Tonight I learned of some heart aching news of a toddler being mauled by a family dog (Good Day Sacramento, 2019). This reminded me of the importance of teaching our crazy, sometimes impulsive kiddos safety when interacting with dogs. 

The American Academy of Pediatrics offers some quick tips:

• Always supervise children with dogs. Yep, even your family dog.
• Act calm/no aggressive play with dogs. No growling or wrestling.
• Ask for permission to gently pet. Allow dog to sniff child prior to petting and try not to pet face or tail.
• Leave dogs alone that are sleeping, eating, or with puppies. (Can I substitute moms for dogs here?)
• If knocked over by a dog, curl into a ball and cover face with arms and fist (2017).

Many of us love dogs and most dogs do not mean any harm. However, our children (especially toddlers) don’t always have the best manners with animals and can accidently provoke them. Let’s help teach our children how to be a dogs best friend. 

References:

Good Day Sacramento. (2019). Toddler Mauled To Death By Family Pit Bull In Granite Bay. Retrieved from https://gooddaysacramento.cbslocal.com/2019/09/20/infant-mauled-to-death-pit-bull-granite-bay/

American Academy of Pediatrics. (2017). Dog Bite Prevention Tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Retrieved from https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/news-features-and-safety-tips/Pages/Dog-Bite-Prevention-Tips-2017.aspx