Explained: Why do dogs attack children?

Hyderabad: On Sunday, a four-year-old kid was killed by stray dogs in the Amberpet region of Hyderabad. CCTV footage of the dogs surrounding the youngster went viral. On the fateful day, Pradeep accompanied his father K Gangadhar, a security guard at a car servicing center, to work. The CCTV footage, which lasts 1:07 minutes, shows the boy strolling alone in the service center parking lot, with three dogs running at him.

The child attempted to repel the attack but was overwhelmed by the strays. Doctors at the hospital declared him dead on arrival. In the last year alone, at least four people have been killed after catching rabies from dog bites at the city's government-run fever hospital. Last year, Telangana reported approximately 80,000 dog bite cases.

“This child definitely did not die of Rabies. Rabies takes about 6 months or one year to kill someone. Rabies is the cause of almost 20-25% of deaths in India. But the death of the child happened solely because of injuries caused by dog bites. This was a very unfortunate incident. I personally would ask parents to keep an eye on their children as we do not know when something like this can occur” said Dr. Ashish Chauhan, Consultant, Int Med Apollo Hospitals, Secunderabad.

How to prevent dog attacks in your community

When defending its territory, a dog of any size or breed might become hostile. A friendly dog may also patrol the area on or around its property. The majority of dog assaults in public occur on the pathway or road adjacent to the attacking dog's property.

It is critical to understand how to approach dogs and what to do if an aggressive canine approaches you. Children, in particular, must be taught how to behave with dogs, and parents must be aware of the significance of vigilant supervision. Children, particularly those aged 0 to 4, are most vulnerable to serious dog bite injuries.

“It is hard for the dog catchers to catch dogs because the dogs perceive bodily harm from the dog catchers. To protect themselves from a perceived threat their flight instinct gets stimulated. They flee to save themselves from a perceived danger,” Dog Trainer J. Anand said.

He said children should never be left alone in desolate places, especially in places where there are dogs. “Children should be educated about the dangers of the world which includes dogs and should be taught to stay close to their parents. An ownerless dog should not be allowed to roam on the streets and if we cannot achieve that at least ` Spay & neuter the dogs’. Everyone who lives in any particular area should play an active role to help the government or GHMC staff by locating the dogs and funding the government to spay and neuter the dogs. It should be a joint effort by the government and the citizens. For this to happen everyone should have a collective consciousness about dogs. People should understand that it is a social problem and not make it a political problem” he added.

What to do if approached by aggressive dog

It is critical to understand how to approach dogs safely and what to do if an aggressive dog approaches you. Children, particularly those aged 0 to 4, are most vulnerable to serious dog bite injuries. Children must be taught proper dog behavior, and parents must understand the significance of active supervision.

- Don't run, just stand still.

- Maintain your hands by your sides.

- Be silent and avoid making any noise.

- Avoid making eye contact with the dog and instead focus on the ground.

- As the dog loses interest, it slowly backs away.

If frightening stray approaches do not:

- Scream

- Run

- Flail limbs

- Panic

- Make eye contact

- Jump up and down

- If frightening stray approaches, do:

- Stay as calm as you can.

- Use a firm voice. This isn’t to “assert dominance,” but to maintain as much control of yourself and the situation as possible, and to make any commands or cues you give the dog as understandable as possible.

- Stand or stay upright.

- Stay quiet and don’t scream.

- Get on top of something.

- Feed something to the dog by throwing the food away from yourself.

- Back into a corner or against a wall so the dog cannot get behind you.

If a dog attacks:

- Keep your hands and arms in front of your body to protect them.

- Don’t put your hand near the fighting or attacking dogs’ mouths, or touch the dogs where they could easily turn around and bite you.

- Do not grab collars.

- If the dog bites you and isn’t letting go, move your arm or body part into the dog’s mouth, rather than trying to pull it out. This will prevent more damage to you through tearing.

- Keep the dog from shaking its head or your body if they do not release.

- Children should curl themselves into as tight a ball as possible and be as still as possible.

- As hard as it is, teach children to not squeal or cry if at all possible - that only increases the excitement of the attacking dog.

- Protect your face, chest, and throat.

- Distract the dog with another object.

- If the very worst is happening, curl yourself over your child.

- Do not kick or punch the dog if at all possible (that might escalate their arousal).

Why do Dogs mostly attack children?

Parents should constantly keep an eye on children and dogs when they interact, as improper communication might result in a bite. Humans tend to trust dogs that have never shown signs of aggressiveness. Yet dogs communicate in a way that even adults may not understand. Youngsters are still developing cognitive capacities that will not be fully developed until they are six years old, leaving them especially vulnerable to misunderstandings. Before an attack, the dog transmits warning signals such as flashing their teeth or snarling, which are evident to humans but not to children, who think it's a game.

When packs are formed, their prey drive is stimulated. Children and sometimes adults appear as prey. When the dogs feel that they have strength in numbers and the prey or victim is alone without other humans, they get bolder. Their prey drive makes them attack by pure instinct” said Dog Trainer J. Anand.

Children are often very invasive and can be difficult for dogs to understand and respect, leading to a negative association of them as "small beings" who scream and can get hurt. We should not scold the dog for growling, as this can trigger learning by association, known as classical conditioning. It can lead to the dog associating the child with something unpleasant and even bad, increasing their stress levels and causing them to flee and bite.