The mother of a toddler who nearly lost his eye when the family dog attacked him last weekend is warning other parents not to become complacent around their pets.

Key points: Two-year-old Logan Grieve hospitalised after nearly losing eye in dog attack

Two-year-old Logan Grieve hospitalised after nearly losing eye in dog attack Toddler cleared of permanent damage, but suffers compound fracture, cuts and bruises

Toddler cleared of permanent damage, but suffers compound fracture, cuts and bruises RSPCA, distraught parents urge households to be vigilant around family pets

Two-year old Logan Grieve had been playing in his family's yard in Katherine, south of Darwin, when suddenly his parent's heard the child screaming.

His mother, Shannon Coutts, said in retrospect she believes she missed the warning signs their 10-year-old Arab Bull Mastiff cross may have been going blind.

She said her son may have frightened it.

"We believe Logan came around the corner and startled him, and [the dog] warned him with a bite," Ms Coutts said.

"Thankfully it was only one bite, if it had been any more we wouldn't have our little boy."

After being initially treated at Katherine Hospital, Logan had to be airlifted to Darwin for surgery and specialist assessments.

The dog's teeth penetrated Logan's eyelid, hitting the back of his right eye socket and causing a compound fracture.

The toddler also sustained a gash across his forehead, as well as many other cuts and bruises that needed more than 40 stitches.

He has been cleared of any permanent eye damage, but will still need three weeks of intravenous antibiotics, and video-link check-ups with his surgeons in Darwin.

Ms Coutts said she hoped Logan's ordeal would be a timely reminder to other parents to remain vigilant.

Logan suffered a compound fracture in the attack ( Supplied: Shannon Coutts )

"It doesn't matter how well you know your dog, you need to be careful, and you need to watch your children with any animal," she said.

"It can take something as small as that, animals don't have the ability to tell us when they're bothered by things.

"[Logan's] been so, so lucky."

The family made the decision to put down their dog, Jax, after the attack.

RSPCA warns dog attacks usually happen at home

The attack was one of an average of 13,000 that occur in Australia every year.

In August, a 14-month-old girl was killed after she was mauled by a family pet in Neerim Junction, about 120 kilometres east of Melbourne.

RSPCA Darwin CEO Jess Moore-Jones said dogs did not always exhibit obvious warning signs like growling and snarling when they became distressed.

The toddler is recovering well after his ordeal ( ABC News: Stephanie Zillman )

She said any breed or size of dog could attack.

"Unfortunately we know that 70 to 80 per cent of dog attacks actually happen with a family pet or a dog you know well," Dr Moore-Jones said.

"So that really shows us that people aren't necessarily understanding that it's not the dogs out there at the dog park that are a risk, it's the dog's you're interacting with regularly.

"Any kind of dog, big or small, they're all capable of the same thing, in fact sometimes the small ones are even less predictable."