Twenty children have been treated for dog bites in Jersey so far this year.

That’s already more than the entirety of 2017.

Child Accident Prevention Jersey has been teaching workshops to Year 1 pupils for the last five years on how to stay safe around dogs.

They’ll be taught how to understand signals dogs give about how they’re feeling, as well as roleplay to look at how to behave when approached by an unfamiliar dog.

Mandy Le Tensorer from Child Accident Prevention Jersey says it’s important to make sure children know how to be safe around dogs:

“The Speak Dog & Stay Safe campaign provides a great opportunity for us to talk to children and give them some accurate information about how to be safe around dogs. One of the biggest challenges we face is helping children understand that any dog might bite if there is enough provocation. Children and parents often see their own family pets as different and feel it is okay to cuddle them and get close to them.”