Learn with Dogs Trust│Be Dogs Smart │Approaching dogs

This is just part 3 of 3 blogs on how to be safe around dogs, please find part 1 here and part 2 here. This part of the blog is going to tell you the appropriate behaviour that children to undertake to remain safe when approaching dogs outside. When approaching dogs outside, the Dogs Trust – Learning with Dogs scheme will help you teach your children the correct way to respond to meeting dogs outside your daily life.

Even if you don’t own a dog, there is plenty you can teach your kids about staying when approaching dogs they meet in their everyday life. The main lesson for children practising safety around dogs is not to chase or tease dogs they know and to be cautious around dogs they don’t know.

Here are some specific scenarios to go through with your child to help them stay safe when approaching a dog outside.

Approaching a new dog

1. Always ask the owner for permission before touching a dog
2. ask the owner where the dog likes to be stroked
3. Hold out your hand, with your fingers folded, without reaching towards the dog, to let the dog sniff you and get to know you.
4. Stroke the dog gently with the back of your hand, where the owner suggested.

If a dog approaches you

1. Stand still in a confident upright position and look away from the dog.
2. Do not crouch down as the dog may not understand what you are doing
3. If you are holding a ball or food, throw them gently away from you. If the dog is distracted by what you dropped, you can walk away slowly.

If a dog jumps up at you

1. If a dog is jumping up at you, cross your arms over your chest. Keep your fingers tucked in. If you can, turn so the dog sees your side. As it is less threatening to the dog.
2. Stand still in a confident upright position and look away from the dog.
3. Wait for the dog’s owner or an adult to come and help, before you walk away slowly and calmly.

If a dog knocks you over

1. If you get knocked over, curl up in a ball, like a hedgehog!
2. Cover your face and head with your arms and stay like this until an adult comes to help, or the dog goes away.

 

BE DOG SMART

Here are tips to remind kids how to prevent dog bites.

 

Beware of disturbing dogs that are eating or sleeping

Even if for fun, don’t ever tease a dog

 

Don’t approach a dog with no owner around

Only stroke a dog when the owner says ‘Yes, you can.’

Get the dog to sniff your hand first, then stroke gently.

 

Strange dog approaching? Stand still, look away and cross your arms.

Move calmly and quietly around any dog

All that hugging and kissing – you might like it, dogs don’t!

Remember all dogs have teeth

Treat dogs with respect and they will respect you!

 

All information belongs to Dog Trust, Learn with Dogs. Find their website here. We support this scheme as it not only teaches children how to respond to dogs, it also helps them understand how to behave when approaching dogs outside and inside their daily lives.

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