These guidelines are very important for everyone to be familiar with, especially children and even non-dog owners. Parents should take time to educate their children about dog safety. To reduce your risk of being bitten by a dog:

• Always ask an owners permission before petting or approaching a dog
• Never approach a stray or unknown dog
• Don’t pet a dog that’s tied out, behind a fence, in a car, eating, sleeping or has a toy or a bone
• Be calm and gentle with dogs, don’t tease, play rough with, poke at, pull a dogs ears or tail
• Keep your face away from a dogs face, don’t try to kiss them
• Never stare directly at a dog, this makes them very uncomfortable
• Don’t try to pick up or pet a dog that seems sick or injured
• Don’t ride bikes near or run around closely to dogs, this may invoke their desire to chase

To reduce the risk of your dog biting someone:

• Treat your dog with kindness and respect
• Train and socialize your dog in a positive manner
• Keep up training and socialization throughout your dogs life
• Never let dog roam or leave him unattended outside the house
• Have dog spayed or neutered at a young age
• Be your dogs advocate, don’t put him in uncomfortable situations that may cause pain or fear
• Never leave your dog unsupervised with children (even your own children)
• Dogs can bite from pain or discomfort caused by illness or disease, visit your veterinarian regularly for check ups as well as if anything seems abnormal
• Seek professional help if your dog shows aggression or fear towards anyone