In this article

1. Give supervision an actual job
2. Give the dog time off from interaction
3. Read bite numbers with their populations attached
4. The forthcoming rule for exempted banned dogs
5. Respond early when the dog needs help
6. If a bite happens, get the right care

When children and dogs share a home, make supervision and space part of the ordinary routine. The RSPCA advises never leaving a child alone in a room with a dog, including the family dog, and giving the dog a quiet private place where children leave them alone¹.

The useful household conversation is practical: who is watching, where can the dog rest, and what happens when that adult needs to do something else? You can make a plan for the busiest ten minutes of the day without expecting either your child or your dog to manage every interaction perfectly.

Give supervision an actual job

Dogs Trust describes three parts of close supervision: staying close and paying attention, intervening when needed, and separating children and dogs when you are busy or either needs space. Being somewhere nearby is not the whole task. Its suggestions include gates, pens or separate rooms, with positive activities and rewards rather than treating separation as punishment².

When children and dogs are together

1. Stay closeWatch and listen to child and dog²
2. Step inCalmly create space when needed²
3. SeparateUse the agreed arrangement when distracted²

Try walking through your own evening routine in conversation. One adult is cooking; another is answering the door. Who is watching the child and dog at that moment? Put a name beside the task, and describe what the household will do if that person needs to leave. You may find one awkward moment that is easy to plan around.

This is also useful for visits. Explain your arrangements before guests arrive, including where you would like adults to be and which areas you want left undisturbed. A short conversation beforehand is easier than discovering halfway through dinner that everyone assumed someone else was watching.

Give the dog time off from interaction

The RSPCA advises teaching children to leave dogs alone while they eat, sleep, enjoy a toy or treat, or feel unwell, injured or tired. Children should not climb on dogs or pull their ears. Give the dog somewhere quiet to go and support them in leaving an interaction when they need space¹.

Situation	What the adult can organise
Dog resting	Keep the private resting area undisturbed1
Meal or valued toy	Give the dog space without a child approaching1
Adult needs to focus elsewhere	Use the agreed separation arrangement2
Visitor arrives	Explain who is responsible and where everyone will be

You can explain a household rule in words that suit your child's understanding and repeat it as needed. The adult still owns the plan. An instruction such as “leave the bed alone” is a starting point for the grown-ups to organise the space, not a transfer of responsibility to a young child.

Read bite numbers with their populations attached

Dogs Trust says up to 91% of bites to children happen at home with a known dog. That is a child-safety figure, not a claim that the same percentage describes every dog bite across all ages and settings².

A separate UK community study surveyed 694 people in Cheshire in summer 2015. Roughly a quarter reported a lifetime bite, and about a third of the bites described involved medical treatment. Hospital records therefore capture a different part of the picture from a survey that can include incidents never taken to a clinician³.

In that study, more than half of described bites involved dogs the person had never met. The sample covered different ages, many childhood incidents were recalled by adults, and children under five were excluded. Its response rate and reliance on memory also limit generalisation. It does not provide a replacement estimate specifically for young children interacting with family dogs at home³.

English hospital research covering 1998–2018 found the recorded admission rate rose from 6.34 to 14.99 per 100,000 population. The increase was driven by adults; children aged fourteen or under accounted for about a quarter of recorded admissions, with their annual rate showing no obvious trend over the period⁴.

These were hospital episodes identified using codes for being bitten or struck by a dog, rather than a count of every confirmed bite in the community. The researchers discussed coding limitations and incomplete emergency-department data. The study is useful historical context, not a current 2026 estimate of all bites or a test of one household's supervision plan⁴.

The forthcoming rule for exempted banned dogs

From 1 November 2026, a new exemption condition in England and Wales requires preventing an exempted banned-type dog from close contact with a child under twelve in a private place without adult supervision. The 2026 Order specifies that commencement date and jurisdiction. On 23 October 2026, the condition is still forthcoming⁵.

The Order amends conditions attached to the relevant exemption certificates. It does not turn the under-twelve threshold into a recommendation to leave older children unsupervised, or establish a new UK-wide rule for every dog. Owners need to read the condition alongside their own exemption requirements⁵.

Defra's accompanying guidance describes supervision as being physically present, observing the child and dog and being able to intervene immediately. Cameras and baby monitors are not substitutes. For separation, barriers should prevent physical contact, including reaching through, over or around them; the arrangement must also suit the dog and the home⁶.

The guidance includes planning for cooking, telephone calls, bathroom trips and caring for another child. It also says many of its principles are relevant beyond banned dogs and under-twelves. You can use those ordinary scenarios to review your family's arrangements while keeping the legal condition's scope clear⁶.

Respond early when the dog needs help

PDSA lists turning away, lip licking, a tense or lowered body, tucked tail and yawning among possible signs of discomfort. If you are worried about what is happening, create space and stop the interaction. You do not need to settle the meaning of one isolated movement before deciding to give everyone a break⁷.

For new aggression or a worrying behaviour change, contact your vet promptly. PDSA explains that pain or another medical issue may contribute, and the vet can recommend an accredited behaviourist. Avoid punishment or forcing further contact, which can worsen the situation. You can ask for help before a bite occurs⁷.

Prepare a brief account for that conversation: what happened just before the difficulty, who was present and what you changed afterwards. Keep children and dogs apart from the situation that concerns you while seeking professional advice. PDSA recommends avoiding identified triggers until help is available⁷.

If a bite happens, get the right care

For a bite that breaks the skin, NHS advice includes washing with soap and warm water, applying firm pressure with a clean cloth or dressing if bleeding heavily, then covering a cleaned wound. Get NHS 111 advice for bites to the face, head, hands or feet, possible material in the wound, or signs of infection⁸.

The NHS also advises seeking 111 help if you have not had a tetanus vaccine in the last ten years. A clinician can assess the wound and whether treatment is needed. Do not use the small size of an injury, a familiar dog or a survey statistic to decide that medical advice is unnecessary⁸.

Choose one busy part of tomorrow's routine and agree the plan together. It is a small, practical way to support the relationship you want your child and dog to enjoy.

Sources and further reading8 sources

The small numbers in the article link to the source behind each fact. Sources open on their own websites.

1. Children and dogs: how they can live togetherRSPCA
2. Dogs and children: living happily togetherDogs Trust
3. How many people have been bitten by dogs? A cross-sectional survey of prevalence, incidence and factors associated with dog bites …Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
4. English hospital episode data analysis (1998–2018) reveal that the rise in dog bite hospital admissions is driven by adult casesScientific Reports
5. The Dangerous Dogs (Exemption Schemes) (England and Wales) (Amendment) Order 2026The National Archives
6. Keeping children safe around banned breed dogs in the homeDepartment for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
7. What should I do if my dog is aggressive?PDSA
8. Animal and human bitesNHS