FARGO — As part of National Dog Bite Prevention Week, Sanford Health is encouraging families to teach children safe habits when interacting with dogs to help avoid future injuries.
Recognizing a dog’s body language and asking the owner for permission before approaching are among the key lessons experts recommend teaching children.
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“If a dog is backing away, licking its mouth, or widening its eyes, it may be uncomfortable and now might not be a good time to pet it,” said Trisha Baker, a child passenger safety technician with Sanford.
Baker said even small measures — like keeping interactions brief — can help avoid escalating an uncomfortable situation.
“With even some of us, when we do a handshake, we don’t stay there forever,” Baker said. “It makes it weird and uncomfortable. So go ahead, give a couple scratches, two to three scratches, and stand off and then kind of see the dog’s behavior at that point.”
If a bite does occur, Baker advises remaining calm, applying pressure to the wound, and asking the dog’s owner if the pet is up to date on vaccinations. Medical care may be necessary, depending on the severity of the bite.
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