To think learning how to behave around dogs should be part of the national curriculum

[Itsadogsworld]

I think schools should teach children how to behave around dogs, canine body language and so on. I think it would significantly reduce the number of children that end up in A&E each year due to dogs bites. I’ve seen some dreadful behaviour in my local park where children will run up to my dog and one child was continually trying to bear hug her own dog. Children clearly aren’t being taught this at home so I think they should include it in schools. I welcome your thoughts on this.

It's an interesting idea @Itsadogsworld

I haven't read anymore into your OP than follow what you suggested

I don't think teachers should be expected to teach dog safety or exposure, they've enough your teach & many may not have dogs.

You mean Something like a dogs trust doing a session on how to approach dogs safely, being invited into a school

The thing is it's have to be early years say Year R to catch the children that run up to dogs. By time DCs are older or at secondary school most children don't. It's usually younger preschool children who are full on pull /push the dog as a "cute fluffy toy "

I'm not sure that a session would stick enough when they are young nor catch child early enough - so it seems the parents would be best placed to do the teaching at home

As usually parent is with the child (not supervising well) when child approaches dog = it sounds like parent + small child need to learn , makes more sense for target audience for dogs trust offering sessions direct to parents and child in early years. I can see why you think school has wider audience and would catch everyone but, it'd be too late and missing the parents out.

Some children are allergic, asthmatic or have eczema so some parents would decline permission just incase for a session at school. I'd self select my DCs out as a. Two are scared of dogs due to bad experiences from great grandads dog that he can't control. b. having spent pre school years getting on top of childhood eczema (more common than you think) & allergies , I wouldn't want exposure at school to fur and pet dander and would be annoyed.

Thinking it through logically , it'd have low chance of achieving what was wanted

In the States, commercials/adverts on children channels had lessons about it, some in school and news channel after dog bites and attacks giving dos and don’ts.

I actually did some of the steps in front of a friend here when her dog came barelling towards me (didn’t know she had one until I went with her on our lunch break). She was surprised that was thing.

Saying that, even though I was taught and followed the rules, I was still bit by a dog because it was trained to do so by its owner for people it didn’t know at home and they didn’t factor this in because they knew me.

It is just as much on the dog owners if not more for them to be able to control an animal that they CHOSE to get in the first place. I have to deal with owners who think their dogs come first and everyone should make way for them. I have been jumped on, clothes ruined, my autistic son who doesn’t even go near them has been jumped on while we’ve been walking home from the school run (no apology whatsoever), having them dart in my path while pushing the pram including one massive one going at my youngest feet when he was a baby because said owner got a massive dog she obviously couldn’t control (never understood that logic). Dog poo all over the pavement in where we live including my front yard despite there being a visible bloody red bin directly across the street from my home and they are everywhere where we live. I spend my walks looking down and in front of me so I don’t step in it or wheel the pram through it.

Yes, kids should be taught but dog owners need to take more responsibility for their actions and train their dogs properly so said animals aren’t placed in such situations in the first place. If you can’t be bothered to train them or take responsibility, don’t get them.

Children aren't to blame if they're attacked by dogs, even if their 'body language' isn't right. Dogs should be sufficiently well trained for their owners to be confident they won't bite, and should be under their owner's supervision at all times.

I might support mandatory lessons for dog owners though...

I'd be up for people having to go on a course before they own a dog.

Why own an animal that could do that to kids

Shall we teach girls how to be around men so they don't get attacked

And outright bans for people who think they should blame others if their dog bites, nips or bares his teeth.

FFS, this is a parent’s responsibility teach! Not a schools responsibility, not a dog owner’s responsibility, only a parents responsibility.

If parents are stupid enough to let their children run up to unknown dogs or touch them, then they are at fault, whether it results in a problem or not.

Ideally about three years long and incredibly expensive.
And renewable – at set points and for transgressions such as not clearing up poo, or hanging black bags of poo on a tree while they go for a walk. Sorry, licence revoked, back you go to dog school. Price has increased.

Why own an animal that could do that to kids

More people do harm to children compared to the harm dogs do to children.

Should we stop having children because then they grow up they might hurt someone?

Yabu

Responsible dog/ pet ownership in PSHE maybe

I also agree there should be dog licences with education (not at school!) involved

Completely agree OP, and believe it should take the place of literacy skills.

Oooh yes, and also a class for dog owners on cleaning up after your dog and training it how to behave around humans. I'm sure theres room on the curriculum for both of these

Tilltheend99
I think it should be compulsory for dog owners to be trained how to handle their dogs around children (and wildlife) and how to not abuse and neglect their dogs.
*^
^This. A 6 week course before you are allowed to own a dog and mandatory dog training classes once you've got one. Sorted.

THIS⏫⏫⏫⏫

& an exam at the end of it & if you don't pass, you don't get a friggin dog!

Shouldn't the thread title really be ...

To think learning how train dogs should be part of the requirements of dog ownership?

Against the grain but YANBU. The OP is getting a rough ride on here.
While I don't disagree that parents SHOULD teach and model this sort of thing, the truth is many don't. There are constant threads on here about parents letting children do things that are annoying/dangerous to themselves or others and then giving others a mouthful if they are challenged or something goes wrong.
Some schools have a school or class dog, don't they? I assume those children learn how to behave around it. And other school pets presumably teach children how to handle animals, how they behave, the responsibility of feeding/cleaning them out etc. It's a valuable life skill.

I wouldn't keep a dog like yours that can't tolerate children running up to them That doesn't really make sense. Yes, training and handling go so far, but at the end of the day ANY dog can always potentially respond in an unexpected way.

SRS29, it's quite funny that you say OP just keep your dog on a lead in direct response to the OP saying how is it my responsibility as a dog owner to teach children how to behave when they run up to my on lead pup?

I'd be up for people having to go on a course before they own a dog. Absolutely agree with this. Just as some parents are shit at teaching their children how to behave around animals, some people are not responsible animal owners.

The number of things people want schools to teach is astonishing ... perhaps parents would prefer dropping their child off at a year old and picking them up fulling trained and educated at 18! Would solve childcare

The problem lies with irresponsible dog owners not children.

Shouldn't the thread title really be ...
To think learning how train dogs should be part of the requirements of dog ownership?

Not really because knowing how to train dogs doesn't change the fact that some parents are idiots who think it's fine for their children to charge up to unknown animals.

I'm a responsible dog owner. I exercise my dogs appropriately. They are well trained, have good recall, and are put on leads at appropriate times.

Responsible parents let their children appreciate dogs at a distance, teach their children to ask permission before approaching unknown dogs, and ask before stroking them.

Unfortunately some seem to think they 'can't help' their children charging around up to to unknown dogs, usually with some crap about how their child is inquisitive . We all know these parents would magically stop their child from being inquisitive at the edge of a river, and probably manage to limit their children's curiosity when it comes to charging into a main road, but for some reason when it comes to animals their child should be able to do what they like.

I love my DC to bits, which is precisely why I'd not allow them to run up to unknown dogs. The idea of my child can run up to any dog they like and if they get bitten it's the dog owner's fault, the law would be on my side and the owners would be the ones in court is such a stupid position for people to take. Surely any parent with half a brain cell would prioritise their children's safety and not put their child in a situation where they're placed at risk?

The number of things people want schools to teach is astonishing ..

Maybe should need to teach more life skills. It seems some parents aren’t capable, or maybe willing to.

There is so much of my education that’s been utterly useless for me as soon as I left school.

The problem lies with irresponsible dog owners not children.

While I agree that irresponsible dog owners are a problem, I would also suggest that irresponsible parents can be problematic as well.

Home school really opened my eyes to how much curriculum there is to fit into so few hours.

I'd support dog licences and basic competence exams (like driving theory and a bit of practice, maybe a regulated commitment to training, otherwise your probationary licence is removed) though.

The OP appears to assume that all teachers like dogs and want them in their classrooms. If I were a teacher I definitely wouldn't!

Parents should teach their kids not to run up to strange dogs.

And owners should keep their dogs away from anyone they don't know is happy to have them around them.

@ChardonnaysPetDragon

The problem lies with irresponsible dog owners not children.

While I agree that irresponsible dog owners are a problem, I would also suggest that irresponsible parents can be problematic as well.

Occasionally - but I would say that most cases of injuries caused by dogs are down to the owners' lack of care, not to do with parents' negligence (although in some cases of course they will be one and the same).