As parents it’s just our job to protect our kids. We need to do anything and everything that we can possibly do to keep our children safe and out of harms way. Each year there are thousands of dog bite accidents. Most of the victims are children.
Many of the dogs that have bitten have not been strays. They have been family pets. In most cases the children are getting bitten by the family dog. Some of the families that have had their dogs bite their children have had the dog for several years.
Dogs are dogs and kids are kids. You can never fully trust a dog or a child. A dog being a dog will always want your child’s food. A child being a child could likely swat at the dog or scold it. Many types of big dogs will not respond kindly to this. They may snip or show their teeth. This is a sure fire sign that the dog could potentially bite the child. Big dogs cannot be trusted around small children if they have EVER bared their teeth or began to growl at times like these. Keeping a dog that does this is an accident waiting to happen.
Any big dog with an attitude problem is also a potential risk. By this I mean a dog who doesn’t like being told no, or doing something that they don’t want to do. If they give you struggle and show that they are not listening they are a potential risk. What if your big dog gets into the garbage and your child says “No, bad dog” while pointing their finger. A big dog with a bad attitude is likely to snip at the child as they extend their arm out towards it. The child’s reaction to that could cause the dog to bite.
Big dogs that have attitudes or who have already snipped or bared teeth at a child or you yourself are a danger to have around children. It is like keeping a loaded shotgun setting on the couch. The child is going to play with it because children are children. It can be dangerous and possible kill your child.
People hate the idea of getting rid of their pets though. People love their pets like children. However, our loyalties and love for our children are far stronger. Whenever your child is exposed to something harmful you have to do anything and everything to keep them safe.
Not all dog bite accidents are from the family pet. Many accidents happen when a child tries to pet a strange dog. Teach your child never to bother dogs that they do not know. Even at their friends houses there is a danger. If a dog does not know your child very well, or at all they could likely get snippy and defensive. Dogs do this to protect their territory. A child who knows this can happen and who has been taught to not bother or approach strange dogs is not going to get bit. The information you teach becomes knowledge which is the best source of prevention.
Teaching your child dog safety rules and not owning any dog who has snipped at your child, has an attitude problem, or has bared teeth is how to prevent dog bite accidents. We love our children more than our pets. Letting the pet go is far better than having your child severely bitten or worse. Thanks for reading and take care!
