HELOISE: Teach children about dogs

Dear Readers: Friendly dogs are just that, and unfriendly dogs can bite! According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 4 million dog bites are reported annually. Many of these bites require medical care or even reconstructive surgery. Sadly, children 5 to 9 years old are at the highest risk.

What can you do to teach your children about dogs, their behavior and the fact that some bite? If a dog growls or doesn’t seem nice, it probably isn’t.

When children come in contact with strange dogs, here are some safety hints they should know and follow. Teach them these hints, and practice and stress these points every so often:

Don’t walk right up to or try to pet a strange dog, even if it is tied up.

Don’t stare directly into a strange dog’s eyes — this could mean a challenge to the dog.

If a strange dog comes toward you, stay still! Don’t move, yell or run. This seems counter to your instinct, but it’s what the experts say. The dog may think that you are prey or that it’s a game if you move.

Teach young children that if a dog bites them, they should tell an adult what happened and what the dog looks like ASAP.

Talk to your children about good and bad dogs, and good and not-good behavior, so hopefully they won’t be bitten.

Heloise

Dear Readers: Heather F. in San Antonio sent us a picture of her twin orange kittens, Muffy and Fluffy, snuggling together in a blanket on the back porch. They love to bask in the sun on warm days. To see Muffy and Fluffy and our other Pet Pals, visit www.Heloise.com and click on “Pets.”

Heloise

Dear Heloise: I have a miniature rat terrier named Bo, and he has lots and lots of energy. He loves to play with balls; the larger children’s plastic ones are his favorite. He herds a ball around the backyard because the balls are bigger than he is, and when the ball would get lodged against the steps or the fence, he would bite at the ball trying to move it, and the ball would pop. We went through several plastic balls, until I thought of a basketball. We bought him one, and he likes it as well as the others, and best of all, he can’t pop it. Well, not so far!

K.M. in Texas

Dear Readers: When getting a pet, research carefully the kind that you’re interested in. Each pet has pluses and minuses. For example, dogs are great companions, but there are different exercise requirements among breeds. Labs, golden retrievers and border collies require a lot of exercise. Pugs, Pekingese, and Chihuahuas need little. Most cats are independent, don’t play fetch, and most likely won’t want to go for a run!

Heloise

Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, fax it to 210-HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.

King Features Syndicate