A DOG bite at an early age can often be the catalyst for long-term fear and dislike of man's best friend.

It makes sense given Health and Social Care Information Centre data since 2013 indicate children under ten are most likely to be bitten by a dog.

Animal care assistant and former teacher, Caroline Saye, 59, wants to empower children so they are happier around dogs.

Teaching primary-schoolers 'how to speak dog' through her Bite Prevention Programme, she explains could drastically reduce these frightening incidents.

She said: "Every single school I've been in so far has had at least one child who has been bitten, and I've been bitten twice myself.

"The first instance was my own Golden cocker spaniel Alfie because I was silly and kissed him while he was asleep. He looked so cute, but me bending down created a big shadow over him, he jumped, woke up and I have a very big mark on my face where he bit me.

"The second time was when he and my other dog Polly were fighting. I put my hand in to grab a collar but she didn't mean to bite me, it was meant for Alfie. However, I ended up with a cut across the base of my thumb. You could see the bone.

"There hasn't been a lot of research done in the UK, but in the United States experts say a simple dog prevention programme could reduce bites by 80 per cent. Just like people, dogs warn us."

Between 2015 and 16, 7,551 people across the country were admitted to hospital with a dog bite or strike, according to NHS hospital episode statistics, with 45 of those in north east Essex and 62 in mid Essex.

As an out-of-hours vet for the past two years, Caroline has learnt pain is a big cause of unprovoked aggression in animals.

There are several warning signs when a dog is about to strike, such as their ears being back, changes to the whites in their eyes and them being turned away from you.

She said: "For instance, I teach what to do if a dog comes towards you. Most people's first instinct is to run but like a cat, dogs like to chase things.

"What you should do is be a tree - stand still, take root, put your branches in and watch your roots grow.

"If you're not giving a dog eye contact, they're much more likely to leave you alone. Also if you're still, hopefully it will go away or an adult will see this child is in trouble. But if the dog continues, you drop down and become like a rock."

Sponsorship will allow Caroline, who works part-time with Vets Now in Colchester and Witham, to cover her expenses, visit more schools and in the future, bring in a live dog.

To help with costs, visit justgiving.com/crowdfunding/dogbiteprevention. Or to contact Caroline directly, call 07875266281.