Redwood Coast K9 Academy hosts Dog Bite Prevention class for students

Students at Scotia Elementary were taught today about dog bite prevention. 

“Every day, 11,000 people in the United States are bitten by dogs. Most are children and most by their own dogs. So, you know, working with rescue dogs and shelters, the dogs that are turned into the shelters a lot of times, they made one mistake, in a lot of times, that was because they were warning the kid about something that they didn’t like”, says Janna Campillo, owner of Redwood K9 Academy. 

Prevention can take many forms, starting with a change to the way we approach dogs in the home. 

“A Little separation is good. But also talking to the kids about the do’s and don’ts you know, of not not reaching into the food bowl and not grabbing for their toys, not grabbing their ears, no hugs. That’s a big one. Dogs a lot of times don’t want to be hugged because it reminds them of being restrained. Like when they go to the veterinary clinic”, Campillo says. 

Parents have a part to play too, however, as it is important to recognise your child and dog are not the same. 

“I think it’s important for parents to realize, too, that little kids, toddlers and dogs are the toughest combination. So having safe boundaries, using crates, not giving your dog specific items that they want to protect when the children are around in the living room with them, you know, having baby gates up and having specific areas for your dogs to be able to have their own space away from the kids and to get a little bit of decompression time, too”, she said. 

Even if you don’t have kids, there are ways you can socialize your pet to avoid an incident. 

“That window of opportunity closes by maximum 16 weeks of age, and that is when a dog becomes fully vaccinated. So when you miss the early socialization window, the dog becomes naturally more aware for, where he, I should say, for the rest of their life”, she says. 

Story by Tucker Caraway