Dog bites…

• Are a serious problem, especially with children.
• Can lead to unpleasant encounters with the law, dog bite lawyers, and all that.
• Can lead to a dog being euthanized, especially if he attacks more than once.
• Can create a dog bite victim who may never trust dogs again.

And so on. Not a cheerful subject.

Fortunately, there are people who are passionate about educating the public about how to avoid being bitten and what to do if they–or all too commonly, their children–do suffer a bite. Joan Orr is one of those, and I am on her email list. I recommend it to you. Her website is Doggonesafe.com  and it is chock full of great information. The site describes their “Be a Tree” program, teaching kids how to stand still and pull their hands in if a dog is too hyper or aggressive.  Here’s a VERY short video, under half a minute, that shows the process:

This is a Youtube video and a good place to go for more about being a tree is here: http://doggonesafe.blogspot.ca/2012/05/tip-of-day-teach-kids-to-be-tree.html That’s where I got the video, and there is another one plus images and text.  Also there is a link to a board game to play with kids to teach dog bite prevention. By the way, I don’t think I have ever recommended you go to another blog in order to read the sidebar, but I’m doing that now. They have several good resources in theirs, flashcards and a children’s ebook among others. Plus lots of info on how you can teach the be a tree program to kids of all ages.

This isn’t just for kids. I have to admit that I could have avoided a small bite on my face when I was in my 20s if I had known this. That was the moment I realized how well the eye socket protects the eye. ‘Nuff said.

Back to doggonesafe.com. Here is a page I hope you never need: one on support for dog bite victims.

And here is an educational page on learning to read dog warning signs. They say

One of the most common things we hear from adult bite victims and the parents of child victims is “I wish I’d known…”. We don’t want you ever to have to say that. We want you to know and we are going to tell you. So read on…

They go on to show a little video and to analyze what happens in it. Good education on dog bites.