Stopping Dog Bites

Last week, the third week of May, was Dog Bite Prevention Week.  Statistics are gathered during this week each year on dog bite activity. We hope that the numbers will show a significant decline over the prior year. 

Dog bites are mostly preventable, yet the numbers are bad enough that a week has been dedicated to its awareness.  So how bad is it?  There are 4.7 million victims of dog bites each year according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.  They, along with the American Academy of Pediatrics, the U. S. Postal Service and other agencies sponsor Dog Bite Prevention Week through a national educational campaign. 

The majority of dog bite victims are children, with ages 5 through 9 having the highest number.  Next are the elderly and postal service carriers.  National Dog Bite Prevention Week is a chance to remind people of this problem. Last year, Houston led the nation in postal service carriers being attacked by dogs, followed by Santa Ana, CA and then Sacramento. 

As responsible dog owners, there are things we can do to prevent our dogs from being a part of these statistics? Many are just common sense but we never think our dog is going to attack someone, right?! It's always a good idea when you get a new dog or puppy to send them to dog obedience training. The best time to train a dog not to bite is when its a puppy. There they will learn the commands while working with you as their master or "pack leader" in their eyes.  

Other responsible things you can do are to keep your dog on a leash when outside with you or use dog pens in your backyard.  Spaying or neutering your dog will decrease the liklihood they will bite.  Always be conscious of who is answering your front door when you have a loose dog in the house. Never let a child answer the door as dogs are protective and may see the person at the door as a threat.  Spend time with your dog playing and showing affection.  Dogs that are well socialized don't tend to bite. 

So what about coming upon a loose dog when you're out and about? Don't approach it and don't run past it.  Running may make the dog start chasing you.  Instead, try to stay motionless until the dog loses interest and leaves. You may want to walk slowly backward until the dog is our of sight before turning your back on it. If a dog threatens you, don't scream.  Try to remain calm and don't make eye contact.  If a dog starts to attack you, put something between you and the dog ... anything you have or can grab whether it's a purse, backpack, bicycle, etc.  You can use this to keep the dog off you. 

A dog attack is no laughing matter and can be very scary.  Let's all do our part to keep the dog biting statistics low.