Dog Bite Prevention
By Dr. Petra Mertens

The Facts
Dogs are wonderful companions and play a significant role in our lives and in the lives of our children. Living and growing up with a dog benefits a child s development in many ways. Dogs also benefit adults' mental and physical health, and enrich all our lives.

Unfortunately, approximately one million people report dog bites every year. Estimates indicate that an equal number of bites go unreported. Every forty seconds, someone is presented to an emergency room in the US for dog bite related injury. About sixty percent of the victims are children, with the highest incidence seen in boys between 6 and 9 years of age. Seventy-seven percent of the bites occur to the child s face.

It is a common misperception that dog bites are typically due to so-called fighting dogs and stray animals. Sixty-one percent of dog bites occur in the dog s home or the home of the victim, and seventy-seven percent of dog-bite victims are members of or close friends with the dog owner s family and are familiar with the dog.

Dog bite-related injuries cost insurance companies $250 million in 1996. As a result, many insurance companies refuse to provide coverage to an individual who owns a dog that has severely bitten a person. 

Reference:

K.L Overall, M. Love. Dog bites to humans demography, epidemiology, injury, and risk. JAVMA. 218: 1923-1932.

M. Love, K.L. Overall. How anticipating relationships between dogs and children can help prevent disasters. JAVMA. 219: 446-453.

Children and Dogs Guidelines for Parents 

There is no such thing as a child-friendly breed of dog. Some breeds may be more suitable for children than others, but canine behavior is a result of inherited traits, prenatal influences such as stress experienced by dog s mother, and training and socialization after the puppy is born. The most important influence in a dog s comfort around children is the opportunity to positively interact with children when the dog is a young puppy (under four months of age). There are several things parents can do:

• Make sure to socialize your puppy to kids of all ages! A toddler looks, sounds, and acts differently than a six or nine year old child. Remember, the critical age for your dog s socialization is between three and 14 weeks of age.
• If you plan to have a family, do not acquire a dog first it is best to allow a new puppy to grow up in an existing family to ensure the best possible socialization with children.
• Continue to introduce your dog to kids of all ages (and adults) at least until he or she reaches one year of age: Repeated exposure is the best way to nurture a well socialized dog that interacts well with children of all ages and adults.
• Involve the children in training sessions with your dog. Children can learn important lessons such as using rewards rather than punishment to encourage appropriate behavior.
• Supervise all interactions between your dog and the children. Teach your children basic rules for proper, positive interactions with dogs and always to respect your dog. Dogs are living beings with needs, rights, and feelings.
• Teach children to recognize signs of fear and aggression in dogs.
• Involve children in feeding, grooming, and walking your dog as well as teaching them to play appropriate games with your dog.
• Avoid physical games like tug-of-war and wrestling. Encourage retrieving games, hide-and-seek, or games that involve training such as hiding a toy that the dog has to find.
• Be a good example of how to treat animals. You provide a valuable model that children can emulate.

Safety with Dogs Guidelines for Children 

Here are simple things children can do to help prevent being bitten or attacked by a dog.

The Do's:

• If a dog approaches you, stand still like a tree and don t look at the dog.
• If an adult is close, wait until they reach the dog and restrain it before you continue on your way.
• Always ask permission from an adult before petting a dog that you do not know.
• Recognize when a dog seems fearful or aggressive by noticing the dog s body language and behavior.

Relaxed The dog s ears are forward or sideways, not staring or stiff. The dog is often wagging its tail (but be careful: a wagging tail is no guarantee that the dog is friendly!

Fear The dog s ears are back, its tail is low or between legs, and it may be cowering. Aggressive The dog is growling, the hair on its back is standing up, its body is stiff, and it may be staring or have bared teeth.

• Excited dogs can play rough and may forget that you don t have a thick fur coat to protect you from scratches. Play gently and calmly with a dog so that they don't get too excited.
• If you fall to the ground in the presence of a threatening dog, curl into a small ball like a stone and wrap your hands and arms around your head. Be quiet and remain still until the dog has left before you get up.
• If a dog bites you, tell an adult immediately.

The Don'ts

• Never approach a dog you don t know.
• DO NOT RUN or race away on your bike an unfamiliar dog approaches you!
• Do not run and scream around a dog quick movements and loud noises (yelling, toys) scare dogs!
• Never enter a fenced area if a dog is in the yard unless an adult accompanies you.
• Do not approach a dog that is tied up.
• Never reach over or through a fence or a car window to pet a dog, even one you know well.
• Never approach a dog that is eating, chewing on a bone or toy, or sleeping.
• Never take anything away from a dog. Ask an adult to help you if a dog has your toy or anything else that you want back.
• Never approach an injured dog get help instead! Dogs that are in pain bite even if they have never bitten anyone before.
• Do not hit a dog, pull his tail, ears or fur. Dogs will bite if you hurt them!

Nipping the Problem in the Bud - What Dog Owners Can Do To Prevent Bites

• Choose a dog from a reliable source. Find the right breed for your needs. Talk to your veterinarian before getting a puppy and ask for a referral to a breeder or the local humane society.
• Start on the right paw. Enroll your puppy in dog training classes that your veterinarian or local dog trainer (Link: www.apdt.com) offers. The classes will provide tools to teach you about normal behavior, training, preventing problems, and will properly socialize your pet. The CVM Veterinary Teaching Hospital is now offering Puppy classes.
• Practice life-long learning. Continue the training daily at home until your dog reaches social maturity at about one to three years of age, depending on breed and individual differences. Through your dog s life, continue to socialize it with children, adults and other dogs.
• Don t send your dog to boot camp . Training the dog is only half of the process. Every member of your family has to learn and practice gentle and positive training methods.
• Teach your dog to meet and greet. Get your dog used to situations it will encounter in its environment (cars, traffic, sights and sounds).
• Spay or neuter your dog. Neutering reduces your dog s desire to roam, reduces the risk of aggression in male dogs, and prevents unwanted animals (each year millions of unwanted animals are euthanized in US humane societies). Spaying a female dog will prevent many medical problems, including some forms of cancer as well as problems related to the heat cycle and unwanted pregnancies.
• Practice routine health care and wellness for your dog. Bring your dog to your veterinarian for annual health checks. Be sure that your dog s vaccinations are up to date.
• Be a responsible dog owner. License your dog, follow the local leash law, or use official off-leash areas (www.mromp.org ).
• Remember that your dog is part of your family. Isolating a dog more than necessary due to work schedules or keeping it outside will ultimately lead to frustration for the dog and increase the risk for aggression.
• A tired dog is a good dog! Make sure that your dog is exercised daily. The requirements for exercise vary according to individual differences, the dog s breed, and age. Strive for an hour of exercise daily!
• Supervise your dog at all times when outside, in an unfamiliar situation, or among an unfamiliar group of people. Aggression is a common result of fear!
• Better safe than sorry. Make sure to contain your dog safely. Fences (high enough to prevent escapes) are ideal since they work in two ways: a) they prevent your dog from running away, and b) they prevent unfamiliar people or animals from approaching your dog. Tying or chaining the dog outside and electric containment (fencing) systems are commonly associated with problems. These problems can be limited if the dog is well supervised. These systems must be avoided if the dog has a history of aggression.
• NEVER leave your dog unattended with a child. Children and dogs are wonderful companions. But both need to understand each other and problems such as biting occur when they don t.
• If problems occur, seek help immediately! Behavioral issues especially aggression will not stop without intervention and the juvenile dog will not just grow out of it . Untreated behavior problems often lead to euthanasia or owners surrendering their dog to humane societies. Contact your veterinarian and make sure that the behavior is not due to medical problems. Your veterinarian can provide you with behavioral advice or refer you to other sources, if necessary. Be sure to choose a good trainer: www.apdt.com or a certified veterinary behaviorist.
• Remember, most cities have leash laws. Some head collars allow for better control of your dog.
• Muzzles are an option. The use of a basket-type muzzle is a humane and safe method to prevent a bite, if used with all other methods of precaution that your veterinarian or veterinary behaviorist can recommend.Avoid muzzles that hold the dog s mouth shut since they don t allow the dog to pant.

Cabin fever? Get ready for spring
Most dog bites occur in spring. Remember that dogs in cold climates have been 'hibernating' inside like their owners, and have had little opportunity to practice their social skills over the winter. Now is the best time to prepare your dog for the outdoor season.

• Take your dog for daily leash walks or a trip to the official dog parks (link: www.mromp.org)
• Supervise your dog at all times when interacting with people and other dogs to make sure that cocktail party small talk does not escalate into a bar fight.
• Make sure to check your fencing and gates to ensure that your canine escape artist doesn't go for a walk without you.
• Your dog needs regular check-ups, so see your veterinarian regularly.
• Tackle obedience problems (barking, pulling, jumping-up, etc.), reactivate short daily training sessions, or enroll your dog and yourself in a class that uses positive training methods (www.apdt.com ).
• Never leave your dog unattended in the yard.

Surviving an Encounter with a Potentially Aggressive Dog

• Stay calm!
• Stand still with your arms close to your body.
• Avoid direct eye contact, as well as any reaction or posture that might challenge the dog. Act as if you are ignoring the dog and never scream and run!
• If you can, back slowly away and find a safe area (car, house, etc.); then call the police or animal control.
• Surrender anything you have if the dog attacks (jacket, bag, etc.) in the hope that the dog will bite the item and not you.
• If you are on the ground, protect your face and ears with your arms and curl up. Lie still like a rock.
• If a dog bites, do not pull back if the dog holds on pulling will make the dog hold on and pulling back will worsen any injury you may suffer.
• If you have been bitten, seek immediate medical attention.
• If the dog s owner is known or present, find out if the dog's rabies vaccination is current
• Report the bite to the police and / or local animal control office.

If Your Dog Bites Someone
Immediately:

• Restrain or confine the dog safely to prevent further injury.
• Check the victim's condition, call for help if necessary, and provide first aid.
• Offer the victim all necessary information (your name, phone number, your dog s vaccination status, etc.).

After the bite:

• Report the bite to your animal control office.
• Make sure that the dog's rabies vaccinations are up to date and inform the victim of the dog's vaccination status.
• It might be necessary to quarantine the dog your veterinarian can provide you with local regulations.

Prevent your dog from biting again:

• Aggression is not a diagnosis it is a symptom of a variety of problems. There is no quick fix. Treatment is available after careful evaluation of the causes, the risks, and the prognosis of your dog's likelihood to bite again.
• Contact your veterinarian and ask for a behavior evaluation of your dog. Your veterinarian will consult with you or can provide you with a referral to local certified veterinary behaviorist.

Petra X. Mertens, D.V.M., Ph.D., is an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. She is a certified applied animal behaviorist. Dr. Mertens coordinates the behavior clinic at the CVM Veterinary Teaching Hospital. More information about the service can be found here.To set up an appointment call 612.624.0797.