K 9 Companions

Welcome

our mission at K9 Companions is Educate Children and parents on dog bite prevention, dog bites can be very tragic and traumatic situation for for both the Child, Parents and dog, in most cases the dog being Euthanized, and the child having life long fears of dogs, some simple rules and guidelines can help stop this ever increasing problem.

Despite 12,000 years of living with dogs, they remain largely misunderstood by humans. When a dog bites we interpret this in human terms as aggression . In most cases the bite is a normal dog behavior. The dog that bites is not necessarily a mean dog or a bad dog - he is just a dog. To prevent dog bites we need to understand what motivates the dog to bite and reduce risk through modification of both human and dog behavior.
Each year, 800,000 Americans seek medical attention for dog bites; half of these are children. Of those injured, 386,000 require treatment in an emergency department and about a dozen die. The rate of dog bite-related injuries is highest for children ages 5 to 9 years, and the rate decreases as children age. Almost two thirds of injuries among children ages four years and younger are to the head or neck region. Injury rates in children are significantly higher for boys than for girls.

left to right Therapy Dogs, Max, Willow, Alex,

all three are tested and certified by Therapy Dogs. Inc.

Alex, Willow and Max

Visiting with some of the staff St Marys Hospitial

Tips for parents and dog owners to help keep kids safe:
The 3 Most Important Things to Teach Your Kids
1 Dogs Don't Like Hugs and Kisses - Teach your kids not to hug or kiss a dog on the face. Hugging the family dog or face-to-face contact are common causes of bites to the face. Instead, teach kids to scratch the dog on the chest or the side of the neck.

2.Be a Tree if a Strange Dog Approaches - Teach kids to stand still, like a tree. Trees are boring and the dog will eventually go away. This works for strange dogs and anytime the family dog gets too frisky or becomes aggressive.

3. Never Tease a Dog - and never disturb a dog that's sleeping, eating or protecting something.
The 2 Most Important Things Parents Can Do
1.Supervise - Don't assume your dog is good with kids. If a toddler must interact with your dog, you should have your hands on the dog too. Even if your dog is great with kids and has never bitten - why take a chance?

2.Train the dog - Take your dog to obedience classes where positive-reinforcement is used. Never pin, shake, choke, hold the dog down or roll the dog over to teach it a lesson. Dogs treated this way are likely to turn their aggression on weaker family members. Involve older children in training the family dog while supervising. Don't allow children to punish the dog. Condition the dog to enjoy the presence and actions of children using positive experiences.
The 3 Most Important Things Dog Owners Can Do
1.Spay or Neuter Your Dog - Neutered pets are calmer, healthier and less likely to be aggressive. Neutering prevents unwanted dogs that may end up in shelters or in less than ideal conditions where they may grow up to be poorly socialized or aggressive.

2.Condition Your Dog for the World - Give your puppy lots of new positive experiences. Train using positive methods.

3.Supervise Your Dog - Supervise your dog at all times around children. Do not allow children to hug and kiss the dog. If visiting children are bothering your dog, put the dog away or send the children home.

if you are interested in a visit from us and Willow, Max and Alex to your classroom to talk to the kids about bite prevention please feel free to email us for dates and times

please note that the 3 dogs we bring each have a 3 million dollar Liabilty policey, copies of the policey provided upon request

EMAIL

This website is constantly evolving, driven by the concerns of parents and dog owners, so check back often and send us your questions or suggestions for topics that should be covered. The main focus of content on this site is child safety around dogs and dog bite prevention.