Pupils to learn dog safety

Children across East Kilbride and Avondale will be learning how to stay safe around dogs this week.

Dog welfare charity Dogs Trust are visiting schools as part of its Be Dog Smart week which runs until Sunday.

Over the course of the week, children will be taught how to behave around dogs, particularly in the home.

So far this year, education and community officer Gemma Trainer has held 45 workshops in primary schools across Glasgow and Lanarkshire and reached 11,411 pupils.

A survey of parents revealed that more than 60 per cent of busy parents in Scotland admitted they have never taught their child how to behave around dogs.

And around 15 per cent have seen their child pulling a dog’s tail, lying or sitting on a dog and kissing a dog’s nose.

Gemma Trainer said: “At Dogs Trust, we believe educating children, parents, grandparents, friends, teachers, guardians, and dog owners about dog safety, is the first step to preventing bite-related incidents.”