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Dog Bite Prevention Week. Prevent the Bite.

According to the AVMA, this week, May 20-26, 2012,  is National Dog Bite Prevention Week.

I have been bitten 3 times by dogs this week.

Go figure.

That is 3 times more than last week and 2 times more than last year.

Obviously, my job of being a vet tech requires me to be put in situations that most people are not put in, like holding a dog that is being poked and prodded, or worse yet, inserting a thermometer in an “exit only” area.

It’s a risk we take.

It’s an occupational hazard.

Lucky for me, I have never been bitten to the point of needing to seek medical attention, but bitten enough that I felt it.

Getting bit comes with the job. We don’t put our hands in the mouth of a dog and ask for it to bite us. We look for the warning signs of a dog that might bite, but sometimes even trained professionals underestimate a dog.

Any dog can bite.

This is the number one rule in dealing with dogs on a daily basis.

This is the number one rule in dealing with dogs period.

According to the AVMA:

  • 4.7 million people in this country are bitten by dogs every year
  • children are by far the most common victims
  • 800,000 Americans receive medical attention for dog bites each year
  • children are far more likely to be severely injured; approximately 400,000 receive medical attention every year
  • most dog bites affecting young children occur during everyday activities and while interacting with familiar dogs
  • senior citizens are the second most common dog bite victims

Those numbers are HUGE and so disturbing! 

The thing that scares me the most about these stats is the number of children that are bitten every year. 

While some dog bites may be unprovoked, most dog bites that are reported come from dogs that people are familiar with. There are steps that we can take to help bring those scary statistics down.

  • Be cautious around strange dogs, and treat your own pet with respect. Because children are the most common victims of dog bites, parents and caregivers should:
  • NEVER leave a baby or small child alone with a dog.
  • Be alert for potentially dangerous situations.
  • Teach their children – including toddlers – to be careful around pets. Children must learn not to approach strange dogs or try to pet dogs through fences. Teach children to ask permission from the dog’s owner before petting the dog.

As you may know, children approaching my dogs without asking is a common occurrence, but also one of my biggest pet peeves. It’s not because I don’t like children, I don’t like how children approach my dogs. A child sees Sherman and Leroy as a big, brown, fluffy teddy bear, not as a dog. It is a parents responsiblity to teach their the child that a dog is a dog, even a dog that looks like a teddy bear. It is my responsibility as a pet owner to correct your child if they approach them wrong way. 

“Children between the ages of 5 and 9 are at greater risk of being bitten by a dog than any other demographic group. Most dog bite injuries in young children occur during everyday activities in the home with a familiar dog. Because most child-dog interactions that result in a bite are initiated by the child, it is important to educate children about how to properly communicate with dogs.”

Parents can help teach their child that any dog has the ability to bite, ANY DOG.

The cute little Poodle down the street, the Labrador next door, the Beagle living in your house, etc. They don’t need to be taught to be scared of dogs, just to respect the dog.

There is a wonderful parent guide and CD, called The Blue Dog that any parent can purchase that is designed to help parents and children safely interact with dogs inside and outside their home.  There is even a coloring book that can be purchased in packs of 25, which would be wonderful for any classroom, or you download the PDF for free!

Another wonderful program is Prevent the Bite. Prevent the Bite is a wonderful non-profit organization where there mission is to prevent dog bites in children through education. They provide many resources for children through a wide range of learning materials.

The Prevent the Bite public safety education organization helped a young boy named Ricky Tiesi lose his fear of dogs following a dog attack on his dog Luigi, and his mom in 2006 and he is know sharing his story with classmates to teach them how to be safe around dogs.

Now if kids can teach kids how to be safe around dogs, so can we as adults.

Education is key.

 

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Susan

Wednesday 11th of July 2012

Thank you for taking the time to recognize National Dog Bite Prevention week and moreover, to share the facts and stats about dog bites. Public education is the only proven way to reduce dog bites and our program is recognized by the AVMA, US Postal Service and American Academy of Pediatrics for its comprehensive and effective content. It is available to the public by going to our website. www.preventthebite.com.

houndstooth

Wednesday 23rd of May 2012

Those are some scary statistics! I hope it opens a lot of people's eyes and people realize how important it is to teach kids the right way to interact with dogs from a young age!

Jodi

Wednesday 23rd of May 2012

Education is key, we are constantly teaching our grandchildren respect for our dogs, but I think it is a wise idea for us to get that video too. I am hoping that I set a good example by showing them the way I ask and approach a strange dog, but that may not be enough.

Great post.

snoopy@snoopysdogblog

Wednesday 23rd of May 2012

Sorry to hear you got bitten :(

It's great to raise awareness of how to prevent biting incidents especially with little children,

Loved this post :)

Your pal Snoopy :)

Pip

Wednesday 23rd of May 2012

Great information, thanks! We taught my sissy (almost from birth) to be cautious and gentle with dogs and cats. She is much better trained than I am - as I have been known to walk up to angry cats and get swatted in the face.

Your pal, Pip

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