Unfortunately for humans, dogs often do bite the hand that feeds them. An American study has found that most dog bites come from friendly canines.
One 18-month-old girl suffered a skull fracture and other injuries when the family dog attacked her in her own backyard.
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A 75-year-old woman was bitten by her dog while trying to prevent it from attacking an Emergency Medical Technician trying to help her into an ambulance.
These are just two examples from the hundreds of thousands of dog bites that occur in the United States every year. According to the July 4 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, issued by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 368 245 people were treated in emergency rooms for dog bite-related injuries in 2001.
Most bites from "friendly" dogs in your neighbourhood
Prior research indicates that one-quarter of bites come from the family canine while about 40 percent come from a neighbour's dog.
The most common dog bites are from a family or a neighbour's dog or a known dog, says Dr Julie Gilchrist, lead author of the report and a medical epidemiologist with the CDC's Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention in Atlanta. Dog bites are not as common in strays or unknown dogs as people might think.
Children between the ages of five and 9 at risk
More than 40 percent of the injures in 2001 involved children 14 years old or younger, with the highest injury rate among 5-to-9-year-olds. The number of cases increased slightly during the April-to-September time period, with a peak in July.
Heat and sound of fireworks are uncomfortable for your pets and could prompt them to act out or bite, says Dr Joe Howell, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association.
According to the data collected in the CDC report, young children were more likely to be injured from a bite to the head or neck, while older teens and adults were more often injured from a bite to the arms or legs. Boys aged 14 and under were more likely to be injured than girls. Above that age, the rates were similar for both genders.
Why dogs bite
Why do dogs bite the hands, legs and heads of those closest to them?
There are a number of scenarios, Gilchrist explains. Dogs live by instinct and can be protective of food, property, toys, owners, territory and sometimes they are in play mode.
Children trying to take food away from a dog or adults trying to break up a fight between dogs will often end up getting nipped or bitten.
The good news about bites occurring so close to home is that many of them are preventable. The risks are commonly in children and there are things we need to teach children, Gilchrist says. Don't run from a dog or scream, never approach an unfamiliar dog, don't play with a dog unless supervised by an adult.
Make your dog a productive member of society
Adults also have a role to play. Dog owners need to take responsibility for appropriate training and socializing a dog so it's not protective and knows how to deal with other dogs, Gilchrist says. It's more than just prevention on the victim side but also helping our dogs be productive members of society.
The training needs to start long before a family actually buys or adopts a dog.
Things to consider before buying a dog
Sometimes people don't put enough thought into getting a dog, or if they're going to have a little kid that's going to be poking around the dog's face, says Dr Karyn Harrell, a staff doctor at the Animal Medical Center in New York City. You really need to make sure you have an appropriate dog and that you integrate the dog into the whole family.
Adds Gilchrist: People need to seriously consider whether or not a dog is right for them.
Ideally, if you're considering getting a dog, you should find a veterinarian you feel comfortable with, make an appointment and talk to him or her about what your family life is like, your time schedule, space - including whether you have a backyard - and how many kids you have. The vet may be able to recommend a suitable breed.
Pick the right breed for your home
You can also ask the vet to recommend a dog trainer. Most dog trainers will accompany you to a shelter or kennel or a rescue organization and help you find a nice, inexpensive, pound puppy that is a breed or a mix that would fit in your family, Gilchrist says.
And the breed definitely matters, Harrell says. For one thing, pure-breeds tend to be more high-strung than mutts. And little dogs are often nippier, she says, adding, There are some breeds that are absolutely prone to have problems.
A final cautionary note
Once you've brought a dog home, you need to spay or neuter it because this often reduces aggressive tendencies.
Also, don't leave infants or young children alone with dogs, and don't wrestle or play other aggressive games with the animal. Don't disturb a dog that is sleeping, eating or caring for puppies, and if you want to pet a dog, let it see and sniff you first. – (HealthDayNews)
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