Kids want a puppy, or they ask if they can get a dog. Mom and dad think it is the most natural thing in the world, so when a seemingly happy pup nips at your child, it might be surprising. At the same time, it’s not always the dog’s fault when a child gets bitten.
Preventing Nips and Biting
Children have poor boundaries and often don’t understand why they can’t do something. When parents don’t enforce those boundaries, dogs will do it themselves. Unfortunately, even if the child isn’t hurt, they both suffer when a dog bites a child. Dogs end up being surrendered to shelters, and kids are traumatized. Most of the time, owners can prevent this entire situation by following the proper steps.
Owners should have their entire family attend a training class. In good training classes, you learn how to respect your dog. Children learn how to understand the dog’s behavior. Even the best pet owners who want to socialize their dog with children need to recognize that dogs sometimes need boundaries. As a good owner, you want to respect that and teach your children to do the same.
Not Teasing the Dog
For one, children need to know that they should not tease the dog or throw things in the dog’s direction. They may want to play fetch with the new puppy, but it’s a skill that your new dog won’t know right away. Instead, dogs see a projectile coming at them, and it can scare them. They react by nipping because they don’t like it.
Before moving forward with an activity like that, make sure the dog is comfortable around the child while the child is calm around the dog. Children also should not run or scream around the dog because it could startle your furball. Activities like these can trigger a fight or flight instinct in your dog, and you want to protect your children from the fight.
Proper Petting Is a Must
Children should never go up to an unfamiliar dog and expect to be able to pet it. Kids should also never be unsupervised around a familiar or unfamiliar dog if they do not know how to pet the dog properly. There’s a right way and a wrong way to do so, and it always starts with asking permission.
Ask owners for permission first when the dog is unfamiliar. If the owner declines, respect it because the owner knows the dog better than you do and is probably saying no for a reason. If the owner agrees, then you need to ask the dog for permission by putting an open hand where the dog can see it. Let the dog sniff you, and if the dog is accepting, you or your child can pet the dog. If the dog snaps or gives off a low growl, leave the dog alone and don’t force the petting.
Never Tug on a Dog’s Tail
Because kids are generally unfamiliar with being around dogs, they test boundaries without knowing the likely outcomes. Children will pull on ears or tails sometimes, and that can hurt the dog. Kids don’t usually intend to hurt the dog, but when it happens, don’t be surprised if a dog nips at your child. The dog is saying it doesn’t like it and wants it to stop.
The right thing to do is to leave the dog alone and give it some space. When dogs feel confined or put in an uncomfortable situation, they want to get out of it. Nipping or biting can be the result, but it’s not the dog’s fault. It’s the person’s fault for not respecting the dog’s space. This behavior can be helped with training, but it will take time.
There Might Be a Problem
Even with the best training and no history of aggression, sometimes a dog’s behavior can change suddenly. It might be more irritable because of something completely unrelated to you or your child. Maybe your dog is in pain and doesn’t know how to express it. Perhaps it’s your dog’s way of saying it needs medical attention right away.
When behavior changes suddenly, you want to get to a vet as soon as possible. There are several reasons a dog’s behavior can seem out of the ordinary. A painful urinary tract infection can be enough to make anyone jumpy. Maybe your dog has pulled a muscle from playing too hard and is in pain. As an owner, it’s up to you to recognize this to prevent the dog from nipping or biting.
The Bottom Line
Dogs can’t tell you why they nip at your child. It’s up to you to manage the situation and do your best to avoid it as much as possible. Kids need to learn not to tease the dog and pet it correctly, in addition to respecting the dog’s space. Children also need help understanding this because it’s not always the dog’s fault. The only time that it might be purely because of the dog is when there is a sudden change, in which case you need to make an appointment with your vet.
