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Children make up more than 50 percent of all dog-related injury victims. To better understand the level of knowledge about dog behavior among children, the National Dog Bite Prevention Coalition created a quiz focused on children age 5 -9.
The results indicated that better education and awareness of dog behavior is an absolute necessity for children.
Of the 710 children that answered the dog safety quiz below, not a single child answered all twelve questions correctly with 34% of them indicating that they’d been bitten by a dog at least once.
Would YOUR child pass the test?
Ask your child each question (answers posted below). Then, use the discussion as a perfect opportunity to teach them about safety around dogs.
1. Is it okay to open a door and let dogs out when a letter carrier drops off mail?
2. Does an angry dog ever wag his tail?
3. Do dogs like to be kissed and hugged?
4. If you know a dog, is it okay to reach through a car window or a fence to pet it?
5. If a dog is chasing you, should you try to run away?
6. Is it important to ask an owner for permission before you pet their dog?
7. Is it okay to pet a dog while it is eating?
8. Is it okay to hit or yell at your dog if it doesn’t listen to you?
9. Is a scared dog as dangerous as an angry dog?
10. Are there only certain breeds (or types) of dogs that bite?
11. Do dogs use their body to tell you how they feel?
12. Does a good dog owner leave his dog chained up outside all day?
So, did your children pass the test?
Answer Key: 1. No, 2. Yes, 3. No, 4. No, 5. No, 6. Yes, 7. No, 8. No, 9. Yes, 10. No, 11. Yes, 12. No.
And, while you’ve got their attention, here’s a great video for kids, featuring the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Spokesdog, Jimmy the Dog, that demonstrates bite prevention tips in a fun, easy to understand way!
