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The Dangers of Assuming that Your Dog is Safe with Children

July 1, 2015

As a Salt Lake City dog trainer, I have heard many people say the following: “My dog is great with children and would never bite a child.”  First of all you can never say that an animal will never bite.  Any dog will bite if provoked.  Yep any dog.  So what exactly can trigger a bite in the most friendliest of dogs?  How can we become aware of situations so we aren’t the person says: “I have no idea why my dog bit my child!  I didn’t see it coming.  There were no signs. It happened and was unprovoked.”  Most dogs show multiple warning signs before biting.  It is time to be an educated dog owner and learn those signs.

From Living with Kids and Dogs …Without Loosing Your Mind by Colleen Pelar, CPDT “Every year, nearly 2.8 million children are bitten by a dog. Boys are bitten nearly twice as often as girls, children between 5 and 9 old are the most at risk.  Most of these bites come from a dog that belongs to the family or a friend.” Here is a great resource from Best Friends Animal Society on dog bite statistics.

Below are some situations that can cause your dog to bite your child or another child.  Keep in mind this also applies to your friends’ dogs.

1.) Touching by a child can trigger many dogs.  Of course many dogs are great with just soft petting, however, be aware that if your dog is not use to your child then regular petting can also trigger your dog.  Hugging, hair pulling, rough patting, etc can definitely trigger many dogs.  There is rarely a dog that loves any of the these rough methods of touching.  Sure your dog may tolerate it.  However, if your dog doesn’t enjoy it, you are increasing the chance that you dog may bite one day.  He may have not bitten in the past and then one day after months of tolerating this brutal handling, your dog, decides he is done with taking it, so he bites.  Yep it happens and it isn’t as rare as you might think.

Teach your child to interact your dog in healthy ways.  Such as petting softly and not allowing your child to hug your dog.

2.) A child that doesn’t give a dog space while he is eating can also create a potential hazard for a bite.  This could be something as simple as having your child walk by your dog’s food bowl while he is eating or just petting your dog while he is eating.

Your dog needs space when he is eating from his food bowl or when he is eating crumbs / treats off of the floor.

3.) Of course not honoring your dog’s personal space can be a huge trigger.  This space could be something as simple as your dog laying on his bed.  It could also be a more complex situation.  You are holding your child in your arms.  Your dog comes up to you and is your child is excited to see your dog.  You set your child down immediately in front of your dogs face.  Of course your dog is not going to be happy with something falling from the sky and landing directly in front of his eyes.  A great personal example is entering the house with my daughter.  Seiki comes running to the door and when I walk into the door with my daughter Seiki has his face right there in front of us.  Iris walks directly into Seiki.  I see the danger in the situation and am now teaching Iris to wait at the door while Seiki is given a command to go to his bed which is far away from the door.  Then I tell Iris to give Seiki his space while he is on his bed.

4.) Throwing objects and waving hands in your dog face can create your dog to be uncomfortable as well.  I think this one is a bit more obvious.  However, keep in mind with toddlers these behaviors happen quickly.   You can use baby gates, crates, closed doors, etc to keep your dog separated from your child when he is in hyper mode.  Also remember to constantly redirect and teach your child to be more conscious with his toys and hands around your dog.

5.) Trigger stacking is one that will catch most dog owners off guard.  This means that multiple stressful stimuli happen all at once or consecutively.  Your dog’s stress level builds quickly and then reacts.  Let me give you a example.  Your dog is eating out of his food bowl.  Your dog is actually very friendly while he is eating.  However, this day your daughter is excited about a toy that is accidentally left by your dog’s food bowl.  The floor is also wet from your dog drinking water.  Your daughter knows to give your dog while he is eating and forgets in this moment because she is excited about her toy.  Trigger #1: Your daughter begins screaming in excitement about her toy.  Trigger #2: She is still screaming and walks toward the eating dog. Trigger #3: She slips on the spilled water on the floor and the sudden fall creates even more stress on the dog. Trigger #4: Your child lands on your dog’s food while he eating during the fall.  Trigger #5: The fall is hard and your daughter cries. Now that we have 5 different stressful stimuli happening at once your poor child gets a bite to her face!  Please be aware of trigger stacking.

The more responsive your dog is to obedience commands, the more easily it will be to prevent a bite when your dog becomes triggered by your child.  Here are some great commands to train: Go to your place, leave it and come.

Learning to read your dog’s behavior is paramount and takes effort.  Begin learning now.  Here is a list of links to read to learn more about dog behavior: Reading Dog Behavior Post 1, Reading Dog Behavior Post 2, Reading Dog Behavior Post 3, and Reading Dog Behavior Post 4

Click on safety and your dog to find more tips.

If you need support in keeping your child and your dog comfortable, begin dog training. Salt Lake City has many positive reinforcement dog trainers that you can hire.

Your Turn

What have you learned to increase your child’s safety around dogs?

Namaste!
Johanna Teresi, Professional Trainer and Owner of Four Legged Scholars LLC Dog Training, Salt Lake City

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I would highly recommend Four Legged Scholars training. Johanna Teresi was amazing and very patient with us. We have... not had a pet in our house for over 25 years. Hazel is a high energy terrier pup. We had issues with her jumping on ppl, barking a lot, distracted easily, crate training. These are the highlighted ones that we needed help with. After each session we had homework. We had our training online which worked out very well. Hazel was not distracted but this type of training and Johanna could walk us through each training with Hazel being non the wiser. With the homework came a training plan and videos and the instructions so if I forgot the process I could go back to the videos she took with us in it and review. This help many times and I have and will continue to refer to them. I am so glad we searched out and found Johanna as I am not sure where we would be today. Our training will always be on going but I know I have the lessons and Johanna to fall back on for refresher. Thank you again Johanna I loved the experience.read more
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Johanna is absolutely amazing! I worked with her some years ago and the training has paid off time and time again. My... dog and I had been thru an abusive relationship and my dog no longer trusted people. She was aggressive and terrified and I wanted to help her. Johanna taught me how to recognize my dogs body language and how to react to what she is doing. I learned to realize when my dog was becoming overwhelmed so I could intervene and prevent something from happening. My dog hasn’t needed a muzzle for almost 4 years now. I live in high rise condo in the middle of Atlanta. She lets strangers love on her in the elevators and at the dog walk. Tail is always wagging! She has come such a long way from then and I am so grateful for Four Legged Scholars!! She also helped train my parents dogs even longer ago! Absolutely amazing! ♥️read more
Robyn Dawn Jones
Robyn Dawn Jones
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Johanna is amazing trainer! You won’t regret using Four Legged Scholars!
Krista Schindler Nordholt
Krista Schindler Nordholt
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What a pleasure it was working with Joanna in live personalized online one on one training sessions. I have trained... dogs in puppy training classes at our local pet stores. This method of instruction was so much more personalized to our dog. We were struggling with our standard schnauzers barking during busy times in our household and having difficulties during hikes. Joanna watched videos of Damian during hikes and gave us ideas for training his difficult behaviors. After Joanna watched Damian barking during hectic times in our home she set up a training strategy. It truly took one week to reverse this negative behavior. We learned so much during our sessions. We would record his progress and then Joanna would build off Damian’s success. I would highly recommend this form of training.read more
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If you are looking for a trainer who will be your partner and educate you on the process and methodology/science of... your training as well as accountability on your part, Four Legged Scholars is the right place.read more
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Working with Johanna was a great experience! She is so knowledgable and kind. Her approach is comprehensive and... positive and I am much more confident in regards to managing and improving my dog's behavior now that I have been through her course.read more
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I would like to thank Johanna of Four Legged Scholars for a job well done. She is very good at explaining the steps... that are needed to get the job done. I would highly recommend her. Charlie..Mantuaread more
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I would like to recommend Johanna at Four Legged Schlors!! We have a six year old German Shepherd that had never been... leash trained and had lots of anxiety. Johanna worked and encouraged us with good training tips that worked amazing for our dog. She is such a different dog at the end of eight weeks we could never have imagined.read more
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Not only does Johanna know her dog stuff (she really does!), but she knows her people stuff, too! Johanna is a... compassionate person who will treat both you and your dog with respect and empathy. She will ease your worries and help you feel confident. You will not only see great results, but you will feel good about your training and relationship with your dog!read more
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I contacted Johanna at Four Legged Scholars because our puppy was biting a lot more than any of us expected and I was... concerned. Johanna came and quickly reassured us that this was normal behavior and then proceded to come up with a plan that worked for our family to train our puppy. We immediately felt relieved. She gave us many tools and support. We have a well behaved puppy and people are very impressed at her behavior already. We are very grateful for Johannas professional guidance!read more
Anne Rubin
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I would like to thank Johanna and The Four Legged Scholar dog training program. Through a positive outlook and... positive dog training, my little four month old Teddy is turning into a joy to be with. Johanna is a gifted trainer. She has a deep understanding of dogs and their view of the world, which helps us humans understand a lot about their behavior. Johanna understands the complexities of training and helps the trainer to maintain a calmness that transfers to the dog. When the dog misbehaves, Johanna teaches to redirect your own thinking and take action that promote the behavior you want to see in your dog. Johanna is there for you every step of the way. She is interested in your dog and eager to hear of your successes. She helps you re-frame “failure” as a learning experience so that you can continue to be positive and have only positive experiences with your dog. Teddy and I are both much happier now that The Four legged Scholar program has been in our life. Thanks, Johanna.read more
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SO grateful to have found Johanna! We were having trouble with our 1 year old lab Laney. She was afraid of people,... jumped on us, walked horribly on a leash, ran to the door when someone was there and barked at everyone that walked by. We were given the tools to help us change Laney’s behavior. Johanna was wonderful and easy to work with. She is very knowledgeable and able to help us understand what she was doing and why. Highly recommend!!!read more
Dave McCoy
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Four Legged Scholars provided our family with the expertise and guidance needed to train our new puppy Drew. Trainer... Johanna Teresi was the perfect person to help us! Johanna's calm demeanor, excellent knowledge, and organized approach allayed any fears that we had about training Drew. He responded well to her weekly visits. We learned wonderful techniques and Johanna clearly explained the best ways to employ these training tactics. My family wholeheartedly recommends Four Legged Scholars, and Johanna Teresi, as fantastic and caring solutions when one considers the best method to train your dog. Dave McCoy Ravenna, Ohioread more
Amanda Lynn
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We are so grateful for Johanna! She helped us out tremendously with training our hyper active husky puppy, Shadow. Her... tips and training methods were just what we needed. Not only are her training methods something to use in the moment but something we will continue to in our everyday life. Our puppy's behavior has improved so much already, we know we made the right choice by going with Johanna as our trainer!💛read more
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Johanna was wonderful with our new puppy, Frankie. After one day of crate training with her, he mastered it and gives... us no problem when it's time for him to go in! I would highly recommend her:)read more
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As first time dog owners my husband and I needed some help training over energetic puppy! After a couple weeks, our... friends and my husband and I noticed a huge change for the better in our puppy! The training classes helped and changed our busy lives for the best!!!!read more
Trina Bodily
Trina Bodily
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Ohio is so lucky to have you. Four Legged Scholars training is amazing. I've trained 2 Border Collies with Johanna and... we learned so much and still use the techniques we learned in class all the time. You are so missed in Salt Lake City!read more
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Wendy Nighswonger
Wendy Nighswonger
18:47 08 Jul 23
I have known Johanna for 13 years. She has helped me with several dogs, but she recently helped me train my new black lab puppy, Raven. I have moved to another state so all of my training with Raven was done online via Zoom. I believe that the one-on-one training I received through Zoom was more personalized and thorough, especially with the way Johanna placed every ounce of training and recommendation on a board through an app that I can refer back when I need. Johanna is very intuitive and knew when stress was on overload for me, therefore tailoring my training for that day around making Raven feel good while simultaneously taking my stress load down. Johanna has years of experience and while her knowledge is a gold mine, it is her gentle patience and love for her clients that make this training so perfect. I would hire her again and again. She is a true canine whisperer. Thank you Four Legged Scholars and thank you Johanna!Wendy N. ~ Oregon
Christina Richards
Christina Richards
18:13 10 Feb 23
Johanna at Four Legged Scholars is great. She tailored my program to fit my needs and was easy to work with. My puppy responded very well to what she taught us together over Zoom. She's patient and understanding. We're still utilizing the things we learned and he's a well-behaved puppy. Thank you!
Karyl Bennion
Karyl Bennion
19:49 05 Feb 23
I adopted Frida as a companion that I could travel, walk and hike with. She loves to hike and walk but pulled on the leash and jumped at distractions. I learned how to be calm and talk in a non threatening way to her. She responds to this much better than yelling at her. The click and treat method that I learned works so well in getting her attention as well as the "target" training. Frida has improved greatly with these methods. I will continue the knowledge I have learned with her. I did the live on-line training and it was very successful. I am so happy we signed up.
Rachel Giddings
Rachel Giddings
02:57 12 Dec 22
My dog was abused in his previous home and has always been afraid of strangers. I wanted to train him and help him to be more confident, but I didn't know how to do that if he was afraid of his trainer.Doing online training with Joanna was perfect for both of us! Joanna helped me learn how to read my dog and understand his triggers. We then worked together on BAT training, which taught him self-soothing behaviors and showed him how to confidently and safely handle difficult situations. I never thought I would have fun doing homework with my dog, but he and I benefited from it tremendously. Working with Joanna via Zoom was perfect for my dog and me.
Shawn McMillen
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02:09 24 Oct 22
My 2 year old doodle was struggling with people walking by the house, barking incessantly, tugging on walks, improving recall when off leash and , for me, how to be a better more engaging human for my buddy. The personalized, online sessions exceeded all my expectations. The review of video homework sessions was awesome. We saw improvement in each of the priority areas and I developed real, tangible, lasting skills/tools to be a better pet person. Thanks Johanna!
Courtney Daniels
Courtney Daniels
19:59 12 Sep 22
12 years ago I got a puppy and quickly realized I was in over my head. I wanted to have a good, well trained dog, but I was overwhelmed by methods and my puppies behavior.I joined the four legged scholars puppy training with my little 4 month old puppy Bowie, and saw immediate understanding with the clicker work. It gave us this incredibly ability to communicate and she excelled.We went on to take several courses that established general obedience, helped me turn a STRONG leash puller into a loose leash master (I took that course twice because it was a huge issue for us and I NEEDED help and reassurance from Johanna that I could do it) as well as skill class, that helped solidify a beautiful relationship between us. Learning clicker shaping allowed me to confidently teach complex and unique commands on my own as well, like waving hello and closing kitchen cabinets.My Bowie has climbed to the top of mountains for me staying right by my side never pulling on her leash. I've targeted her off trails to protect her from startling a mama moose and her baby. She's loved on my kids without jumping on them and knocking them over. She's allowed the neighbor girl who has always had a fear of dogs to walk her without pulling at whatever pace she was comfortable with. She shows off with all her fun little tricks Johanna gave me the tools to train my dog into an amazing companion.I feel so lucky to have found your training program and to have the relationship I do with my Bowie girl. These courses have a profound and lasting impact on the lives of families and their pups, thank you for that gift.
Megan Pond-Maxwell
Megan Pond-Maxwell
16:02 18 May 22
I am so grateful to have found Johanna. She was with us every step of the way as we tackled separation anxiety training and reactivity training with Daisy, my Mini Australian Shepherd. As a first time dog owner, I felt at a loss about how to manage my very vocal, scared, stressed, yet loveable dog. She had all of the typical puppy behavior, such as jumping, nipping/biting, leash pulling, as well as barking. On top of that, she was also not able to be alone without feeling terrified, as well as vocally and behaviorally reactive to other dogs, adults, and kids. I felt completely overwhelmed and Johanna created programs that felt manageable and doable. Each training session, I felt understood and empowered working with Johanna. Over the course of our programs, I felt that we accomplished the steps of the training process, strengthened the dog-human relationship, and increased my own awareness of my dog's emotional cues so that I could better work with her. My dog can now be on her own feeling relaxed and playful, her problematic puppy behaviors have significantly improved, she can walk on her leash loosely, listen to commands, and she can better tolerate other adults, dogs, and children as compared to where we first started. Our online experience was very positive. I look forward to continually implementing the tools and skills we have learned along the way to move forward in a positive direction that strengthens our human-animal bond and reduces distressing behaviors and emotional stress and overwhelm. Thank you Four Legged Scholars! I highly, highly recommend working with Johanna.
Emily Harward
Emily Harward
03:36 24 Apr 22
Our rescue dog is sweet and playful with us, but her behavior around other dogs and people could be unpredictable. She would act aggressively around adults (lunging and barking), and would sometimes be aggressive toward other dogs. We chose to do online training with Johanna. I was skeptical that online training would work, but it ended up being very effective. Johanna taught me the skills I needed to train my dog, and provided resources that I could use throughout the week as I worked on the assigned tasks. I was also able to send her videos of me working with my dog, so she could provide feedback and help me improve. Johanna personalized the program and made changes as needed to ensure that I could meet my goals. Since working with Four Legged Scholars, neighbors have commented on how much better behaved my dog is, and I don't have to worry about her lunging and barking at people or other dogs when we are out for a walk anymore. We still have a lot of work to do with our dog, and I feel like doing the personalized online sessions with Johanna has given me the knowledge, and resources to continue training my dog.
Angel Lanoy
Angel Lanoy
15:22 16 Jun 21
We have a large family, including three big dogs. So when our biggest dog Obi, the Rottweiler, started showing aggression we panicked. The vet suggested we put him down after an experience in the office. He then said we could also try training and gave us Johanna's business card. Just a phone call with her made us feel like there was hope. We signed up to do the online sessions with FourLeggedScholars. The process from the first contact to the last was well oiled and very helpful. Obi gets to stay with our family now and we feel like meting with her has given us the guidance and knowledge we need to keep our family, friends and him safe. I was a tad worried about doing the training online, but it really worked out great and we were able to fit such a big task into our busy schedules. I feel like she set us up for success from the very beginning. Thank you.
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6 Comments

  1. kathiegregory

    Hi Johanna,
    This is a very important subject, so many people simply cannot imagine a situation where their dog might bite. The points you make are easily understandable for the owner to look at how they live with their dog and assess where they need to make changes to keep everyone safe.
    Really nice to have the links to understanding behaviour too. Take care kathie

    • fourleggedscholars

      Thanks Kathie!!! I am hoping many dog owners read this post and take it seriously. Knowing this stuff is so crucial to our children’s safety..huh? Thanks so much for visiting again! It is always great to read your comments! Namaste! Johanna

  2. Patricia

    Great blog! Love the tips! Having 2 kids and a dog, the information is perfect for us!

    • fourleggedscholars

      Hi Patricia! How old are you children? What did you find most beneficial from all of the information that you read? To safety and fun with your dog and your children! Namaste! Johanna

  3. Anjara

    great post, I love the topic of boundaries when we have dogs and kids. Most people worry about the dog hurting or scaring the kid, but What about the dog?. My dogs are very different around children, One of them loves playing with kids but the older one never really liked having kids around. She is very good with them, but she always has a hard time around kids.
    Very important lesson 🙂 thank you! <3

    • fourleggedscholars

      Anjara, I am glad you are acknowledging the differences between your two dogs! So very important! Thank you for honoring their dogs and listening to their communication with you!! Much love to you! Namaste! Johanna