the dog will not bite! It's bark as worse then it bite! "WRONG"

A friend of mine had his 7year old daughters cheek and half of her nose torn almost off, by a "Fox Terrier"! And the dog weighed 15lbs. And the owner said, " 5 minutes" before it happend, "The dog will not bite" and there were over 15 people standing less than 5 feet from the girl and the dog, and the dog gave no warring! It turns out that the girl was sitting down on the ground and when the dog went to leave the girl grabbed the tail, and the dog whipped-around and that was that!

Adult Supervision Is Essential!

Small children should Never, Ever, be left alone with any dog, and no matter how reliable the dog has been before! A responsible adult needs to be on the scene to prevent any aggressive behavior by the dog and to keep the child from putting him or herself in danger. Telling the toddler to stay away from the dog isn't enough! Remember that young children don't recognize when they may be in trouble. It's up to the adult to keep them safe from the dog and to keep the dog safe from the children. I can't stress enough that adult supervision around children and a dog is absolutely critical! If you can't be right there to handle whatever might come up or if you have any doubt about the dog's behavior around children, the dog should be put away out of reach of the kids.

Almost all of us would agree that it would be nice for our children to grow up with a dog. Kids and dogs are wonderful, almost an American tradition. If you're thinking of getting a dog for the children or already have one, here are some guidelines:

Consider postponing the purchase of a dog, especially a large one, until your children are at least six years old.

1.Take your time when looking for a dog. Do your homework. Learn the differences in the various breeds and choose one best suited to your lifestyle and experience.

2.Be honest with yourself about the amount of time and work you're willing to put into a dog. If you don't have time to raise and train the dog properly, don't get one.

3.Buy you're dog from a reputable, responsible breeder who puts priority on good temperament and health and consistently produces dogs that excel in those areas. Choose a breeder who's experienced and willing to guide and advise you about care and training throughout the dog's life.

4.Train and socialize your dog properly! Get help if you run into problems. Don't fool yourself into thinking the dog will "outgrow" it or that the problem will go away on its own.

5.Teach your children how to behave correctly and safely around animals and to respect them.

6.If your children are too young to understand, it will be up to you to physically supervise them and protect Them from potential harm. Don't take chances with their safety! If you can't be right there to take care of a problem or if you can't control your dog or your child "put the dog away".

7.Remember that what your dog tolerates from your own children may not be tolerated from someone else's. You need to take extra safety precautions when other children visit and make sure that the children obey your ground rules.

8.Never, Ever, leave a child alone with any dog, no matter how harmless the dog seems.

Kids and dogs are wonderful together when adults use common sense and put safety first.

"No bite!"

Someone tole me that there puppy is almost 16 weeks old. I got him when he was 8 weeks. He's playful and fun "but"
I can't get him to stop biting me. That seems to be the only way he likes to play anymore rough! I've been telling him "NO", holding his mouth shut while saying "No bite!" and even shoving my hand back in his mouth like a trainer told me to do. Nothing seems to work. In fact, he thinks I'm playing a game with him and gets more excited the more I try to stop him. Sometimes he walks right up and attacks me! What can I do? Is he vicious, and should I put him down?

He's not vicious! One thing you have to understand is all puppies will play hard! He is just being a normal, rambunctious, puppy. To get control of your puppies biting, it helps to understand why puppies bite in the first place.

Biting and mouthing are normal behaviors for puppies. Dogs don't have hands so they investigate objects and their environment with their mouths. To a curious puppy, everything about this big world is brand new and exciting. He learns as he goes along. You can almost hear his thought processes as he discovers something he's never seen before: "Hmmm...What's this? Chopping on it, Something to eat? No? Tossing it around, Can I play with it? "Maybe". Can I make it squeak?"

Playing is also a normal learning behavior for puppies, especially play-fighting. Play fighting with littermates and other animals develops reflexes, coordination and physical skill. It also helps them develop social skills and teaches them how to interact positively within their canine society, their "pack." And it's great fun for them. Sometimes their fighting and "attacks" on us appear frighteningly fierce but to them, it's just a game. Much like a group of kids playing make-believe games and pretending to be grown-ups, puppies have their own games and pretend to be "grown-ups," too!

A dog's ability to control the force of his biting is called "bite inhibition." It's a critically important skill that every puppy needs to learn the earlier the better. At first, they don't know their own strength or how sharp their little teeth really are. Puppies learn to control the force of their biting from the reactions of their mothers and littermates during play and especially play-fighting.

We can teach puppies about bite inhibition, too, but some of the methods most often recommended aren't effective. Mother dogs' methods, however, are very effective, often more so than ours. I believe this is because they're speaking to their pups in the language they understand best "Dog language" A baby puppy is much too busy learning how to be a dog to take time to understand our human words and ways. That takes time and maturity. Puppies respond to dog language in a very powerful, instinctive way. We can take advantage of that by copying a mother dog's actions and using them for ourselves.

The idea of using mother dog's natural training techniques isn't new. Respected trainers have been Using them for years. To understand these methods, let's take a look at a typical mother dog disciplining her brood. We'll use our three female's and our years of expertness with puppies as an example.

When a playful puppy bites "MOM" hard enough to hurt, she squeals in shocked indignation. The puppy, surprised at her reaction, usually hesitates a moment, unsure of himself, then tries to bite again. Mom yelps even louder this time and whirls on the puppy, growling, showing her teeth and scowling at him fiercely. Then she turns her back on him and storms away, completely ignoring him and any further attempts to get her to play. A smart puppy picks up her clear message quickly: "if you can't play nice, I won't play with you at all!"

If the puppy persists or doesn't take the hint, mom doesn't fool around. With a menacing growl and using her teeth, she grabs him by the scruff of his neck and gives him a shake. If he sasses back, she gives him another little shake, tougher this time. She doesn't let go of the pup till he's acknowledged her authority (In dog language) by relaxing his body, laying his ears back and keeping still for a moment. Mom disciplines especially obnoxious puppies by knocking them over with her paw and pinning them to the ground, growling angrily and pinching them with her teeth. The puppies shriek but they're not really hurt. She doesn't let them up again until they relax and lie still. After the correction, the puppy shakes his fur back into place and goes off in search of a playmate with a better sense of humor.

We don't have to growl at our puppies or shake them with our teeth, but we can modify Mother's technique for ourselves. The next time your puppy bites you, scream "oOWw!" in a high-pitched voice. Exaggerate a little. Then refuse to play with him or pay attention to him for a few minutes. If he doesn't get the message, give him a little scruff shake and scold him in a low-toned, threatening voice. You can exaggerate a little on that, too! Sound meaner than you really are. For puppies that just won't quit or seem to get wilder with every correction, flip them over on their backs, scold them in that same low, scary voice (growling) and Gently but firmly, hold them in that position until they stop struggling.

We sometimes give puppies the wrong message about biting by some of the games we play with them. Wrestling and tug of war can encourage a puppy to bite and make it hard for him to distinguish when it's okay to use his teeth and when it's not. To make it easier for your puppy to learn good manners, it's a good idea to avoid these games. Puppies seem to learn a great deal about bite inhibition and authority between five and eight weeks of age through play with their mothers and littermates. This is an especially good reason not to buy very young puppies. Puppies that were acquired earlier need to be taught these important things by their owners. They might require a little more intense use of Mother's methods than puppies that stayed with their litters longer. Puppies that receive little or no training in bite inhibition, either from their mothers or their people may grow up to develop behavior problems.
And, if you do not let it start in the beginning, it is a behavior problem you will have to stop!

I noticed that a mother will picked out certain puppies for a little "extra" correction two or three times a day. She'd roll them over, pin them down for no apparent reason, growling at them if they didn't lie quietly. I noticed, too, that the puppies she chose were the most outgoing and dominant in the litter. She gave them regular reminders of her authority and the behavior she expected from them. I've found that using her technique myself works very well on puppies that'll become too big for their britches! Even with their mothers, puppies act a lot like kids they're always testing and pushing their limits. They have good days and bad days. With patience, persistence and a few hints from your puppy's mother, you'll be able to tip the balance toward the good side!

And remember, "Teamwork" is the key to raising your dog, you all have to do the same thing, the same way, all the time, every time!

And never let a small child play rough with a puppy!