When Michael Makovi was 8 years old in Maryland, he walked to school alone for the first time. As he turned the final corner, two dogs jumped at him, biting his backpack and leg.
But Michael knew what to do. He stood still, and soon a neighbor happened by to help him out of the situation without stitches. He had to go to the school nurse, but his backpack took the brunt of the damage.
A dog attack is every parent’s nightmare, but it can be hard to know exactly how to keep children safe, without instilling unneeded fear.
A showed that 6,000 people are bitten by dogs across the Front Range annually. Children are bitten more than adults, and more than half of them are bitten by dogs they don’t know.
Breed-specific legislation is an ongoing controversy in Colorado. , however, said that accounted for only 8 percent of bites statewide.
So dog trainers and rescue organizations are approaching the problem from a different angle: Teaching children how to interact positively with dogs, avoid triggering unwelcome behavior and stay safe when approached by strange canines.
“I think a lot of people are in the same boat where they just don’t know,” says Megan King, a Denver-based dog trainer. “It’s important for people to get educated (about) dog body language.”
What should parents teach their children?
Know safe behaviors
First, children should always ask their parents and the dog’s owner for permission before approaching a dog they don’t know.
When meeting, they should remain calm and quiet, and face the side of their body to the dog. They should extend one hand, palm down, fingers closed and wait for the dog to approach.
If the dog comes, they can turn their hand over and scratch the dog under the chin, gradually moving the scratching toward the back of the head and possibly the shoulder.
This allows the dog to choose whether to approach the child, and avoids some of the most common dog-bite triggers.
On the list of behaviors children should never perform with a strange dog:
• Hugging
• Touching a dog’s ears or top of the head
• Staring dogs in the face
• Approaching a dog who is backing away or hiding
• Running away from a dog
• Approaching a dog whose owner isn’t present
• Pulling tails
• Taking toys or food away from dogs
“What I would teach my child is, just like every person is not going to be your friend, all dogs might not love you,” emphasizes Lorraine May of . “But if you give them the chance to walk toward you, once we’ve ascertained that they’re safe, that is really something, to be picked by a dog. That doesn’t happen to everybody.”
If the owner is absent, Denver Dumb Friends League humane education manager Kelsey McLellan teaches kids to “pretend to be a tree,” standing still with arms crossed.
McLellan teaches children to be “dog detectives,” explaining that since dogs can’t communicate with words, they must use body language.
Dogs have multiple levels of communication to express discomfort — and therefore danger. Biting is usually a last resort, coming after multiple signs.
The problem is,
“Calm signals” are peacemaking tools that dogs use when they first become nervous. These are natural behaviors, out of context — like licking lips, turning their head, or a dry dog shaking. Dogs may also stop walking, sit or turn their back to you.
“He’s saying ‘I’m nervous, I’m trying to let you know I’m not a threat, but I’m definitely worried,’ ” says May. “Those are the beginning signals we miss, or we think, ‘oh it’s a lick lip; it doesn’t mean anything.’ ”
If the threat continues, dogs become stiff. This manifests most visibly in the face — like a closed mouth — and a slow, stiff tail-wag.
Learning about animal behaviors can be fun for kids. Cartoons, videos, games and pictures are good learning tools, and every dog they see can be a conversation opportunity.
“Our elementary school-age kids really love acting out the dogs’ body language, and it helps them remember what the body language looks like,” adds McLellan. “To practice empathy, we’ll say, ‘What made you scared?’
When should kids back away from a dog?
Parents and children should continuously monitor body language, but dogs may also growl.
“People always think growling is bad,” says May. “I always tell them, I like a dog that’s growling, because that means he’s not biting. He’s giving me one more chance to figure out what I’m doing wrong.”
If a dog growls, children and adults should slowly back away.
Why is this important?
Many natural child behaviors are very aggressive in dog body language, making children particularly scary to some dogs. And bites are especially dangerous for children because their most vital organs are at biting level.
“People think ‘oh, dogs love kids; dogs and kids go together,’ ” says May. “But I understand that many of the bites that happen, parents are right there, but they don’t understand the signs, and they expect the dog to love their child.”
Behavior classes for humans
• The Misha May foundation has been teaching dog body language since 2002 and started offering classes exclusively dedicated to the subject 3 years ago. 303-239-0382, mishamayfoundation@gmail.com
• Since 1976, the Dumb Friends League has taught dog safety in schools. People with dogs can attend training classes with their children to learn more about canine cues. ddfl.org; click on “learning programs” and then “pet behavior classes.”
