How to protect your child from a dog attack? Here are the best ways!

Imagine this situation: you are walking with your child when suddenly a clearly aggressive dog appears on the road. You would probably be able to prevent the threat. But what if the scenario repeats itself and you are not around? In this article, we explain how to protect your child from a dog attack – here are the best ways to stay safe!

Children are most often attacked by dogs – bite statistics

Dog bite statistics in the UK are shocking and clearly indicate that this is a very serious problem. It’s a topic that’s often overlooked by the media, only making headlines when a significant tragedy occurs in the country.

Unfortunately, the “victims” of dog bites are often children, who fall victim to dog attacks far more frequently than any other age group. As mentioned in our article on this issue, approximately 100 dog attacks on people occur daily in the UK. According to the NHS, young children aged between 0 and 4 years old are the most likely to be bitten by dogs. In 2023, there were over 6,000 recorded incidents of dog bites requiring hospital treatment in the UK.

The most notorious cases are indeed attacks on children, most often those under 1 year of age. Why is this the case? First and foremost, because the youngest are often unable to judge when they are crossing boundaries. They are unable to keep a safe distance and invade dogs’ space, and when dogs start sending warning signals, they are unable to interpret them.

Of course, it is the dog owner’s responsibility to train and supervise their pet, but an equally important responsibility lies with the parents of children. They are responsible for ensuring that their children know the rules of proper behaviour. It is also their duty to supervise their children and protect them when they come into contact with animals, whether familiar or unfamiliar.

How to protect your child from an aggressive dog? Advice

There are often situations when we walk with our children in the city or outside it. We spend time with them, creating a protective barrier around them. If something potentially dangerous happens, we react to protect our children. The same is true in the case of an aggressive dog attack.

However, it is important to remember that we will not always be around to react. The older our children are, the more often we allow them to be outside on their own. Sometimes this is a lonely journey to and from school or extracurricular activities, and other times it is spending time with friends in the yard, bike rides, walks in the woods, etc.

To ensure that your child is fully protected against an aggressive dog attack, it is important to remember the most important safety rules. Here they are!

Teach your child how to behave around dogs

Learning appropriate behaviour towards dogs is essential. If children understand that animals are not toys and are not always friendly, the chance of danger arising will be significantly reduced.

Explain to your child that:

• They should not approach strange dogs, even if they look friendly.
• If they really want to pet a strange dog, they should ask the owner for permission first.
• They should remain calm around dogs – do not shout or run away.
• They should not invade the dog’s personal space.
• It is important to treat dogs gently – do not pull, squeeze or hug them.

It is also very important to teach children how to read the signals that pets give us. Growling, showing teeth, hyperactivity – these are just a few examples of behaviours that occur in stressed dogs. Ignoring them can lead to an attack. It is therefore worth teaching children the ‘language of dogs’ – this will help avoid unpleasant situations and enable them to control aggression before it escalates.

Explain to your child how to behave during an attack.

Although panic often takes over common sense in dangerous situations, teaching your child how to behavesignificantly increases their chances of avoiding being bitten. The rules you teach them will stick in their mind, which can be crucial in a dangerous situation.

The most important rules for children to follow when confronted by an aggressive dog:

• Do not run away – if you encounter a hostile dog, remain calm and do not make any sudden movements. Running away will increase the dog’s urge to chase its prey.
• Stand still and lower your gaze – do not look the animal directly in the eyes, but observe its behaviour out of the corner of your eye.
• Do not turn your back on the dog – this reduces the chance of an attack from behind.
• Keep your hands close to your body and do not wave them around – this will prevent the dog from being triggered by sudden movements.
• Do not kick, hit or push the dog if it is not attacking – try to avoid provoking a counterattack.
• If the dog attacks, assume the ‘turtle’ position, which will protect your vital organs and face. When the attack occurs, crouch down on the ground, pull your knees up to your chest, cover your neck and head with your hands, and lie still.

Applying these rules and remaining calm will significantly reduce the risk of becoming a victim of an attack. If an attack does occur, our child will have a chance to escape without serious injury. It is important to make children aware that running away is not the best idea and can significantly worsen the situation, especially if they are very close to an aggressive animal.