LITTLE ROCK — DEAR READERS: Friendly dogs are just that, and unfriendly dogs can bite! According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 4 million dog bites are reported annually. Many of these bites require medical care or even reconstructive surgery. Sadly,children 5 to 9 years old are at the highest risk.
What can you do to teach your children about dogs, their behaviorand the fact that some bite? If a dog growls or doesn’t seem nice, it probably isn’t.
When children come in contact with strange dogs, here are some safety hints they should know and follow. Teach them these hints, and practice and stress these points every so often:
Don’t walk right up to or try to pet a strange dog, even if it is tied up.
Don’t stare directly into a strange dog’s eyes - this could mean a challenge.
If a strange dog comes toward you, stay still! Don’t move, yell or run. This seems counter to your instinct, but it’s what the experts say. The dog may think that you are prey or that it’s a game if you move.
Teach young children that if a dog bites them, they should tell an adult what happened and what the dog looks like as soon as possible.
Talk to your children about good and bad dogs, and good and not-good behavior, so hopefully they won’t be bitten.
DEAR READERS: When getting a pet, research the kind that you’re interested in. Each pet has pluses and minuses. For example, dogs are great companions, but there are different exercise requirements among breeds. Labradors, golden retrievers and border collies require a lot of exercise. Pugs, Pekingese, and Chihuahuas need little. Most cats are independent, don’t play fetch, and most likely won’t want to go for a run!
Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000; fax to (210) 435-6473; or e-mail
HomeStyle, Pages 37 on 02/26/2011