Dog Bite Prevention Week 2013
this week is dog bite Prevention Week
and there are some important things you
need to know about our furry friends big
or small
male or female young or old any dog can
bite even the cuddliest fuzziest
sweetest pet can bite if provoked that’s
right even your dog can bite according
to the CDC there are over 4.5 million
dog bites every year and almost 1 in 5
people bitten require medical attention
dog buy claims were one third of all
homeowners liability claims in 2011
children ages 5 to 9 are most likely to
be bitten and two-thirds of all those
bites the children are to the head and
neck while these statistics can be
alarming by doing our part we can reduce
the number of dog bites first of all
it’s important to understand how dogs
view our behavior and recognize
situations that could put you at a
higher risk of being bitten
the most common circumstances that can
lead to a dog bite are unattended
infants children playing outside
unattended with a dog and running with a
dog never leave children unattended with
a dog and don’t run away from a dog
stand still if the dog appears ready to
attack you and keep your hands close to
your sides with your fingers curled in
to prevent getting them bitten dogs that
are off a leash and not accompanied by
an owner should not be approached when
the owners with their dog always ask the
owner for permission to pet the dog
don’t ever pet a dog without asking
first even if it’s a dog you know or a
dog that seemed friendly toward you
before and never lean into a dog and put
your face close to theirs
think about it what would you do if a
big giant lean down the stair at you dog
bites can happen regardless of the
situation but a dog may be more apt to
bite if they’re unhealthy in pain
frightened or if they’re protecting food
or a favorite toy it’s important to
recognize these signs and give our pets
the private space they need as the
saying goes let a sleeping dog lie if
you feel that a dog is on edge and needs
its own space take a step back and leave
them alone avoid escalating any
situation by yelling running hitting or
making sudden movements towards the dog
most importantly talk to your
veterinarian about any behavior problems
your pet may have first and foremost you
want to rule out any medical reason if
the veterinarian can’t find the cause he
or she may be able to suggest corrective
training tips or steer you to a
veterinary behaviorist who can work with
both you and your pet dogs make
wonderful pets and our great companions
but it’s also important to recognize
no matter how friendly cuddly or
familiar you are with them any dog can
bite by understanding how our own
behaviors and that of our pets may
trigger dog bites we can do our part to
reduce the number of dog bites not only
during dog bite Prevention Week but
every day for more information on dog
bite prevention visit AVMA org slash
dog bite prevention
