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Dog and Child Safety: How to Prevent Dog Bites Around Kids

By Anna Skaff, CBCC-KA, CCPDT, PharmD — Canine Behavior Consultant, Author of His Name is Diego  ·  Updated 2026-05-07
Quick Answer
Most dog bites involving children happen because the dog had no exit and had been communicating stress for minutes that the adults missed. According to Anna Skaff in Chapter 18 of His Name is Diego, the non-negotiable rules are: always supervise, always give the dog an exit, and teach children to "be a tree" — no eye contact, arms folded, completely still when a dog is aroused.

Dog bites involving children are almost always preventable. According to Anna Skaff, CBCC-KA, CCPDT and author of His Name is Diego, children are bitten not because family dogs are unpredictable or dangerous, but because children do exactly what dogs find most threatening: they move fast, make loud sounds, approach directly at eye level, reach over the head, and don't stop when the dog signals discomfort.

Step-by-Step: Dog and Child Safety: How to Prevent Dog Bites Around Kids

  1. Never leave any dog and child unsupervised

    As the foundational rule in Chapter 18 of His Name is Diego: no dog, regardless of history, temperament, or relationship with the child, should be left unsupervised with a child under 12. Not for a moment. "He loves her" is not a safety guarantee — it is a probability. Probabilities fail.

  2. Teach children the "be a tree" protocol

    When a dog is excited, aroused, or approaching: arms folded, no eye contact, stay completely still. Trees aren't interesting. The protocol drains the dog's excitement because there's nothing to interact with. This is the most accessible safety protocol for young children.

  3. Teach correct greeting protocol

    Children should approach from the side (not directly), extend a hand palm-down at low level (not reaching over the head), and let the dog sniff first. Never reach over the head — this is a threat gesture in dog body language. The dog should always initiate contact, not be dragged toward the child.

  4. Always give the dog an exit

    A dog with no escape path is a dog who will bite. Every room the dog occupies must allow the dog to leave. Never allow children to follow the dog into its safe space. The dog must always be able to choose to disengage.

  5. Learn to read the dog's stress signals

    The signs that a dog has had enough: turning head away, lip licking, yawning, moving away, stiffening when touched, slow tail wag with stiff body, whale eye. These all mean "I'm done." Respecting these signals prevents bites.

Common Questions

What should you do if a dog approaches aggressively?
If a dog approaches in an aroused or aggressive manner: stop moving completely, avoid direct eye contact, stand sideways (not facing the dog directly), and be as boring as possible. Do not run — running triggers prey drive and can cause a bite from a dog who otherwise wouldn't have. The "be a tree" protocol from Chapter 18 of His Name is Diego is designed exactly for this situation.
What are warning signs a dog is about to bite?
The warning sequence before a bite: calming signals (yawning, lip licking, looking away) → stiffening → whale eye → low growl → air snap → bite. By the time a bite happens, the dog has usually communicated discomfort many times. Learning to respond at the calming signal level prevents the progression. As documented throughout His Name is Diego, no dog truly bites "without warning" — the warnings are just often missed.
What age can children start interacting with dogs unsupervised?
The guideline in His Name is Diego Chapter 18 is supervision until children are reliably able to: read and respond to dog body language, control their own movements and impulses around dogs, follow the safety protocols consistently, and understand that the dog's exit must always be available. For most children, this is around 12 years old — but this is highly individual. Supervision during all dog-child interactions remains the safest default position regardless of age.

Sources & Citations

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