Are your kids safe from pets? - CBS4 - WHBF Quad Cities, IL-IA News Weather Sports

Are your kids safe from pets?

By: Kate Pabich
kpabich@cbs4qc.com

A 7-year-old Galesburg boy is laid to rest Thursday after being mauled to death by a friends dog.

We sat down with a dog trainer who tells us how to make sure your kids are safe around pets.

Dogs can be mans best friend but in certain situations they can be dangerous. That's why the experts we talked to say you need to watch out.

Jackie Juarez has a 7-year-old boy and says she doesn't let blank go to a friends house if she doesn't know the family.

"I would be devastated if something happened to my child due to an animal she says she's taught blank not to approach a dog unless the owner says it's ok."

And that's exactly what dog trainer Jim Stenfeldt says to do.

"When its crowded or approached on its own territory it can become epically protective of it's space."

He says to steer clear of dogs you don't know, no matter how nice the animal might look. But if it's unavoidable, stay calm.

"If the child screams or run or something that can actually flip the switch from a dog being in playful mode to what we call prey drive."

Jim says the best way to stay safe is to ignore the dog.

"Drop into a ball and freeze up, cover your head and your stomach as much as you can and just don't move and in Jim's opinion, there's not just one breed to look out for. 

"There's probably just as many little dog bites as there are big dog bites it's just the big dog bites are the ones that get reported because they can be crippling or lead to a fatality."

Jim adds if you don't have pets at home it's important to talk to your kids about how to handle them at friends houses or on the street.