Consumer Reports Safety blog recently reported the alarming statistic that each year there are 4.7 million dog bites in the United States. Apart from postal workers, often find themselves violent pets, children are particularly vulnerable. Each year 800,000 Americans seek medical attention for dog bites; half of them children. Of those injured, 386,000 require treatment in an emergency department and about 16 die, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, which has a website for avoiding dogbites. Children 5 to 9 years old are the most vulnerable. As part of their training, letter carriers are told: Don’t be fooled when a resident says, “My dog won’t bite.” That’s good advice. Consumer Reports recommends the following as is the following: (1) Don’t approach an unfamiliar dog; (2) If knocked over by a dog, roll into a ball and lie still; (3) Avoid direct eye contact with a dog; (4) Do not pet a dog without allowing it to see and sniff you first; (5) Don’t disturb a dog while she’s sleeping, eating, chewing on a toy, or caring for puppies; and (6) Don’t run from a dog, its natural instinct is to chase you.
Not surprisingly, having a dog in the home results in a higher incidence of dog bites. The more dogs, the more likelihood of bad encounters. Adults with two or more dogs in the household are five times more likely to be bitten than those living without dogs at home, according to the Centers for Disease Control. That’s why it’s important to take precautions if you are considering getting a dog as a pet. Because so many dog bites happen to young children, the ASPCA recommends waiting until your child is at least 10 years old before getting a dog. When you do, the main safety lesson for children is to not chase or tease dogs they know and to avoid dogs they don’t know.
