Summer weather often brings dogs and their owners outside in droves. Children also are outside, riding their bikes, playing with friends and just being kids. Whether a family owns a dog or not, kids and dogs come into contact a lot more during the summer. Boston's Animal Control offers the following tips to help children stay safe around dogs:
- Do not approach a strange dog
- Do not shout, run around, or stick hands at the dogs through fences or open car windows
- Do not grab things like bones, balls or other pet toys from a dog
- Never stick your hand into a dog fight. Find an adult to help
- Know what an angry dog looks like. Barking, growling, snarling with teeth showing, ears laid flat, legs stiff, tail up, and hair standing up on a dog's back are warning signs. If a dog looks this way, slowly walk away sideways.
- Never stare a dog in the eyes, or turn around and run away.
- Curl up in a ball on the ground and protect your face if a dog attacks.
- If bitten, tell an adult right away. Remember what the dog looked like, if it had a collar and in what direction it went. Wash the wound with soap and water. See a doctor; and report the bite to the local health department.