I often see people allowing their children to do things with and to their dogs that just make me cringe. Pulling on them, yanking things away from them, yelling at them, holding and tugging the leash when the child lacks the physical strength and the mature judgment to manage that responsibility, and on and on. And, I also can’t count the times that I have heard someone say with pride “Our dog is so great he will let our kids ride him and pull his ears and just do anything to him.” And, I cringe. Why do I cringe? Because I know the number of dogs that get relinquished at animal shelters for having bitten a child when the dogs had provided so many notices that things were being done to them that made them miserable before they finally reacted. These poor dogs have sent out so many warnings and so many pleas for help that went unheeded. Then, when they react to protect themselves from continued harassment in the only way they know how, by biting, their family is horrified and angry. The ultimate penalty for the dog so often is relinquishment to a shelter and the dog becomes homeless. Such a tragedy and such a needless one.
In honor of Dog Bite Prevention Week, I strongly encourage you to watch this great video. It should be watched by every parent of a small child who has a dog in the family. And by every aunt, uncle and grandparent too. It is very well done. The first part of the video has pictures that many people may find heart-warming but that I, and other animal welfare professionals, find very disturbing. It gives the kid’s side of the story of the dog that her family adopted and that she loved. The dogs in the pictures all look pained, frightened, miserable and like they are crying for help. The kids, and only the kids, look like they are having fun. The second part tells the same story through the voice of the dog. The dog was being, unintentionally, innocently but constantly, mistreated by the child. The dog suffered through it for so long and then reacted.
At the Richmond SPCA, we want to see fewer dog bites and more people, including children, living happily and safely with their dogs. We want that because that will result in more dogs having long good lives with the families that love them and fewer being relinquished at shelters for bites that were predictable and preventable. It is important for me to be clear - the answer is not for families with small children to not have dogs or to get rid of their dogs. The answer is for parents to understand how a dog should be treated and to responsibly and clearly teach their children to treat their dog with gentleness and respect. Dogs, like you, do not want to be prodded, poked and pulled. Like you, they do not want to have their food taken away while they are eating it nor their own toys or chews taken away from them. They do not want to be subjected to things that are painful, frightening or uncomfortable. These are lessons that can be taught, and should be taught, to older kids. Kids should know how to read the warning signs and so should their parents and they both should have the good judgment to stop what they are doing to that dog when he is letting them know he is uncomfortable. A child who is too young yet to learn that lesson should be very carefully monitored with the family pet to ensure that the pet is not treated this way.
Dogs are wonderful creatures and we always talk about their unconditional love. But, we must also be reasonable in our expectations of them. And, everyone, parents especially, must know how to recognize the signs in their dog’s behavior that he or she is being pushed before it goes too far. That is why we are offering a great opportunity to learn about the signs in your dog’s look and behavior from Sarah Babcock, our Chief of Education and Training and our community’s foremost authority on dog behavior, and Kari Hosack, our manager of humane education.
On June 10, we are offering two separate family-friendly “Reading Rover” classes, one from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and the second from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Children are welcome to attend. Those 12 and over will be encouraged to join the adult class. Those 11 and under will have their own age-appropriate class and activities in the Children’s Exploratorium.
If you wish to attend, please email Kari Hosack at [email protected] and include the names and ages of attendees and a phone number.
For more information on dog bite prevention, visit http://stopthe77.com/.
Robin Robertson Starr is the chief executive officer of the Richmond SPCA. To read her biography or that of our other bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires both your first and last name to be used as your screen name.
Comments