Dog crushes Aussie boy's head

A child safety advocate has called for compulsory obedience and social training for dogs after a boy was mauled and critically injured by the family dog north of Melbourne.

The five-year-old boy suffered severe head injuries after the Rottweiler grabbed his head between its jaws in the backyard of his home at Broadford, about 80km north of Melbourne, about 2.30pm (AEDT) on Sunday.

The boy was taken to nearby Kilmore Hospital by car and transferred by ambulance to the Royal Children's Hospital, where he remains in a critical but stable condition.

Kidsafe Victoria president Mark Stokes said the attack, which followed two other dog attacks on Victorian children in August, showed training must go hand in hand with dog licensing.

"Dogs and young children, especially babies and toddlers, do not mix and dog attacks can leave children disfigured for life as well as being fatal," he said.

Kidsafe proposes certified training for all dogs as a part of the licensing system.

"No training, no licence, no dog," Dr Stokes said.

Monash University research showed about 435 people were admitted to Victorian hospitals suffering dog bites each year, while more than 1,260 others sought treatment at hospital emergency departments.

Children under five should not be left unattended with a dog, Dr Stokes warned.

- AAP