When I see what dogs have to deal with in their interactions with children, I am amazed that more kids aren’t bitten. Due to lack of education, inadequate supervision, well intentioned but unwise behavior, and the occasional “Dennis the Menace” sort of personality, dogs have to put up with more than most people would be able to tolerate without responding badly. By no means am I condoning dog bites or suggesting that children are to blame when they are bitten. I’m simply saying that most dogs DO tolerate an incredible amount of harassing from kids in the form of tail pulling, ear lifting, eye poking, grabbing and the like without biting. However, the reasons kids get bitten by dogs extend beyond some dogs not being as tolerant of these sorts of behaviors as society requires of them.
From a dog’s point of view, kids behave erratically. They run around, fall over, change directions, scream, and do all manner of normal things that just so happen to make many dogs uncomfortable. Since the vast majority of aggression, including bites, has its roots in fear, it’s no wonder that dogs bite. As a loving parent myself, it pains me to say this, but kids’ behavior can be frightening, even if it is typical behavior performed by nice children. When I was three years old, I used to go over to visit the neighbor’s Old English Sheepdog. I would pull up the hair that was over his eyes and have prolonged conversations with him practically nose to nose. It is a wonder that nobody took pity on the dog and made me stop these tête-à-têtes, and even more remarkable that the dear fellow never reacted badly.
While most adults follow the wisdom of “Don’t bother him when he has a bone!” or “Let sleeping dogs lie,” kids have fewer inhibitions against going up to a dog at any time. While ideally all dogs would tolerate being bothered in any way when they are eating, sleeping, resting, or chewing on bones and rawhides, it is good practice not to approach a dog in any of these circumstances. Many kids ignore the signs that the dog is anxious or wanting to get away. While it is true that many adults also fail to recognize the warning signs of a dog who may bite, kids tend to take even less notice, and are therefore at greater risk of continuing to behave in a way that may elicit a bite.
The two most common contexts in which children are bitten by dogs are when a child approaches a dog who is tied up and when a child hugs a dog. Approaching and hugging dogs are very natural behaviors for children, so it requires both education and supervision to prevent many of these bites.
Dogs who are tied up are much more likely to behave aggressively than those same dogs when they are not tethered. Dogs who are tied up cannot get away. Even the ones who would naturally move away from an approaching child are unable to do so. Feeling trapped makes many dogs panic and a dog who is panicking is more likely to bite than a dog who is in a more relaxed state. Additionally, dogs who are tied up are often in an area that they consider their home or territory. If the dog spends a significant amount of time tied up in one spot, then that small area is often perceived by the dog as a critical part of their territory and will often be defended vigorously. Of course, dogs should be trained to accept approaches by anyone, even when tied up, without behaving aggressively, but as a practical matter for safety, our children must be taught to follow the simple rule of never approaching a dog who is tied up.
When a child hugs a dog, there is the potential for a huge misunderstanding. Most children want to hug dogs because they are used to expressing affection in this way with their parents, other relatives, friends, and even their stuffed animals. When a child hugs a dog, it is because that child cares for the dog and wants to feel close to it. For people, wrapping our arms around someone or something and holding on tight is a gesture of affection. Unfortunately, the perception of dogs to this behavior is very different. For dogs, putting a paw and especially a chin over their shoulders is a sign that the one doing this is asserting high status over them. Many dogs find it aversive when anyone does this, especially a child. Generally speaking, dogs are least likely to be tolerant of a child who is inadvertently acting as a relatively high-status individual. Of course, it would be great if all dogs could tolerate this innocent behavior of children, but for their own safety, children must be taught not to hug dogs. Even dogs who do not react in any bad way to being hugged usually express disgust on their faces in response to being hugged.
--Karen B. London
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