By Dr. Becker
Each year in the United States, between 4.5 and 5 million people are bitten by dogs.
When a dog bite When an incident occurs, many people immediately respond to the animal’s behavior or temperament rather than the triggering event. However, there is almost always a triggering event, whether or not the people involved are able to connect the dots.
Animal behavior experts are able to view these unfortunate incidents with an experienced eye. As dog behaviorist Karen London writes in The Bark:
“One of the downsides of being a dog behaviorist is that so many human behaviors scare me. My heart jumps into my throat too often when I see people engaging in risky behaviors with dogs.
Whether it’s hugging dogs, picking up dogs, sticking their face right next to a dog’s face, or leaning over a dog, there are plenty of cringe-worthy moments. panting. I see people engaging in these behaviors and I want to shout a warning.”1
London hears the same human behaviors mentioned over and over in retellings of dog bite stories. And she emphasizes that it’s not about blaming, but about helping people learn to reduce their risk of getting bitten.
Study examines dog bites to the face
In a recent study, university researchers sought to discover what human behaviors immediately preceded facial dog bites.
They also wanted to collect data on the age and gender of bite victims, the gender and size of biting dogs, facial locations bitten, and the need for medical treatment.
Researchers analyzed 132 incidents of dog bites to the face and reported the following results:
In 76% of cases, the human was leaning over the dog before being bitten. More than 75% of bite victims knew the dog, but none of the victims owned an adult dog. In 19 percent of cases, the person brought their face closer to the dog’s. 60 percent of bite victims were women In 5% of cases, the human and the dog looked at each other Only adult dogs bite the face and more than two-thirds are male dogs. More than 50% of bites involved the central area of the face, around the nose and lips. Only in 6 percent of cases was the dog observed growling or baring its teeth in warning before biting. More than two thirds of bite victims were children and 84% were under 12 years old. The age and sex of the human have no influence on the location of the bite on the face 43% of child dog bite victims were with their parents and 62% with the dog’s guardian. Large dog bites were more often treated medically than small dog bites Interestingly, incidents that one would assume would result in a bite did not, including:
- Nail clippings
- Pulling the dog’s hair or pulling its body
- Step on or fall on the dog
- Scolding or hitting the dog as punishment
The researchers concluded that:
“Risk factors such as leaning over the dog, bringing the dog’s face closer, and looking between the human and the dog should be avoided, and children should be carefully and constantly supervised when in the presence of dogs.”2
Dogs often give a warning before biting
London was surprised to find in the study that only 6% of dogs were perceived or remembered by observers as having given a warning before biting, and in fact, she thinks that perhaps some people did not notice or failed to remember the dogs’ warnings.
In fact, there are almost always signs before a dog bites. Some dogs suddenly freeze and hold their body very rigid. Others will stand with their front legs spread and their heads down, looking at you. And many dogs growl or curl their lips to show their teeth.
If you ever feel threatened by a dog, use these defensive measures:
- Stand still with your hands at your sides
- Avoid eye contact with the dog
- If the dog loses interest, back away slowly
- If the dog approaches you anyway, offer him anything you are holding – a purse or jacket, for example – or anything that might distract him.
- If you find yourself on the ground, curl up into a ball, put your hands over your ears and stay still – resist the urge to scream, shout or move.
10 Tips to Prevent Dog Bites
- Use your best judgment when selecting a pet and do your homework. If this is your first dog or you’re not sure what to look for in a dog, talk to a veterinarian, reputable breeder, or other knowledgeable person. Find out which dogs would be most likely to thrive in your family situation.
- Make sure your puppy is well socialized and trained to obey basic commands. Proper socialization is the most important thing dog owners can do to reduce the risk of ending up with a pet with behavioral problems.
- Make sure your dog gets plenty of exercise. Not only is regular aerobic exercise necessary for physical conditioning, it also provides the mental stimulation every dog needs to be well-balanced.
- Playing time is important, but you should avoid games that are too exciting for your puppy or that pit him against you. And never put your dog in a situation where he feels teased or threatened.
- Always use a leash or similar restraint device when you are in public with your pet. You need to be able to control it in public, and if you can’t, it’s time to take more. obedience training.
- If you let your dog out alone in a fenced yard, make sure the gates are secure and no other escape routes are available.
- Proactively care for your pet’s health. Feed her a species-appropriate diet, make sure she gets plenty of exercise, brush her teeth, bathe and groom her regularly, and take her for at least one, preferably two annual wellness visits with your veterinarian.
- Proceed with extreme caution when dealing with vaccinate your pet. There is growing evidence that vaccines, particularly rabies, contribute to the problem of aggression in some dogs. Since rabies vaccines are required by law, insist on the 3-year-old vaccine and avoid the 1-year-old vaccine. I recommend asking your holistic veterinarian for the Lyssin homeopathic rabies vaccine after each rabies vaccination.
- Also talk to your veterinarian about the best time to spay or neuter your dog. Beyond reproductive problems, intact animals are sometimes more aggressive than sterilized animals. The timing of this procedure is essential and should be decided based on the health and personality of each dog.
- Teach children – yours and anyone around your dog – how to behave around an animal. Children are by far the most common victims of dog bites. They must learn to be both careful and respectful around any dog, including their own. And under no circumstances leave a baby or small child alone with a dog.
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