Have you taught your kids what to do when they are encountered by a dog they don’t know? We’ve taught our boys the basics: ask an owner if you can pet their dog before getting close to the dog and don’t approach a dog that is off its leash. Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medicine Center did a study and found that 43 percent of children between the ages of 5 and 15 failed a simple dog-bite-prevention test. Here is the dog-bite test given to kids. Check it out and let us know how your kids did.
1. You are at a friend’s house and their dog is tied in the yard; do you pet the dog?
2. Your cousin’s dog is playing with a toy; do you run up and take the toy?
3. A mommy dog is nursing her puppies; do you try to pet her or the puppies?
4. Your uncle gets a new dog; do you ask him before petting the dog?
5. Walking home from the bus stop, a strange dog comes near you and starts barking; do you run away?
6. A dog you have never seen before is sniffing a tree in the neighbor’s yard; do you reach out and try to grab the dog?
7. A dog you don’t know runs up to you; do you stand very still and wait for the dog to walk away?
8. Should you pet this dog?
9. Should You Pet This Dog?
10. Should You Pet This Dog?
11. Should You Pet This Dog?
12. Should You Pet This Dog?
Answers: 1-No; 2-No; 3-No; 4-Yes; 5-No; 6-No; 7-Yes; 8-12-No to all.
Source: The Journal of Pediatrics
