Kids and Dogs Series: Introduction
Hey everyone — I’m excited to launch a new series focused on something close to my heart: the relationship between kids and dogs, and how we can protect both.
As many of you know, I got a new dog this last May. Moxie is currently 9 months old and we are having a blast. My granddaughter, who is 9, has grown up around dogs, but mostly other peoples’ dogs. When she was born, we had Buckley and Callie, who were seniors and already trained. This is a new experience for her. Because Moxie is a safe dog (she is highly tolerant of Danielle, not possessive, listens well, and enjoys touch), Danielle has been breaking a lot of rules! She feels safe and is pushing the limits. We have “dog rules” that she knows but has been breaking, so we wrote them down, went over them to insure they were understood and installed consequences for breaking them. Dog training 101 applied to a kid! I will share my rules and the consequences in the near future, so stay tuned.
We often think of kids and dogs together as pure joy, laughter, and learning. That is true most of the time. Collisions happen, though — sometimes because we underestimate how sensitive dogs are to what we do around them, especially when resource-guarding, boundaries, or stress are involved.
Here’s what the data tells us, so we all wake up a little more aware:
About 4 million Americans are bitten by dogs every year, and roughly 800,000 of those require medical care.
Children make up about half of all dog bite victims.
Kids between the ages of 5–9 are among the highest risk groups.
The head and neck are the most often injured areas when bites happen to young children.
Studies show the lifetime risk of a child being bitten is over 50%, and in some groups, nearly half of kids are bitten before entering primary school.
Most of these bites don’t come from strange dogs — they come from dogs the child knows, including family pets, dogs living in the home, or dogs belonging to friends and relatives.
Why this series matters
Because we play a big role. The way adults interact with both children and dogs — where we place ourselves, what we do, when we intervene — can make the difference between a safe moment and a scary one. Touch at the wrong time, being unaware of tension, assuming the dog is “fine” — these are all small decisions that can escalate.
Over the coming weeks, I’ll share:
what the science and statistics show
how to read dogs better and spot early warning signs in dogs
guidelines for kids & caregivers for safe interactions
family friendly techniques to use that can stop jumping, begging, picking up kids toys and more!
You can follow Moxie and Danielle’s journey by following me on Instagram or Facebook and if you think this information will keep a kid safe, please share it with some parents. Thank you.
