Kids learn dog safety lessons, as roaming attacks continue

A pre-school in south Auckland is teaching its tamariki how to be safe around dogs as roaming pets continue to attack and harass families.

Recent run-ins with dogs have left locals shaken and some children afraid to go to school.

Youngsters at the Barnados Early Learning Centre in Clendon went hands-on with a group of friendly pups this week to build their confidence and learn animal safety skills.

Heather Summers is the director of Bark NZ, an Auckland-based charity running dog safety courses at schools throughout the upper North Island.

She said the most important lesson for kids was not to panic if they encountered a dog.

“Ultimately what we're trying to do is to help children stand still if they come across a loose dog because as soon as we squeal or flap or run even a well-trained happy dog is likely to chase because that's a natural instinct for them,” she said.

She taught children to “stand tall like a tree.”

“In dog body language that's basically showing a dog that we're not interested in you,” Summers explained.

“A dog might come and sniff but will ultimately walk away. Dogs can't chase things that don't move so if we can teach our children to remain still it helps the adults to have control of the situation.”

Older kids could be taught more advanced skills to help them assess whether a dog was dangerous or friendly.

“As they start progressing through the ages we start teaching them how dogs communicate, how different environments can play a different role in how dogs might be feeling and therefore when to interact and when to not interact with a dog,” she said.

Barnardos Clendon's centre manager Lou Guinares says parents would often report dog sightings just outside the pre-school.
Photo: Supplied

Barnardos Clendon's centre manager Lou Guinares said he wanted the children to be well-equipped when they were out in south Auckland.

“In our community there is a lot of loose dogs in the area. We thought it would be a good opportunity for them to have that learning experience with Bark NZ,” he said.

“[Learning about] approaching the dog gently, making sure to ask the owner before petting a dog because some children they get quite excited whenever they see a dog.”

He said parents would often report dog sightings just outside the pre-school.

“In our car park or just around our area everyone has noticed that there has been a lot of stray dogs or just dogs off the leash, and so whenever there's a dog in the car park they would notify us as well so that we can notify the other whanau.”

Manurewa Local Board chair Matt Winiata said a particularly violent dog attack in November last year left many children so frightened they refused to go to school.

“A mother of five was attacked by a dog, her brain was exposed essentially and that happened 50 metres from Manurewa South School,” he said.

“The primary school for the remainder of the year was having issues with truancy because kids just did not want to go to school.”

Manurewa-Papakura Ward councillor Daniel Newman said the roaming dog issue was getting worse, but animal management was rising to the challenge.

“There are more challenges than ever before, [but] what is improving is council's response to that because we are putting more officers on the beat,” he said.

“We are responding to complaints. We will actually euthanise more dogs this year than ever before which is unfortunate but necessary.”

Matt Winiata said his local board was helping to fund four additional rangers and two vehicles to help patrol the community.

He was hopeful that would improve the safety and effectiveness of animal management in Manurewa.

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