A Dunedin dog safety programme is helping students learn if they are making the right moves or barking up the wrong tree.
Dunedin City Council ran its first dog safety session in 2007, but it has been expanded this year to teach more students about the mutts and bolts of dog safety.
Tail wagging, Daniel the Spaniel was ready to show the Fairfield School pupils how to be a dog safety superstar with help from council animal control officers.
The number of sessions have jumped from nine last year to a possible 69 lessons across 18 schools this year, with more animal control officers trained up to teach students.
Council animal control officer Janine Day hoped kids would know how to approach a dog they did not know by the end of the session.
"So even if a dog is sitting with its owner and its owner says 'Yeah, it's okay to pat their dog', you've still got to look at that dog and see if it's happy or not," Day said.
"If it's showing its teeth and the dog owner has said it's still okay pat it, the kids - we want them to know that do not go near it, even if the dog owner says it's okay."
Daniel the Spaniel at Fairfield School, helping students know the signs of when to approach or not approach a dog. Photo: RNZ/ Tess Brunton
With a hi-vis vest on and fluorescent leash, Daniel the Spaniel gave the pupils a hands-on approach to dog safety.
They were shown to give dogs space and not to rush up if they were allowed to pat them.
Dunedin City Council recorded 74 dog attacks last year - its highest number in the last five years. The lowest during that period was 56 in 2022.
So far, 18 attacks have been recorded this year.
But the figures did not show how many children were attacked.
Council animal control officer Nicky Wallace said it was common for them to be bitten and that was why these lessons were so valuable for tamariki.
"Kids miss the cues. Before a dog bites, it's giving off a lot of cues like licking its lips, tail between the legs, the whites of the eyes are showing," she said.
"Kids don't seem to recognise that and by the time the dog's given off all its body language saying 'Leave me alone', it's too late and the kid's been bitten."
Fairfield School students Evie and Quinn, both 10, learned about dog safety with the help of Daniel the Spaniel. Photo: RNZ/ Tess Brunton
Instead of running away, putting their hands out for a sniff or yelling at an approaching dog, she wanted tamariki to take a different approach.
"We're teaching kids to stand still like a tree. We don't want branches moving around in the wind. We want them to stay really still and then the dog is going to get bored and move off," she said.
Fairfield School pupil Evie, 10, enjoyed the session.
"If I wanted to pat a dog, you would like go ask the owner if you could pat it and then like look to see if their tail is wagging or to see if their teeth are showing."
Fairfield School pupil Quinn, 10, knew what to look for if a dog did not want a pat.
"Maybe teeth showing or snarling."
The dog safety sessions are aimed to keep children safe and tails wagging.
