Children are more vulnerable to severe dog bites than adults. They are smaller and therefore easier for dogs to overpower. Additionally, they often act in unpredictable ways that can make dogs more aggressive or defensive.

As if being at higher risk wasn’t bad enough, children often suffer worse consequences after a dog bite attack. What are some of the reasons that a dog biting a child can have lasting consequences for the victim?

Dogs Can More Easily Access Vulnerable Body Parts

It can be difficult for a dog to bite the face or throat of an adult human, but a child could easily be bitten in these tender locations without a dog even knocking them over. The small size of children also puts them at greater risk for fatal or permanently disfiguring injuries.

Their Growing Bodies Require Different Care

When an adult gets bitten and has a facial wound, reconstruction will likely only require a single surgery. For a child, frequent surgeries every few years may be necessary until they finish growing. A broken bone could create similar complications for a child if it affects their growth plates, causing far more serious symptoms and requiring longer-term care than the same injury in adults.

Children Can Develop Psychological Trauma That Lasts A Lifetime

The experiences children have can shape their personalities in view of the world for years. Children who suffer even minor injuries from a vicious dog could have a lifetime aversion to any kind of dog, the specific breed that attacked them or even certain environment, like public parks.

Recognizing how a dog bite could cause lasting issues for your children can lead to better management of the fallout when a dog does turn aggressive.