An eight-year-old NSW girl has lost her hand after leaning through a fence to pat a dog.
One of three Alaskan Malamutes she tried pat grabbed her arm and bit her above the wrist.
Doctors at Newcastle's John Hunter Hospital were unable to save her hand.
The three dogs have been removed from the property at Lake Macquarie, north of Sydney.
The one that bit her is being held by a welfare group.
Australian American Pitbull Terriers Association president Andrew Richards says children patting dogs through fences is a "recipe for disaster" and called for better education about dog safety.
"There should be a focus on educating the community about dogs rather than targeting specific breeds," Mr Richards told AAP on Monday.
"All dogs can be menacing."
He said focusing on specific breeds, such as pitbulls or Alaskan Malamutes, was misguided and left the community assuming all other breeds were safe.
Earlier this year a week-old baby girl was mauled by her family's Alaskan Malamute while sleeping in her western Sydney home.
At the time experts warned that large dogs need to be closely monitored around children.
"There should be immediate supervision by a knowledgeable adult of all children under the age of 10," the Animal Behaviour Clinic's Dr Robert Holmes said.
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