Children belong to the high-risk category when it comes to dog bites. This is why it is crucial to teach them how to behave around canine fur babies.
Most kids instinctively run over to puppies for hugs but might return screaming when they get aggressive. Know that even the most gentle dog can retort aggressively when scared or threatened.
A scared dog can behave in strange ways and is likely to attack or bite anyone who comes close to it. Unfortunately, it might not be the canine’s fault but the fault of the person approaching it. Forced interactions can stress out a puppy and make it feel like biting is the only way to defend itself.
So, teach your children some safety tips to follow when around dogs, but also consider being prepared with pet insurance should you have one or more pets at home. Pet health insurance covers a furry little one’s testing, treatment, and medications during health emergencies and can cover your liability should your pupper harm somebody or their property.
Contemplate purchasing a policy so your pet can avail of quality medical care during testing times of health, and you can enjoy total peace of mind should a bad incident involving your pet occur. Meanwhile, read this article to learn tips that can help keep your children safe from dog bites.
- Teach your kids to stay away from unfamiliar dogs. This means not approaching wandering dogs in the neighborhood and reporting any dog when found loose in the area. The children should be advised to tell their parents or adults at home or contact the animal shelter or control board.
- Your kids should be taught early on the etiquette of seeking permission from an owner before interacting with their dog. Even if the dog seems friendly and soft-hearted, you never know how it would respond to a stranger’s touch. So, tell your kids to pet the dog only in the presence of its owner after having their consent.
- If your children encounter an aggressive dog, ask them to walk away from it coolly. Also, if the dog pursues them relentlessly, the kids should be told to stand tall with hands clasped and avoid eye contact. They might need to guard themselves by covering their heads and necks should the dog try to knock them over.
- It is crucial for your kids to know that yelling at the dog, hitting it, pelting things at it, and running away from it can provoke it further. The situation might escalate even before your children realize it and endanger them much more.
- Teach your children the dos and don’ts of how to interact with dogs. They should know how to greet and handle a canine fur baby to avoid biting risks. Plus, the children should be taught to respect a puppy’s need for privacy when it rests in its crate or bed.
- Another important lesson children should know is not to pull a pupper’s ears, tail or squish them. They should also abstain from bullying pets or snatching away their food and toys to avoid dangerous repercussions.
- Even when you can’t prevent a confrontation, you can teach your children how to tackle such a situation. It is essential to protect your pet as much as you protect your children to ensure a peaceful home.
Consider being equipped with pet insurance so your four-legged baby is covered for accidental injuries, specific illnesses, and medical emergencies. Pet health insurance ensures your poochie is covered for basic health care during non-routine vet visits and potentially lowers your economic burden should a liability arise from your puppy’s unpredictable behavior.
