Preventing Dog Bites In Children

Roughly one million dog bites are reported each year in the United States of America as per a survey conducted in the year 1994 by Mathews and Lattal. According to the research, 60 to 70 percent are children and boys are bitten more frequently as compared to girls. Moreover, one third of the dogs that attack children are domesticated and registered animals.

In the year 1975, a research that was conducted by Beck pointed out that 87 percent of the dogs that bit people were animals that were not sterilized. Furthermore, these dog bites take place within or somewhere in close proximity to the victims’ house. An additional research conducted in the year 1989 pointed out that 70 percent of the children killed by dog bites were below 10 years of age and 22 percent of the children were below one year of age. 7 percent of the children were sleeping infants!

Discussed below are a few suggestions for parents, to educate children regarding dogs:

1. You must by no means bother any dog that is asleep, eating, or looking after puppies.
2. You should in no way stroke a dog, even though it may be your own pet, without allowing him to take a look at you and sniff you initially.
3. Children have to at all times take the consent of the dog owner as well as their own parents prior to stroking any dog. Children should not be permitted to be anywhere around stray dogs, let alone stroking them.
4. In case the dog owner is not able to handle the animal, simply walk off.
5. You should on no account go close to a dog that is locked up at the rear of a fence, inside a car, or on a leash.
6. You must in no way try to make fun of any dog by poking the animal through a fence or the window of a car or put your arm out at the other end just to stroke.
7. You should in no way go anywhere near a stray dog that you are not familiar with or a dog that is not accompanied by his owner.
8. You must by no means ever run away from a dog that is running behind you. All you have to do is just stop, then stand without moving, stay calm and ensure that your arms are at the sides. Just remain silent do not attempt to shout. Thereafter, just move away gradually looking at the dog, however do not gaze into its eyes.
9. In case you get attacked by a dog just put something into its mouth, for instance your jacket, your bicycle, your school book or any other thing that can act as an obstacle between the dog and you.
10. In case a dog attacks you and you have nothing to shield you, all you have to do is stop and get into the fetus position, use your arms as well as legs to cover your head.
11. You must not run behind dogs.
12. You should not shout and be noisy near dogs.
13. Children must remember never to gaze into a dog’s eyes.
14. In case a dog begins to encircle you - go round along with it, do not allow it to get at the rear.
15. If the dog gives out any signs of hostility growling or barking make sure that you place something between the dog and you, for instance a chair or something.
16. Do not be under the wrong impression that if a dog wags his tail he is a very friendly dog. This is not true.
17. You must at all times ask the dog owners if it would be all right to stroke their pet dog.
18. In case you are anywhere in the vicinity infested with stray dogs just find a way out immediately.
19. In case you come across a dog that has been hurt do not try to touch it or assist it in any way. Simply call for an adult to look into the matter.

Safty First

In case you are a proud owner of a dog, particularly a dog that has experienced the least amount of violent behavior or safety exercises, it is your ethical as well as official responsibility to make certain that you take precautions. There are 800,000 dog bite cases reported by the ‘The Humane Society’. Dog bites are e second in number to the diseases that are transmitted sexually. They are an expensive health crisis. More than 60 percent of dog bite victims are children and so are 80 percent of the wounded.

Recommended Reading

There is a book called ‘Fatal Dog Attacks- The stories behind the statistics’ that offers gripping information. A lot of people generally pursue training the animals with insufficient and reckless managing or accommodation. The truth is that a number of dog bites are from untrained canines; intelligent, overriding or defensive creatures.

Dog Attack Real Life Case Study

There was an incident that took place some years ago in Kansas. Ms Sabine Davidson was responsible for her Rotts killing a neighborhood boy who was 11 years of age!

Ms Sabine Davidson had put in a lot of effort to train her Rotts. She even made a number of attempts with more than a few Schutzhund clubs, but unfortunately for her, she was shown the door everywhere. She even went on to buy training videos. Basically, her dog had an aggressive nature.

At the court there were some who testified against her, a video of one of her dogs was shown, where it was obvious that the canine was suffering from weak nerves, but it was intelligent. Later, it was found that the male leader of the pack was an overriding animal. The dogs were permitted to stay collectively in the back yard. Since they were not set aside in different kennels, the influence of the pack began to increase.

Their backyard gate was in a terrible condition. The dogs kept going out of the yard on a number of occasions and strayed around the vicinity, hounding children back into their houses. Consequently due to this reason, the dogs had set up a huge region that they regarded as ‘their terrain’.

The police had cautioned Ms Sabine Davidson a number of times to repair the gate and confine the dogs. However, their words fell on deaf ears as she did nothing. The dogs continued to run around the fence and bark insistently at the neighborhood children playing around. Basically, the Rotts regarded this to be their terrain and the children were viewed as their prey or rival to that terrain.