Is Your Dog Really Comfortable Around Your Kids? How to Read Their Body Language

Every year, hundreds of thousands of children between the ages of 5 and 9 seek medical attention due to dog bites. Making that statistic even scarier? Most dog attacks happen in familiar places, like the family home. And if we go further down the rabbit hole, 77% of biting dogs were owned by the victim's family, a relative, or a friend of the family.

Read that again.

Now that you've really digested that fact, let's discuss the obvious: Pet parents and dog owners have a hard time recognizing dogs' body language around children. The best way to prevent a dog attack is to recognize when the dog is feeling anxious, stressed, or showing signs of aggression. To circumvent such a catastrophe, parents must be able to spot the difference between "I'm enjoying this interaction with children" and "I'm worried that if this interaction doesn't stop, I might have to take matters into my own paws."

As a veteran pet writer who spends a lot of time around dogs, I've seen plenty of accidents that could have been prevented. So, let's explore how you can avoid disaster by understanding dogs' body language around children.

Why Understanding Dogs’ Body Language Is Crucial

When dogs dislike something, they typically try to communicate that message. Initially, they will try to vacate the area. If that fails, they'll attempt to back themselves as far away as possible. They may then become anxious, clearly showing signs they are uncomfortable, like moving rapidly from one place to another and making noises. If the problem persists, dogs will go into protective mode and growl, bark, and snarl.

In the worst-case scenario, if you don't react by removing your dog from the situation or whatever is causing the reactive behavior, your dog may not feel like it has any other option than to snap. You obviously do not want to let it reach this stage.

Tolerating vs. Enjoying Interactions

What might seem like a dog who enjoys playing with children could actually be a dog that tolerates the interaction and cannot wait for it to finish. While most dogs will have no issues with children playing with them and interacting, there is a subtle difference between a dog that enjoys the play and one that is "fine" with it. Identifying that difference can prevent future accidents since a dog that tolerates the interaction will be quicker to react when children cross the line.

"A dog that is tolerating the interaction is likely to experience some level of anxiety or distress. These can be manifested by sudden changes in the activity level of the dog and direct escape behavior," explains Petros Deligiannis, an animal scientist specializing in dog behavior.

"For example, if a low-energy dog suddenly becomes overly active in the presence of a child or a high-energy dog starts to move slowly and freeze — those are clear signs of anxiety," Deligiannis says. "On the other hand, a dog that enjoys interacting with children will be more likely to have a relaxed body posture, approach a child voluntarily, and in some cases engage in playful behaviors, such as offering a toy to be thrown or play-bowing."

Deligiannis says the best way to test whether the puppy is happy interacting with children is to have your child move away from the dog and have the two stop the interaction for a few moments. Then, see whether the dog moves closer to the child and engages in playing. There is no better signal that the dog is happy playing and wants the fun to continue. However, if the dog moves away as well, he needs space, and it is better to let him have it.

Ignoring Leads to Accidents

Parents sometimes allow children to interact with dogs displaying stress signals and warning signs — I've seen this plenty of times. Milo, my dog, for example, is fine when there are one to two children around. But when three or more children come to pet him, he backs off. That is when I jump in, explaining to their parents or the children that Milo is afraid and it's best that we leave. In this scenario, it's the right way to be a responsible guardian and caregiver.

Dogs can think, feel, and socialize like every other individual. So, the worst thing you can do is ignore your dog's behavior. Here are common warning signs to pay attention to:

• Uncomfortable dogs seem to freeze and become tense, even when lying down.
• Their face becomes tense around the eyes or mouth.
• Dogs suddenly close their mouth, stiffen up, and exhibit side eyes — aka "whale eyes" (turning their head slightly away but keeping their eyes fixed on a person or object).
• Turn their head or body away from an approaching child.
• Growling, a clear and urgent warning that any further interaction should stop.

When to Intervene

One major mistake you can make is to sit idly by while children climb on your dog, pull their ears, or yank their tail. Yes, it might look cute, and you might even laugh about how patient your pup is. But there will come a point when the dog has had enough, and if you aren't there to prevent escalation, it might lead to an incident. Here are three scenarios when you should intervene:

• The dog shows stress signals like yawning, lip licking without eating food, and growling.
• Your child attempts to ride the dog.
• Children pull the dog's ears, poke the dog, yank their tails, or anything in between.

How to Resolve (& Prevent) Accidents

Nobody wants to see accidents happen. But once they do, how should you resolve the issue and prevent it from happening again in the future?

First and foremost, never leave young children and dogs unsupervised. A mere second can turn a safe interaction into an emotional trauma. If you cannot actively supervise the play, use a barrier to prevent the two from interacting in your absence.

Karis Nafte, a dog behavior expert, offers a hard truth for parents.

"Never punish a bite. I know, as a parent myself, that the instinct to shout at or hit a dog that has hurt a child or seems to be threatening is totally understandable," she says, continuing, "However, if a dog has, for any reason, gotten to the point where they have nipped a child, punishment will only make it worse. A dog who bites a child already feels unsafe, unsure, scared, and trapped. It is better to understand why the bite happened and work with your dog so that it feels relaxed, happy, and calm around children. Punishment does the opposite."

The best course of action is to move the child safely away and remain calm — your screaming and crying can further traumatize the child.

How Scolding a Dog Can Backfire

Among the many signals dogs give that they do not feel comfortable in a situation, growling is the clearest. Dogs use growling to send a signal to others: "Go away."

It's for that very reason that Nafte says you shouldn't scold a dog who growls. "The worst thing a parent can do is shout at a dog who growls because if it happens over and over, you will simply teach the dog not to growl, or that its growls are ineffective," Nafte says. "That can lead, in the worst-case scenario, to a dog who bites out of the blue. Dogs don't bite for no reason, but dogs may learn that they have no way of asking for space other than using their teeth."

Instead, the proper response would be to move the child away and safely separate the two. Let your dog decompress with a quiet walk or a quiet space. The next time your dog and children interact, pay attention to everything. Little details — Was there food around? Was the dog chewing a bone? Did the child try to hug the dog? — can help you identify the trigger.

Things Parents Need to Teach Children About Dogs

Let’s talk a bit about canine common sense. The more we teach children these precautions, the more incidents we can prevent:

• Never go up running to a dog you do not know.
• Wait for the dog to come to you and show their willingness to be petted.
• Avoid hugging dogs or kissing them on the face.
• Do not bother a dog during mealtime.
• Do not disturb a sleeping dog.
• If a dog growls, stop what you are doing and take a step back.
• Do not try to take a bone or a toy from a dog’s mouth.

Dogs are not the only ones who need training; children also need to know how to interact with the animals around them. Whether you own a pet or your children just love dogs, try to repeat these tips as often as possible to help keep kids and canines safe.