Expert Offers Tips on Dog Attacks After Savage Attack on 4 Year Old Girl. ABC News16/1/25

[Deeds]

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-01-15/rottweiler-attack-expert-criticies-off-lead-move/104820064.  

[tdierikx]

Off-lead areas still have rules as to their use. All off-lead animals must be under full control of their owners by law. Maybe certain off-lead areas might have rules rethought about the sharing of the space with small children - if the area is regularly used by small children, then maybe dogs should be on-lead in that area, or children could be excluded from that area. A little bit of common sense can see both groups catered to effectively.

 

T.

[persephone]

Is this true? I had not thought about it!! makes sense if so . 

"Dogs identify things by smell predominantly, and children under the age of eight haven't developed sweat glands yet, which means they do not smell like us.

"That rottie did not know that little girl was, in fact, just a tiny human."

[Deeds]

Yes.  I found that interesting as well.

[Mairead]

Never heard this before about the smell but have heard about kids yelling and running which the dog may not have been used to. 

Some people still think any sign of fear, which could be shyness or aggression, indicates the dog has been abused (aw, poor thing, we won't upset him by training him) rather than just unsocialised.

Edited 15 hours ago by Mairead

[tdierikx]

3 hours ago, persephone said:

Is this true? I had not thought about it!! makes sense if so .

 

According to a Google search, the sweat glands that produce body odour smells (ammonia, etc) don't mature until a person hits puberty. Young children sweat, but it's just water and salt basically, so smells different to adult sweat.

 

Regardless, proper socialisation with humans of all ages during a pup's development should negate that factor as being a trigger to chase/bite children... but won't reduce bites due to other child interaction causes, like squealing, running about idiotically, or uncontrolled annoying of the dog by a child. Children need as much social education as dogs... probably more methinks.

 

T.

[Mairead]

I chip away. "Don't run. Don't yell. Let the dog approach you if it wants to."