Helen@helshounds.co.uk +44(0)7356 072133
Doggone safe!
Hel’s Hounds is a member of doggone safe, a programme which aligns with my own beliefs about children and dogs and provides me with more access to resources for chilren and families!
Watch this space and expect to see more!
Don’t punish the growl!
When we are talking about bite prevention we need to go back to the minutes before the incident.
As you get to know your dog you will likely begin to recognise the signs that they are not happy or even stressed. Some dogs show all the typical signs, some don’t, some have their own quirky tells. It is important that you know your own dogs signs!
Don’t punish the growl is a common saying in dog training, you might be taken aback by this to begin with, but let me explain.
A growl is sometimes the first noticeable sign that a dog is unhappy, if the dog is new to you and its not your dog for example. A Growl is the equivalent of saying “right, pack it in now, I’ve had enough”, you would expect the person you were talking to to listen to you right? Imagine if rather than listening to you, they turned and shouted at you and then carried on. Would you bother telling them when you were fed up next time or would you wait until you really could not deal with any more?
This is what you dog is feeling, the last time they told you they were unhappy, you told them off, why would they tell you again?
But the next step up from telling is shouting. For your dog, a shout is a bite. We don’t want your dog to have to shout so watch for the whispers and don’t punish the talking!
Children and dogs - Keeping everyone safe!
Dogs who bite, and dogs who bite children, if they have a life going forwards, they live a very limited life. Many families would rehome a dog if they had bitten in their home. Rescue centres with knowledge of a dogs bite history have a duty to the dog and to any potential adopters to make sure that the situations in which a dog may bite someone again are minimised,
No one wants a child to be bitten by a dog. I would go so far as to say that no one wants to be bitten by a dog at all. We can take some simple steps in our homes to keep all our family members safe.
Between 1st April 2021 and 31st March 2022, 1845 people aged 19 and under were admitted to hospital for dog bite injuries in the United Kingdom. Of these, the majority were under 10.
In the UK, in 2023, there were 16 fatal dog attacks. 2020 had 3, 2021 had 5 and 2022 had 6.
Of all of these, 6 were child fatalities.
Now, I don‘t know what anyone else says, but I say that even one child dying as a result of a dog bite is too many.
I have created a simple guide for parents and dog owners, which may help; I will provide a link on this page where this can be downloaded.
Much of the time, safety measures are straightforward, common sense things, such as not letting your children near your dog when they have tasty treats. But occasionally, these things can slip our minds in the moment,
It is also essential to have a fully stocked first aid kit for both humans and pets to give first aid as soon as it is safe to do so.
I believe that children get a lot out of living with a dog, and if they have the opportunity, they should be allowed to.
However, it is worth noting that not every dog likes children. My great grandparents for instance, had a Yorkshire Terrier called Tammy who just didn’t like children. She would do anything she could to avoid us when we were younger and growl if we persisted in trying to interact with her.
While breed generalisations can allow you make an assumption about whether a dog will be child friendly or not, every dog is an individual. Selecting the right dog can be an essential first step.
What to do guide
Below is a guide, with videos on my facebook, which can be shared with young people. These techniques are easily taught and practised and should hopefully offer some protection from dog bites if approached by and/ or jumped at by a dog, strange or familiar. They should hold the position until the dog has gone, when you should encourage them to find a responsible adult, someone they know or someone in uniform.
My assistant Darcy leads this campaign at my side. I believe that children can teach each other so much better than we an at times, leading by example and talking on the same wavelength in a way that we, as adults, just can‘t do. I believe that this is such an essential thing for all children to learn that I am committed to using all the tricks in my bag to ensure that all the children in my Hel’s Hounds families are safe!
For those who have completed our staying safe session they can proudly call themselves part of Darcy’s Pup Patrol! A certificate is included with the course, and a fabric badge (similar to a swimming or girl guiding/ scouts badge) is available for £2! (Photos to come. Let me know when booking or during the session if you would like a badge!)
Approach
Teach children to be aware of dogs around them. Teach them that they should smile and wave to dogs from a distance; you never know if a dog is child-friendly or not, and it’s better to be safe than sorry!
However, if a dog approaches them, they should be ready to use the following.
Drop
When the dog is coming towards them, whether it is an unfamiliar dog or a dog they know acting out of character, the response is the same.
Drop anything in their hands; this may be what the dog is after, and stuff is easier to replace! It may also distract the dog.
Tree
If the dog is not distracted by the dropped stuff and jumps at your child, they should cross their arms over their chest and tuck in their head to protect their neck. Given the choice between some scars and death, scars are preferable.
It may help to put one foot slightly infront of the other for stability.
They are now a tree, trees don’t move, they dont get knocked over easily, they don’t make noise. Be a tree until the dog gets bored; dogs find trees boring eventually.
Do not run, scream, shout or touch the dog.
Knocked over
The dog knocked your child over… well, it’s not ideal, but we can deal with it. They should still try to avoid screaming or shouting out.
Rock 1
If your child can get their knees under them, they should, curling up, tucking their head in and wrapping their arms around their head. This will protect as much of their body as possible.
They are now a rock; rocks are like brussel sprouts to dogs; they don't taste good and don’t really have much of a purpose. The dog will get bored eventually and walk off. When they leave you can get up and find an adult who can help you.
Rock 2
Alternatively, if your child is forced to stay on their side, they should curl up into the fetal position, tucking their head in and hugging their knees to their chest.
Again, rock, brussel sprout, the dog sees no difference. You are boring. You are not going to move, because you are a rock, and rocks don’t really move much, do they?
These documents were downloaded in April 2024. They are from an american based programme and some advice may not be applicable in the UK.
Resources for adults!
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