Maybe we've been lulled into being lax because so many dogs are willing to endure many things they really don't like. Maybe parents are getting more complacent in this matter.
But injuries from dogs is the fifth biggest reason why kids are rushed to the ER. I think it's time for a little more adult intervention here.
To help us guide this next generation of tykes into humane, safe dog interaction, I contacted veterinarian Amanda Chin, whose recently released Pets' Playground, Playing Safe in a Dog-and-Cat World (American Animal Hospital Association Press, $11.95, available on Amazon.com) is a wonderfully comprehensive child-geared guide to understanding dogs' and cats' needs, behaviors, postures and moods (grown-ups would learn a lot from this, too).
Chin's not an alarmist. She speaks with schoolchildren regularly to instruct them on interacting with animals, and she knows there's a fine line between teaching kids how to be respectful and safe, and scaring them into lifelong fear of animals. She also knows that if you fully explain the whys and wherefores, kids do just fine.
So instead of saying, "It's really dangerous to sneak up on a dog because he'll bite you," you say, "You know how when you're really busy doing something and someone sneaks up behind you and yells and scares you and that upsets you? Well, dogs get scared, too, so that's a mean thing to do to them. Also, without thinking, they may turn around ready to bite because they might think you're dangerous, and that's the only way they have to protect themselves."
Chin thinks it's vital to teach very young kids how to pet a dog.
•First: "They must always ask the adult's permission, and if an adult isn't there they should understand it's just not the right time to do it," she says. Sounds like a "yeah, duh" statement, maybe, but while there certainly are children who know that rule and abide by it, I've seen many instances recently in which kids skipped that step.
•Second: "The child should not move forward and grab out toward the dog. They should learn to stop a bit of a distance from the dog and let it approach them." Once the dog moves in for the love, the child shouldn't initiate a direct frontal attack with tiny hands, batting the animal on the head. (Head-batting is NOT perceived as a loving gesture — no people I know enjoy being bopped on the head, and dogs don't either — and for some dogs it's not just unpleasant, but threatening or highly annoying). Instead, the child should approach from the side and pat the shoulder or chest. Many dogs will reposition themselves to be closer and to get a neck rub or even gentle stroking (not batting) on the head. But kids should be taught to let the dog dictate that.
Dogs are sensitive about keeping their snouts from harm. So kids should learn early that even dogs they know well can get edgy and self-protective if someone reaches out toward a nose from above.
•Other kid rules: "Always be quiet, don't run toward or away from a dog," Chin says. "Always stroke a pet's hair in the direction it grows, not against that, as some animals don't like it. Never corner a pet. Never approach a dog that's tied up or reach through a fence. Don't make prolonged eye contact with a strange dog, as that can be read as a challenge."
It's important to teach young children to read body language in dogs, she says. A relaxed animal is less likely to do something untoward; a tense, scared or angry dog is primed to be reactive. A dog with tucked tail and flattened ears is scared. A dog with a stiff tail, leaning forward with head forward is probably angry.
Many incidents occur because "people have not read the signs" the dog is sending, and/or they're so accustomed to sweet Penny "they've grown complacent" about the realities, which are that dogs can have good and bad days, some dogs don't like children, and there are many variables that can cause a dog to lash out.
"It is good for children not to be scared," says Chin. And it's important that they be instructed "to act appropriately."