Does Your Child Know Their Dog Manners?

When most kids see a dog, “caution” isn’t the first thought that crosses their mind. However, it should be.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 4.5 million people in the United States are bitten by dogs every year with 1 in 5 people requiring medical attention. At least half of dog bite victims are children.

“Not only are children the most common victims of dog bites, but they’re also far more likely to be severely injured,” says pediatric emergency medicine physician Susan Yaeger, MD, with Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital. “Many of the dog bite cases we see at the Children’s Hospital could have been prevented. While we may not always be able to control dogs and their owners, we can coach our children to handle these interactions safely.”

The best way to reduce your child’s risk of getting bitten by a dog is to teach them their dog manners – that is, the proper way to approach and interact with dogs. Ensuring your child knows how to properly handle the following encounters can help keep them safe.

Whether it’s a familiar dog or a stranger, your child should greet every dog the same way – safely. Teach them to follow these steps:

1. Ask the dog’s owner for permission. It’s never OK to approach or try to pet a dog without asking the owner first, even if you know the dog.
2. Be calm and approach the dog slowly.
3. Before petting the dog, allow the dog to see and sniff your hand. To do this safely, hold your arm low and make your hand into a ball or completely flat with your palm up.
4. After the dog has sniffed your hand, gently pet the side of the dog’s neck, chest and body. Avoid petting the top of the head or tail.

If a strange dog were to run up to your child, there’s a good chance their gut reaction is to run. However, that’s the worst thing your child can do. In a dog’s eyes, running either means you want to play or it sets off their instinct to attack.

What your child should do if he or she is approached by an unfamiliar dog is to stand still like a tree until the dog leaves or an adult can assist them. They should also avoid looking directly in the dog’s eyes. Emphasize to your child how important it is that they remain as calm as possible.

If the dog knocks your child over, they should roll into a ball, covering their face and neck, and stay very still until the dog goes away. If the dog tries to bite your child, they should put anything they can between themself and the dog.

If a dog bites your child, seek medical treatment immediately.

“A dog bite can seem minor on the surface, but don’t be mistaken – an innocent little nip can turn into a nasty infection,” Dr. Yaeger says. “While rare, rabies and other kinds of infections from dogs like bacterial infections can happen and should be treated right away.”

To help the doctor understand the infection risk and what treatment your child might need, try to have the following information ready:

• Your child's immunization status and medical history
• The name and location of the dog's owner
• Whether the dog is up to date on its vaccinations
• Whether the attack was provoked (i.e. approaching a dog while it’s eating) or unprovoked. Knowing the attack was unprovoked lets the doctor know that the dog could be sick, which might guide treatment decisions.