Christmas is the most sociable time of the year and while most dogs love attention, sometimes it can get too much – especially when there are children around.
Older, hot and bothered dogs may be prone to irritability and high volumes of noise may also increase excitement or irritability, which can lead to bites.
Auckland Council Animal Management advisers say if your dog turns its head away, walks away from the attention, or looks to you while getting attention from someone else, they may be asking for help.
“While your dog may be friendly and good with people and children most of the time, sometimes it can get too much for them,” says Nikki Marchant-Ludlow, Manager, Animal Management.
“Even though they appear not to mind being cuddled and petted – or sat on – they are often just trying to be well-behaved, despite being extremely uncomfortable.”
Nikki advises dog owners to protect their pet at social functions.
“Give them a break from children and/or excessive excitement, even though they appear not to mind. Speak to children who may be new to your dog about how they should interact with it, and don’t leave children unattended with a dog,” she says.
Download the app
In New Zealand there are over 9,900 dog bites a year with the most likely victims being children aged 5-9 year-olds. Over 75 per cent of these incidents happen in the home environment, with a dog that is known to the child.
A lot of these incidents happen due to a lack of education around dog safety. However it is the dog that is often blamed and in many cases, put to sleep.
A Dog’s Story is an interactive adventure app that teaches children dog safety and how to read dog behaviour.
This is a great free resource for those who have dogs, or are visiting someone with a dog over the holidays. This app is easy to use, offers clear lessons about how to approach dogs, and aims to reduce dog-related harm to children.
Download A Dog’s Story for free from the iTunes store.
