NSW boy recovering after dog mauling

A three-year-old boy who was mauled by a Great Dane in Newcastle is recovering after undergoing surgery.

The toddler was riding his bike and collecting cans for recycling with family on Tuesday evening when the dog escaped through an open gate, biting his neck and ear.

The boy underwent surgery at John Hunter Children's Hospital on Wednesday and police say the dog is likely to be destroyed following a council investigation.

Detective Acting Inspector Jeffrey Little says the owners of any dog that attacks a person are liable.

The Great Dane's owners said the canine simply does not like bikes, the Seven Network reported.

The attack came days after a 12-month-old girl died following another dog attack at Inverell, in northern NSW, and another incident involving a dog mauling a 10-year-old girl in Melbourne.

There were 2547 dog attacks on people reported to NSW councils in the year to September 2017, resulting in 148 hospitalisations.