Teaching kids to be safe around dogs.

I read a great article in the September issue of Parents. It is called "Beware of the Dog." It has some great tips on how to keep your kids safe. I had a frightening experience a little while ago. When my son was 5 months old, he was in his bouncy seat, with my husband right next to him. In a second's time, a dog ran into our yard and jumped on him and then backed up and started to bark. It was very scary and we were right there...it took a very long time for our son to settle down (us too!) but we were grateful that there was no physical damage. The article stated that 50% of all kids are nipped by a family pet, and another 40% are attacked by a friend's or neighbor's dog. The article also said that "older kids are bitten most often, but younger kids tend to get more serious bites on their head or neck."

The article tackles the following myths:

1. Some dogs are always good around children.
2. You can always pet your own dog.
3. Dressing up your dog is harmless fun.
4. Most dogs will instinctively protect a baby or young child.
5. When your dog wags its tail, it's happy.

Here is a link to West Valley City's Code's about animals.