Pet safety tips

(RNN) - The website bestfriends.org offers the following tips to increase your safety around dogs:

• Always ask permission before petting or touching someone else's dog.

• Most of the time, we encounter friendly, wiggly dogs in public. But you should be cautious if a dog goes still, becomes stiff, and/or is not wagging in a loose and friendly way. (See "Dog Body Language.")

• Don't corner a dog. All dogs have a sense of personal space, so watch their body language
as you get closer (or the dog gets closer to you).

• When approached by a strange dog, stand quietly, hands at your sides and avoid eye contact. A dog's natural instinct is to chase, so if you run, a dog may chase. Keep your eyes on the dog and don't turn your back.

• Do not approach dogs in cars or on chains or ropes. Dogs can be protective about their territory and may be a bit more mouthy than usual. When dogs are tied up, they know they can't run away so their only defense will be to fight.

• To avoid startling dogs, don't approach or touch them while they're sleeping, fixated on
something, or with puppies.

• Never get between dogs who are fighting.

• Leave dogs alone when they are eating, whether the dog is eating from a bowl or chewing a treat (generally a high-value item for dogs). Like people, dogs don't like it when people get between them and their food.

• Don't reach over or through fences or barriers to pet or touch a dog.

• Never tease, chase or harass a dog.

• Children should always be accompanied around dogs, even the family dog.

• Supervising children around dogs not only protects the children from accidents but also protects the dog from harm by children who don't always know that touching animals in a certain way can hurt them.

• Don't leave babies unattended around dogs. Dogs may not realize that babies aren't as strong as adults or even know what a baby is.

• If you're expecting a baby, start early to get your dog used to the changes a baby will make in your dog's and your lives.

• Don't attempt to remove anything (toys, food or other objects) from your dog's mouth.