Prevent Dog Bites
Despite 12,000 years of living with dogs, they remain largely misunderstood by humans. According to the Center for Disease Control 4.5 million Americans are bitten by dogs each year. One in five dog bites result in injuries that require medical attention. Adult males are more likely to be bitten than women. Children from the age of 5 to 9 years are more likely to be bitten than adults. Most dog bites to children are from the family dog or from a familiar dog. The major cause for facial bites to children can be attributed to hugging and kissing the family dog. Supervision of interactions with dogs and children is a must!
When a dog bites we interpret this in human terms. In most cases the bite is a normal dog behavior. The dog that bites is not necessarily a mean dog or a bad dog – he is just a dog. To prevent dog bites we need to understand what motivates the dog to bite and reduce risk through modification of both human and dog behavior.
We often want to show love to our dogs the way that we show love to each other, through hugs and kisses. Many dogs can learn to accept and tolerate the hugging and kissing but few actually enjoy it. Every dog has an invisible bubble around them called their comfort zone. Humans have an invisible comfort zone, too. When conversing with another human there is a comfortable distance that we can tolerate say a good 3 to 4-foot distance away. Now how would you feel if they were talking to you just inches from your face? You might tolerate it a few times but if they continued to do this you would tell them to please back off (a human growl). Dogs can’t say please but they communicate by growling along with body language.
Learning to interpret your dog’s body language may help you understand what your dog is trying to tell you. A happy dog pants and wags her tail loosely. The signs of a fearful or anxious dog can be whale-eye (lots of white showing in the eyes), she may turn her head to avoid contact, ears pinned back or tongue thrust like a lizard. A dog that suddenly becomes frozen with no movement can be very dangerous. A dog bite can happen in 1/40th of a second!
Most dogs don’t like being patted on top of the head, they just tolerate it. Try scratching or stroking the dog on the side of the neck, behind her ears or on her chest. My dog loves a good scratch at that hard to reach place at the base of her tail. It makes her go weak at the knees. Play games like fetch, tug-of-war, and hide and seek. Don’t include chasing or rough play like wrestling- or slap fight. Enrolling in a group training class is a great way to learn how to properly interact with your dog. Be a Tree Program website is a great place to learn more about children and dog safety. I’ll be presenting a free seminar at the Quakertown Pet Fair on June 2nd about dog bite prevention for your children. I hope to see you and your children there.