Kids and Dogs: Staying Safe
By Michael Felber, RN Staff Nurse, Boston Children’s Hospital
D
ogs provide companionship and promote the social, emotional and cognitive development of children. But keeping kids safe around dogs is important. Dog bites can cause physical and psychological trauma, infection, and transmission of diseases such as tetanus and rabies. Children are by far most likely to be severely injured by dog bites, making safe behavior around man’s best friend essential. Any breed or size dog can bite a child. And most people are bitten by a dog they know. A dog’s likelihood to bite is influenced by its training, temperament, and previous experience with children. Any dog may bite if startled or overstimulated, feels cornered or threatened, or if protecting food, territory, or its canine or human family. Dogs have an instinct to chase, so the human behavior of running away can overstimulate or make aggressive behavior worse.
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Boston Parents Paper | September 2021
To keep your child safe around dogs:
Face and Eyes looking away. • Stay away from dogs you don’t know. • When adding a dog to your family, • If a dog is sleeping, eating, or pick one with a good temperament. caring for puppies, leave it be. An older dog should have had • Never take food or a toy out of a experience with children. dog’s mouth. • Never leave young children • Stay out of a dog’s personal space, unattended with a dog. such as its crate. Leave a dog that • Be aware of dog body language. is tied up or behind a fence alone. Going still or stiff, raising the You can provide first aid for a dog fur on its neck, or growling are bite by applying pressure to stop the warning signs. A happy dog that bleeding, washing the area with soap wants to play should have soft and and water, and applying antibiotic wiggly body language. ointment and a clean bandage. It is important to see a doctor for any Teach your children dog bite that is deep, from an unknown safety rules, including: animal, or if there are signs of • Use a gentle touch and calm infection such as warmth, redness, body with any dog. When getting or pus. For severe or multiple bites, acquainted with a dog stay still spurting or uncontrolled bleeding and let the dog approach you. (does not stop after 10 minutes of • If approached by a new or pressure), call 911 for emergency aggressive dog, use the SAFE treatment. ✷ stance – Stay still, Arms crossed,
