Don’t Run! What Every Parent Should Teach a Child About Dogs

Back-to-school season changes the rhythm of our neighborhoods. Children are walking to bus stops, riding bicycles, cutting through neighborhoods and coming home with backpacks and lunch boxes. At the same time, gates get left open, dogs escape yards, and children may find themselves unexpectedly sharing a sidewalk or street with a dog they don't know.

Dog bites involving children tend to be more common during the summer months. One pediatric hospital study involving 551 children found that June and July accounted for 24.1% of the dog-bite injuries treated during the study period. Grade-school children ages 6 to 12 made up 51% of the patients. Another national study of pediatric hospitalizations concluded that children younger than 11 were at greatest risk, particularly during summer.

But the end of summer isn't the end of the risk.

And while a loose dog on the way home from school makes an easy scenario to picture, there's something important parents need to understand:

An unfamiliar dog isn't the only dog that can bite.

According to the CDC, children are more likely than adults to be bitten by dogs, and their injuries tend to be more severe. Most bites involving young children actually happen during ordinary activities with familiar dogs. The CDC also emphasizes that any dog can bite.

That means dog-bite prevention needs two layers: teaching children what to do during an unexpected encounter and making sure adults create safer situations in the first place.

Three Rules Children Can Remember

A frightened child isn't likely to remember a long list of instructions.

That's why I prefer three simple situations and three simple responses.

1. You see a dog you don't know.

Don't approach it. Don't try to pet it.

Children don't need to decide whether a strange dog looks friendly. They don't need to interpret its tail, ears or body posture.

Make the rule simple:

Don't pet dogs you don't know.

If a child sees a loose dog, particularly one that appears lost or injured, the child should find an adult rather than trying to catch, feed or rescue the dog.

The CDC specifically advises people not to approach an unfamiliar dog, even if it appears friendly or healthy, and recommends contacting animal control about a dog running loose.

Compassion is wonderful. But helping a frightened, injured or unfamiliar animal is an adult job.

2. A loose dog comes toward you.

Don't run. Stay quiet. Avoid direct eye contact.

Running can be a child's instinctive response when frightened, which is exactly why this lesson needs to be practiced before an encounter happens.

The CDC recommends remaining still and calm when an unfamiliar dog approaches, avoiding direct eye contact, turning the body somewhat sideways and waiting for the dog to pass or slowly backing away. A person can also say “no” or “go home” in a firm voice.

For children riding bicycles, the same basic principle applies: don't turn the situation into a race with the dog. If it is safe to stop and dismount, the bicycle may become something the child can keep between themselves and the dog while slowly moving away.

None of these actions guarantees that a dog won't attack.

That's an important distinction.

We aren't teaching children a magic technique for stopping a dog attack. We are giving them actions that may decrease their risk and a plan to follow instead of relying on panic.

3. The dog attacks or knocks you down.

Cover your head and call for help.

If knocked to the ground, the CDC recommends curling into a ball, tucking the head and covering the ears and neck with the hands. A bag, jacket or similar object can also be placed between the person and the dog.

For a school-age child, that backpack they're already carrying may become a useful barrier.

Parents might also consider a child-safe emergency whistle for a child who walks or bikes to school or waits at a bus stop without an adult nearby.

The purpose of the whistle is important: it is not a dog deterrent.

Don't teach a child that blowing a whistle will scare away or stop an attacking dog. Instead, it can be one more way to summon nearby adults if an attack has occurred and the child needs help.

If you give your child a whistle, make sure it is easily accessible and practice when it should—and shouldn't—be used.

Younger Children Face Different Risks

The statistics become particularly concerning when we look at very young children.

A systematic review encompassing 43 studies and 86,880 pediatric patients found that children younger than 9 carried the greatest burden of dog-bite injuries, while children younger than 6 were at greater risk of severe injuries involving the head, neck and face.

We also have research much closer to home.

A study involving 740 dog-bite patients at Arkansas Children's Hospital and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences found that children younger than 5 were more than eight times as likely to require an operative repair and more than four times as likely to suffer a bite to the head or neck. They were also nearly three times as likely to have been bitten by a family dog.

That last statistic matters.

We naturally teach children to be cautious around strange dogs. But familiarity can create a false sense of security.

The family dog is still a dog.

Young children should be supervised around dogs—even dogs they know and even trusted family pets. That's also the CDC's current recommendation.

Why Do We See More Bites During Warmer Months?

More children are outside. More dogs are outside. Families travel, visit parks, attend gatherings and spend more time in places where people and dogs interact.

Research also suggests environmental conditions may play a role.

A 2023 study published in Scientific Reports examined 69,525 reported dog bites across eight U.S. cities over ten years. Researchers found that bite incidence increased as temperature, ultraviolet radiation and ozone increased and decreased on rainy days and holidays.

That doesn't mean we can simply say, “Heat makes dogs aggressive.” The study found an association, and changing patterns of interaction between humans and dogs may also contribute.

For pet owners, the practical lesson is simpler: environmental conditions, activity levels, stress and opportunities for interaction can all change. Awareness matters.

Prevention Starts With Adults

We cannot put the entire responsibility for preventing dog bites on children.

If you own a dog, make sure your dog is safely contained or under your control.

Check gates. Check fences. Repair loose boards. Make sure children haven't accidentally left a gate unlatched. Use a leash when appropriate.

Pay particular attention during busy before- and after-school hours when children may be walking, biking and gathering at bus stops.

And if a loose dog repeatedly appears in your neighborhood, report it to your local animal control agency or appropriate local authority.

Don't wait until a child has an encounter.

Inside the home, adult supervision matters just as much. Young children should not be left unsupervised with dogs, including the family dog.

If a Dog Bite Happens

Even a bite that doesn't initially look serious deserves attention because dog bites can introduce bacteria and cause infection. The CDC reports that nearly 1 in 5 people bitten by a dog requires medical attention.

Get the child away from the dog and to a safe location. Wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water and seek medical advice based on the location and severity of the injury.

If the dog is unfamiliar or its rabies vaccination status is unknown, that information becomes especially important. Contact the appropriate medical provider and local authorities rather than trying to locate or capture the dog yourself.

Serious wounds, uncontrolled bleeding, deep punctures, bites involving the face, head or hands, or any injury causing significant concern warrant prompt medical evaluation.

And remember that an attack can frighten a child even after the physical injuries have begun to heal. Pay attention to emotional changes too—fear of dogs, nightmares, reluctance to walk the same route or anxiety about returning outside may deserve support.

Practice Before It's Needed

Ask your child three questions:

You see a dog you don't know. What do you do?

A loose dog approaches you. What do you do?

The dog attacks or knocks you down. What do you do?

Then practice the answers.

Children practice fire drills so the response is familiar before an emergency happens.

Dog safety deserves the same preparation.

We can't prepare our children for every situation, and we can't promise that following these steps will prevent every dog bite or attack.

But we can give them simple actions that may decrease their risk. We can make sure they know what to do if something goes wrong. And as adults, we can do our part to reduce the chance that they ever need those skills.

The first time your child hears “Don't run!” shouldn't be when an unfamiliar dog is running toward them.

Preparedness is a practiced skill.