Kids and dogs can seem like a great combination – and they can be. Unfortunately, they can also be the road to a serious injury. Whether you’re a dog owner and your child is used to being around dogs all the time, or your child is rarely around dogs, it’s important to ensure that your child knows how to act around strange dogs.
Read on to learn more about how to keep your kids safe from dog bites. If your child has already been bitten by a dog and you suspect that the bite was the result of its owner acting negligently or recklessly, then you may have grounds for a personal injury lawsuit. Call Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 today for a free legal consultation to find out what your options are.
Dog bites are likely more common than you know
Did you know that nearly five million people are bitten by dogs every year? That’s according to a study done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 50% of those bitten by dogs are children. Most people who imagine a dog bite thing about a vicious dog or an aggressive pooch that’s let off its leash. The reality is that it’s much more likely that you’ll know the dog that bites you or your child. As a result, it’s important to follow a few simple rules to help lower your risk of being bitten by a dog.
Many dogs bite because they’re scared or startled
In many cases, a dog becomes scared or startled and bites out as a natural reflex. This is why it’s never wise to let a young child play alone with a dog without at least being supervised. It doesn’t matter how nice the dog has been in the past – if it gets startled or scared by a young child doing something as simple as squealing, it can bite.
Next, make sure that you and your children don’t mess with dogs when they’re eating, sleeping, or caring for their puppies. If the dog is getting its own food or giving food to its puppies, then its instincts will tell it to protect that food. If it’s sleeping and is touched by a person, it may not realize what’s happening before it strikes out and bites out of fear.
How to prevent your dog from biting people
If you have a dog and want to lower your chances of being involved in a personal injury lawsuit after it bites someone, then obviously the best option is to keep it from biting anyone in the first place. Start this by not playing aggressively with your dog. You know where the line between play and danger lies, but your dog doesn’t.
Next, if you see that your dog is aggressive or seems protective of their food or toys, get professional help. These are things that can be taught out of your dog but if you simply let it go, you could end up living with the guilt of a child being injured and the financial burden of paying for it.
