Family dogs still pose bite risks
Individuals can feel a lot of warmth and affection towards a family dog. It is important though for dog owners to not let such feelings lead them to make assumptions that could put their children or other children at risk of getting hurt.
One assumption a dog owner could fall into is assuming that their dog doesn’t pose the same sort of bite risks to kids as other dogs. A recent survey from Europe indicates that this assumption is rather common. The survey polled dog owners and found that many of them underestimated child dog bite risks regarding the family dog.
Why is this assumption so problematic? It could lead to a dog owner not taking appropriate dog bite prevention measures regarding their family dog. By failing to take such measures, a dog owner could be putting their children and other children unnecessarily in harm’s way.
When a child here in Tennessee suffers a dog bite from someone else’s family dog, the child’s parents may want to have a skilled attorney review the situation (including the conduct of the dog’s owner) and advise them on compensation-related options.
What things can dog owners do to help keep children that are around their dog safe? One is to supervise the children when they are interacting with the dog. However, supervision is no guarantee that dog bites won’t occur. There are plenty of child dog bite incidents that occur when there is adult supervision. So, further measures can be important. This includes:
- Making sure to be attentive when supervising the children.
- Not allowing kids to make unwanted close contact with the dog, even when the contact is meant to be affectionate.
- Giving the dog a child-free area to rest.
- Giving the dog a child-free area to eat.
- Moving the dog away from the children when necessary.
Source: Phys.org, “Risk to small children from family dog often underestimated,” Sept. 7, 2016