What do you think can prevent incidents between children and dogs?
Children are more often the victims of dog bite incidents than adults. Often it is a matter of miscommunication.
Safe interaction is determined by a number of characteristics of the child and the dog:
-The age of the child is important. In general, the older the child, the better they can assess situations and the greater their sense of responsibility and insight into their own actions.
– The character of the child and the character of the dog are, of course, also important. When both have a calm temperament, the unpredictability in behavior decreases. As a result, both the dog and the child will find it easier to trust each other.
Previous experiences of the dog and the child are also important. If the dog has had a negative experience with children in the past, the dog may remain afraid of children for the rest of its life. The same applies to children. A bad experience with a dog can make a child fearful when interacting with dogs. Both dogs and children may then exhibit behavior out of fear to which others react with aggression or fear.
The child's educator will need to teach the child how to interact with the dog in a respectful manner. The dog's owner will need to teach the dog to behave calmly and tolerantly around children.
How would you, as an animal behavior therapist, fix this?
Education regarding this is crucial.
What are the most important things that come to mind with the following question: What are children not allowed to do in the presence of a dog?
Responding appropriately and safely near (strange) dogs is important. Running away and screaming can cause dogs to give chase and jump up at someone, snap, ... .
Dogs also feel safest when they are ignored: standing still and looking the other way.
Dogs do not like cuddling, hugging, or being petted on the head. Meeting a dog and petting a dog can be done after permission from the child's supervisors and the dog's owners. Do not look the dog directly in the eyes, and turn sideways toward the dog. Ask the dog for permission. You do this by not going to the dog yourself, but by enticing the dog to come to you. Let him sniff and thus give him the opportunity to get acquainted. Make yourself small for a small dog or a dog that makes itself small. For a large dog, you can just keep standing upright. If the dog stays nearby or seeks further approach, you can pet the dog on the side of the neck/on the chest or on the flanks. Do not bend over the dog. If the dog reacts tensely to the petting or backs away, the petting session is stopped.
Never go up to a loose strange dog! Do not walk straight toward the dog or touch it. That is threatening. Do not startle the dog. Therefore, do not approach a dog from behind.
Children must respect a number of rules when interacting with dogs:
- Do not run fast and scream near dogs
- Do not crawl on the ground near dogs
– Do not chase dogs
- Do not command or provoke dogs
– Do not disturb dogs while sleeping/eating/drinking
Stay away from dogs with a yellow ribbon! These dogs need space for various reasons!
Which dog body language signals are important for children to recognize?
Stress signals are important to recognize and to respond to appropriately. Contact should then be interrupted.
How would you present this information to children in a playful way?
The rules of conduct can be practiced with a plush dog, therapy dog, or one's own dog. Practice in controlled situations. Information regarding body language can be conveyed through various types of games.
Should parents be involved? Why?
Interaction between child and dog should always happen under adult supervision. But it is equally important that adults know the rules of interaction and can interpret the body language of dogs. Not every wag is a happy wag!
Parents can also play an important role in the bond between child and dog. Give the dog attention or treats in the presence of the child. Take walks together, play search games together. Give the dog a safe place in the house in a timely manner.
What is important for dog owners to learn about the signals that dogs give (body language)?
Dogs also have a stress meter. If the dog's signals are ignored, biting incidents can occur.
Do you think dog owners have a major influence on the fact that incidents happen?
Dog owners have the responsibility to remove their dog from a stressful situation in a timely manner.
More info?
www.therapiedier.be for the use of therapy animals in education, children's parties, fear of dogs, ....
www.toscanzahoeve for testing your dog, dog behavior, courses on body language and educational projects, …
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