KEY POINTS:
Stopping a dog from attacking a child can be as simple as teaching the child to "be a statue", a Waikato University researcher says.
Jennifer Carter, a sociology and psychology undergraduate, has produced a list of dog safety tips for children in a report called Stories with Happy Endings: Preventing Pet Dog Attacks on Children.
She and her supervisor, Associate Professor David Swain, have turned the list into a draft storybook and information booklets that they now hope to make available to all New Zealand children and their parents.
Miss Carter's research focuses on preventing attacks by dogs known to a child, such as a family or neighbour's pet, but the 35-year-old says the tips can also be applied to dealing with unfamiliar dogs.
She said most people did not know that if a dog came rushing at them, it was simply wanting to protect its territory, and the worst thing they could do was flee.
For that reason, children could be taught to "be a statue" if standing, or "be a stone" if knocked to the ground.
Miss Carter's research was sponsored by the Child Accident Prevention Foundation of New Zealand and builds on an earlier study highlighting a need for educational resources to prevent dog attacks.
"I don't know that people will ever be able stop them but my motivation is certainly to get this information out there with the aim of preventing the incidence and severity of dog attacks on children."
In a review of national and international literature, Miss Carter found a vast amount of information already existed on the subject, and she said creating the storybook and information booklets was simply compiling that "best practice" into a form accessible to children and their parents.
She and Professor Swain have approached the Ministry of Health, Plunket and other organisations about distributing the resources, and are also looking for funding to publish them.
Although Miss Carter does not have a dog of her own, she said the research had only increased her appreciation of them.
"What I've more strongly than ever become aware of is that dogs are social creatures."
POINTERS ON POOCHES
For children
-Always ask the owner for permission before you greet their dog.
-Don't pat a dog on the head.
-Even if you have met the dog before, still be careful.
-Don't pat a dog without letting it see and sniff you first.
-Remember that not all dogs are as friendly as your dog.
-If a dog rushes at you, be a statue or a stone.
For parents
-Supervise children, especially visiting youngsters, at all times when they are interacting with a dog.
-Never leave your baby (or young child) and dog alone together, even to answer the door or go to the toilet - take either one of them with you.
-Never tie a dog leash to the baby's pram - hold it in your hand.
-Consider putting a muzzle on your dog if it's tied up in a public place. This protects your dog as much as it protects children.
