An eight-year-old girl is still in the hospital today after being mauled by a neighbor's dog in Dilworth last night.

Family members tell us the little girl was bitten at least four times in the face, arm and back.

They say the girl was swimming at a neighbor's house and when she tried to hug the dog goodbye, it attacked.

We talked with experts today who say it's important to teach your children 'dog etiquette.'

"He bit me because he was in pain, he didn't want to be hugged at that time," Natalie Gruchow of Animal Health Clinic said.

Gruchow tells a story eerily similar to the one out of Dilworth.

"I can speak from a personal example, my dog, a black lab, bit me in the face a few years ago because I wasn't paying attention to his body language," Gruchow explained.

Body language, she says, is the biggest thing to look at when approaching a dog. She says to back off if a dog is crouched or kneeling, has their ears back and head lowered, or is wagging their tail.

Although wagging tails are assumed to mean excitement, Gruchow says it's also a way dogs show fear and anxiety.

"Every dog has a right to their personal space. Each day is different, just like people have bad days. Maybe the dog had a stressful afternoon or smelled something or saw a certain color," she said.

Gruchow says you can never know a dog too well. She adds that parents need to teach their kids to not only ask if they can pet a dog, but if they can even approach it.

"If they say no, it needs to be taught as well, don't feel bad, don't cry. It's not a bad thing that the owner said, 'No, you can't pet my dog,' it's just for the safety of everyone," Gruchow explained.

She also says it's important as a pet parent to talk with neighbors about the do's and don'ts if they're going to be around your dog. Especially if you know your pet has a tendency to act out.

Gruchow says to keep 'dog etiquette' in mind; no matter if the breed is a Pit bull or a Chihuahua.

"It can happen with any breed and it's an unfair stigma that is placed on these breeds."

The little girl's family says she is still recovering but should be discharged from the hospital tomorrow.

The dog is being quarantined for the next 10 days because it was not up to date on its rabies shots.

Experts want to remind you to keep up to date with rabies shots. They say your pet should receive one every three years.