Dog Bite Incidents
The 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act was introduced following a series of high-profile attacks on children. Apart from stipulating four prohibited breeds, it is designed to target the owner of any animal that becomes dangerously out of control in a public place. Any dog of any breed is defined as dangerous if it injures a person or behaves in a way that makes a person believe they will be harmed.
However statistically most dog bite incidents involving children occur within the home by a dog that is known to them making the Dangerous Dogs Act ineffective in the majority of recent serious cases. (1)
We in the UK have no bite register or central database in order to log information regarding bite incidents and most hospitals log all bite incidents in the same category be they from humans, dogs, hamsters, or insects, and take very little detail of circumstances surrounding the incident making it difficult to collate information which could effectively help provide advice on prevention.
Very little research is able to be done into the cause of such incidents as investigation is done by police authorities and access to either the animals or people concerned by experts, veterinarians and behaviourists is usually denied. Criminal profilers and psychologists are used to determine motives for crimes committed by humans yet investigating authorities are usually unqualified to determine the cause of an incident based on the behaviour of a dog.
It was reported in January 2008 that pensioner James Rehill was "dragged like a doll" through the street in a fatal attack by his dog. And witnesses claimed that the dog had been 'licking' and biting at his face during this attack, the police had to use fire extinguishers to get the dog away from his master as it would not let them approach and later as a matter of public safety made the decision to shoot the dog. (2)
A subsequent coroners hearing however ruled that Mr Rehill had in fact had a seizure and then collapsed as he was walking his dog on January 27th 2008. The Newham Recorder was one of the only newspapers that followed up on the original ‘horror attack’ headlines and no additions have been made to the original stories published by other publications and which are still available on the internet, perhaps because an old man dying of a stroke in the street and his dog desperately trying to rouse him before being terrified by people brandishing weapons, and then ultimately being shot by the police for his loyalty doesn’t sell as many newspapers as a good old fashioned devil dog story (3)
“A PENSIONER who was mauled by his pet Rottweiler had a massive stroke moments before what appeared to be a savage attack. A post-mortem backed claims from some witnesses who believed the animal was in some way trying to help former railway engineer Jim Rehill as he lay in New City Road, Plaistow, possibly by licking him to rouse him. Officially, the 79-year-old's death has been certified as natural causes and there will be no inquest.” (Newham Recorder 2008) Dogs who bite children are also generally put to sleep without being medically and behaviourally examined, and little if any data is kept of outside influences such as the weather, the housing of the dogs concerned, were they tethered or guard dogs?. Loud or unusual noises that could have caused the dog to panic such as children screaming or shrieking in excitement, fireworks around bonfire night or new years eve, and social gatherings where owners and parents can be distracted and people may be leaving and re entering a property at will.
The Possible Causes
Poor training, socialization and maintenance of the dog.
Dogs who do not know how to coexist with us, who do not get to experience and become comfortable with things in our world may be more likely to bite. This includes those who are expected to behave and act just like humans. Dogs are not humans and should not be expected to be just like us. However, dogs need to learn positively how to live with us. Dogs need to be taught that we can take things from them. Many children are bitten when trying to take away a toy or when approaching an eating dog. Dogs are often possessive of things. They need to learn to accept us being near when they are eating or chewing on a toy. This is all part of good training and socializing.
Unneutered males have the highest incidence of biting. However, just being intact is not the cause of biting, there are often other underlying factors including poor training and management. Hormones can exacerbate some behaviours, especially those with a hormonal basis. However, neutering will not stop undesired behaviours: it is only one of many steps needed to work to resolve them. (4)
Tethered and yard dogs
A dog is also more likely to be defensive or territorial if he is isolated, locked up or especially tethered. There are three main problems with tethering. A dog that is tethered is feeling two instinctive responses immediately. One is a natural territorial defensiveness. he is protecting his property from would-be strangers. Another typical response is a personal defensiveness. This occurs because the dog is anchored, so to speak, and has lost the ability to flee in case of danger. The"fight or flight''response is very real and, by tethering a dog, you have inadvertently left it with only one choice, to "fight.'' The final concern is that unless you are out with a dog the entire time it is tethered, it has no protection from outside forces, be they animal or human. there is often miscommunication between dog and person in the best of situations. A tethered pet is the most susceptible to receiving mixed messages from strangers. This can lead to distrust of people. For instance Shy or fearful dogs must be approached in a very submissive manner, and the average person and especially a child being on the same level as the dog has a very dominant approach in dog language, staring and bending over a pet is seen as threatening behaviour by a dog. According to a study by the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association: Dog Bite Related Fatality statistics from 1979 through 1988 showed that 26-28% of dogs involved in fatal attacks were chained at the time. (5)This also occurs in small fenced yards, as in the case of Archie Lee Hirst attacked by his grandmothers dog, the attack happened while Archie-Lee's 16-year-old aunt was babysitting him and her two younger sisters, aged six and seven. Who was elsewhere in the house when he was carried to the unlocked back door by the seven-year-old and when the door was opened was snatched out of her arms by the dog. The dog named Teddy Bear had been bought from someone in the local pub to act as a guard dog, and the inquest into Archies death was told it had not been exercised for five months.(6)Archies paternal grandfather later claimed in a magazine interview that he had been told by the police that they suspected that the dog may have initially thought the baby was a toy. (7)
Scared.
Dogs react to things by either running (Flight) or trying to stop it (Fight). Dogs who are scared or anxious are more likely to bite. They do not have words to express what they are feeling and humans often do not understand dog body language. Often children want to hug a scared dog to try and comfort it, this is very dangerous. The dog may become even more afraid and bite in order to try and stop the fearful event. The tragic case of the fatal attack on Ellie Lawrenson in the early hours of new years day by her uncles Pit Bull Terrier Reuben took place after the dog, banished from the house after a previous biting incident on a family member had spent the whole evening outside during the new years firework celebrations. Ellies Grandmother Jacqueline Simpson stated to police that the attack might have been sparked by a firework, he was whimpering and crying outside and she had taken pity on him and let him in, she also admitted to being under the influence of drink and drugs at the time which could also have had an effect on the dogs demeanour as well as impairing her perception or judgement of the situation. (8)
Lower tolerance.
It is amazing what we humans expect a dog to put up with that is not natural for a dog to accept. We need to build tolerance in our dogs to things like noises, not chasing fast moving objects, having their body handled (tail grabbed, ears touched, mouths opened, etc.). A dog who will not tolerate things is more likely to bite.
Feeling ill or hurt.
A dog who is not feeling well or having a bad day will have a lower tolerance to things. Senior dogs often have more aches and pains that can go along with aging. A very tolerant young dog may lose tolerance as he ages due to discomfort. Again, dogs have no words and humans often ignore dog body language. Dogs with lower tolerances to things are more likely to bite. Sudden loss of tolerance should be brought to the attention of a vet as there could be a medical reason for it.
When overly excited.
Many bites occur when play has gone too far. Often it is directly the fault of the human not stopping play before the dog becomes too highly stimulated or by playing games that can teach biting and wrestling with humans is fun. Or dogs who are not taught proper greeting techniques and get very jumpy and "hyper" (often out of confusion) when people enter the house. The dogs are not aggressive, just in need of training and better socializing. And the humans need to learn how to properly manage the dog. Over excitement and "hyper" behaviour not only stems from poor training and socializing but also confusion and a dog not getting enough stimulation both physically and mentally. In January 2008 The Daily Mail reported an incident with the headline “Girl, nine, has face ripped to shreds in savage attack by Rottweiler” . the young girl had been injured during a party at a neighbours house. It was claimed that the dog jumped up and savaged the child when she came downstairs for a drink, with the childs mother stating "I knew the family had a dog and because of the death of the young boy in Wakefield, who was killed by a Rottweiler, I asked the children to keep away from it”. A subsequent court case against the owners of the Rottweiler ordered the destruction of the dog, the decision was appealed by the dogs owners who claimed their dog had jumped up at the child and that the damage was accidentally caused by a claw and was not the savage attack it had been reported to be. (9) The Dogs owners accepted that they had regretfully taught their dog to jump up and take food from a raised hand as a trick, this was what they felt he was trying to do at the time of the incident as the little girl had raised arms up towards her mother, they accepted that his mouth was open but claimed the connection with the childs face was made by a paw and was accidental, at appeal the decision was made by the judge and bench that the medical notes provided by the prosecution were not consistant with a bite or shaking as claimed by the prosecution but were consistant with a claw injury as was the report provided by a vet, and that the original case resulting in a destruction order was not proved by the prosecution. he ruled that the injury was not a vicious attack but a tragic accident. The injury was severe and the trauma and pain that this child went through was awful, but it was decided in court that this was what the injuries caused were consistant with and that it was an accident. The Rottweiler’s destruction order was lifted and he was ordered to be released immediately But the poor childs fears are real and she tragically may never be comfortable around dogs again, Lessons should and im sure will be learned because both parties are now aware that accidents can and do happen and that the lives of all parties have been affected by this awful incident.
When they have puppies.
Mother dogs can become very protective of their pups this is termed as Maternal aggression and the mother may appear to react unpredictably even with people they know well when nursing a litter, unfortunately puppies are very appealing to children so handling by children when in the presence of the dam should be carefully supervised. Jordan Gillon suffered serious injuries when he was set upon by three dogs belonging to 41-year-old Yvonne Webb, of Waterhayes, in January 2007, the dogs owner was not at home at the time and Jordan had been playing outside Mrs Webbs house with her son prior to the incident and had followed him into the kitchen where 3 rottweilers had been secured by Mrs Webb prior to her leaving the house. The dogs, two bitches, one of whom was nursing a litter at the time, and a male ran at Jordan who ran away, with them chasing him, he ran into his home a few doors away with the dogs following whereupon they grabbed him and had to be wrestled off by the boys father, it was intimated in the court case that the presence of the puppies could have been a factor in triggering the attack. (10)
When sleeping.
There is a reason for the old saying "Let sleeping dogs lie." A tired dog is more likely to be less tolerant of things. Startling a dog awake can lead to a bite.
Redirected Aggression
This type of aggression occurs when an aggressively motivated dog redirects its aggression from one source to another. A common example of this is a dog barking at the door, but then redirects its aggression on its owner who is holding him/her back. This can also be the reason behind some injuries caused when splitting up two fighting dogs. Children tend not to think of the consequences of their actions hence the criminal age for responsibility being ten years old.
Hot Weather
‘Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun’ hot weather coupled with dogs and children spending long periods outdoors, can lead to bite incidents taking place. Dogs can suffer heat exhaustion a symptom of which is irritability, that along with the presence of children racing around or squealing in a paddling pool. Year-old Liam Eames was shaken “like a rag doll” when the family’s American Bulldog clamped its jaws over the back of his head in their garden. The dog, released its grip only when the family’s second dog attacked it, trying to defend Liam. Mum, Jackie and Liam had been enjoying the sunshine when the dog attacked at 1.25pm on Monday in Tinshill, Leeds.(11)
One of the main factors in recent cases are children and dogs left unsupervised, many families applying to rescues are disappointed when turned down as adopters because their children let themselves into the house from school and would be alone with the dog until their parents get home from work, even with all the warnings the safety issues just doesn’t seem to occur to them.
Children are far more likely to get bitten than adults because of the way they interact with dogs. For example, they move faster, are often unpredictable, and are more likely to try to interact with the dog in a way that unexpectedly provokes aggression. Children are more likely to approach a sleeping dog - or one that is eating - and decide to kiss it or cuddle it, they do not see the signs that the dog is uncomfortable or realize that leaning over or putting arms around the dog is seen as a threatening situation by the dog.(12)
Adults themselves do not always understand and address the safety issues. Many children are bitten while adults are present, even in the same room. Sometimes an incident still occurs much too quickly for the adult to intervene. Some dog owners do not see the signs that their dog is uncomfortable, this may be because they are inexperienced owners but sometimes, such as when having friends round for a barbecue, they are focused on other things.
Some also feel that their dog should accept petting by any stranger or child, but this is a practice that can actually be seen as threatening by many dogs depending on the approach. A dog that likes to cuddle from an owner that he trusts may not be as keen when an unfamiliar person attempts to do the same.
An owner needs to be aware of their dogs demeanor at all times and should not leave their dog alone with children even if other adults are present as they may not pick up on the signs that the dog is uncomfortable until its too late, even if they themselves are dog owners, as the number of visual signalsavailable to a dog is very much dependant on breed, There have been a large number of reported attacks by Rottweilers in the UK in recent times, a breed which generally has a docked tail thus losing an important way of signaling, they also have ears that they are unable to erect fully, meaning that someone who owns a German Shepherd whose ears are erect and tail is long may have difficulty in interpreting the behaviour and signals given by a Rottweiler. Also the Devil Dog tag given to rottweilers by the press could in our opinion lead people to act nervously around the breed which could in itself lead to a bite.
Studies of dog bite injuries in the USA have reported that:
References
(1) http://www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/40026056/
(2) http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/32999
(3) http://www.newhamrecorder.co.uk/content/newham/recorder/news/story.aspx?brand=RECOnline&category=newsNEWHAM&tBrand=northlondon24&tCategory=newsnewham&itemid=WeED06%20Feb%202008%2010:52:25:330(4) http://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/abs/10.2460/javma.232.4.542
(5) http://www.dogbitelaw.com/PAGES/whybite.html
(6) http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article1597109.ece
(7) http://www.pickmeupmagazine.co.uk/real_lives/Baby_killed_by_Rottweiler_article_195048.html
(8) http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/sep/03/ukcrime
(9) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-506574/Girl-face-ripped-shreds-savage-attack-10-stone-Rottweiler.html(10) http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article28543.ece(11) http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article109821.ece(12) http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/our_pets_for_life_program/dog_beh avior_tip_sheets/Dominant-Dogs.html
However statistically most dog bite incidents involving children occur within the home by a dog that is known to them making the Dangerous Dogs Act ineffective in the majority of recent serious cases. (1)
We in the UK have no bite register or central database in order to log information regarding bite incidents and most hospitals log all bite incidents in the same category be they from humans, dogs, hamsters, or insects, and take very little detail of circumstances surrounding the incident making it difficult to collate information which could effectively help provide advice on prevention.
Very little research is able to be done into the cause of such incidents as investigation is done by police authorities and access to either the animals or people concerned by experts, veterinarians and behaviourists is usually denied. Criminal profilers and psychologists are used to determine motives for crimes committed by humans yet investigating authorities are usually unqualified to determine the cause of an incident based on the behaviour of a dog.
It was reported in January 2008 that pensioner James Rehill was "dragged like a doll" through the street in a fatal attack by his dog. And witnesses claimed that the dog had been 'licking' and biting at his face during this attack, the police had to use fire extinguishers to get the dog away from his master as it would not let them approach and later as a matter of public safety made the decision to shoot the dog. (2)
A subsequent coroners hearing however ruled that Mr Rehill had in fact had a seizure and then collapsed as he was walking his dog on January 27th 2008. The Newham Recorder was one of the only newspapers that followed up on the original ‘horror attack’ headlines and no additions have been made to the original stories published by other publications and which are still available on the internet, perhaps because an old man dying of a stroke in the street and his dog desperately trying to rouse him before being terrified by people brandishing weapons, and then ultimately being shot by the police for his loyalty doesn’t sell as many newspapers as a good old fashioned devil dog story (3)
“A PENSIONER who was mauled by his pet Rottweiler had a massive stroke moments before what appeared to be a savage attack. A post-mortem backed claims from some witnesses who believed the animal was in some way trying to help former railway engineer Jim Rehill as he lay in New City Road, Plaistow, possibly by licking him to rouse him. Officially, the 79-year-old's death has been certified as natural causes and there will be no inquest.” (Newham Recorder 2008) Dogs who bite children are also generally put to sleep without being medically and behaviourally examined, and little if any data is kept of outside influences such as the weather, the housing of the dogs concerned, were they tethered or guard dogs?. Loud or unusual noises that could have caused the dog to panic such as children screaming or shrieking in excitement, fireworks around bonfire night or new years eve, and social gatherings where owners and parents can be distracted and people may be leaving and re entering a property at will.
The Possible Causes
Poor training, socialization and maintenance of the dog.
Dogs who do not know how to coexist with us, who do not get to experience and become comfortable with things in our world may be more likely to bite. This includes those who are expected to behave and act just like humans. Dogs are not humans and should not be expected to be just like us. However, dogs need to learn positively how to live with us. Dogs need to be taught that we can take things from them. Many children are bitten when trying to take away a toy or when approaching an eating dog. Dogs are often possessive of things. They need to learn to accept us being near when they are eating or chewing on a toy. This is all part of good training and socializing.
Unneutered males have the highest incidence of biting. However, just being intact is not the cause of biting, there are often other underlying factors including poor training and management. Hormones can exacerbate some behaviours, especially those with a hormonal basis. However, neutering will not stop undesired behaviours: it is only one of many steps needed to work to resolve them. (4)
Tethered and yard dogs
A dog is also more likely to be defensive or territorial if he is isolated, locked up or especially tethered. There are three main problems with tethering. A dog that is tethered is feeling two instinctive responses immediately. One is a natural territorial defensiveness. he is protecting his property from would-be strangers. Another typical response is a personal defensiveness. This occurs because the dog is anchored, so to speak, and has lost the ability to flee in case of danger. The"fight or flight''response is very real and, by tethering a dog, you have inadvertently left it with only one choice, to "fight.'' The final concern is that unless you are out with a dog the entire time it is tethered, it has no protection from outside forces, be they animal or human. there is often miscommunication between dog and person in the best of situations. A tethered pet is the most susceptible to receiving mixed messages from strangers. This can lead to distrust of people. For instance Shy or fearful dogs must be approached in a very submissive manner, and the average person and especially a child being on the same level as the dog has a very dominant approach in dog language, staring and bending over a pet is seen as threatening behaviour by a dog. According to a study by the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association: Dog Bite Related Fatality statistics from 1979 through 1988 showed that 26-28% of dogs involved in fatal attacks were chained at the time. (5)This also occurs in small fenced yards, as in the case of Archie Lee Hirst attacked by his grandmothers dog, the attack happened while Archie-Lee's 16-year-old aunt was babysitting him and her two younger sisters, aged six and seven. Who was elsewhere in the house when he was carried to the unlocked back door by the seven-year-old and when the door was opened was snatched out of her arms by the dog. The dog named Teddy Bear had been bought from someone in the local pub to act as a guard dog, and the inquest into Archies death was told it had not been exercised for five months.(6)Archies paternal grandfather later claimed in a magazine interview that he had been told by the police that they suspected that the dog may have initially thought the baby was a toy. (7)
Scared.
Dogs react to things by either running (Flight) or trying to stop it (Fight). Dogs who are scared or anxious are more likely to bite. They do not have words to express what they are feeling and humans often do not understand dog body language. Often children want to hug a scared dog to try and comfort it, this is very dangerous. The dog may become even more afraid and bite in order to try and stop the fearful event. The tragic case of the fatal attack on Ellie Lawrenson in the early hours of new years day by her uncles Pit Bull Terrier Reuben took place after the dog, banished from the house after a previous biting incident on a family member had spent the whole evening outside during the new years firework celebrations. Ellies Grandmother Jacqueline Simpson stated to police that the attack might have been sparked by a firework, he was whimpering and crying outside and she had taken pity on him and let him in, she also admitted to being under the influence of drink and drugs at the time which could also have had an effect on the dogs demeanour as well as impairing her perception or judgement of the situation. (8)
Lower tolerance.
It is amazing what we humans expect a dog to put up with that is not natural for a dog to accept. We need to build tolerance in our dogs to things like noises, not chasing fast moving objects, having their body handled (tail grabbed, ears touched, mouths opened, etc.). A dog who will not tolerate things is more likely to bite.
Feeling ill or hurt.
A dog who is not feeling well or having a bad day will have a lower tolerance to things. Senior dogs often have more aches and pains that can go along with aging. A very tolerant young dog may lose tolerance as he ages due to discomfort. Again, dogs have no words and humans often ignore dog body language. Dogs with lower tolerances to things are more likely to bite. Sudden loss of tolerance should be brought to the attention of a vet as there could be a medical reason for it.
When overly excited.
Many bites occur when play has gone too far. Often it is directly the fault of the human not stopping play before the dog becomes too highly stimulated or by playing games that can teach biting and wrestling with humans is fun. Or dogs who are not taught proper greeting techniques and get very jumpy and "hyper" (often out of confusion) when people enter the house. The dogs are not aggressive, just in need of training and better socializing. And the humans need to learn how to properly manage the dog. Over excitement and "hyper" behaviour not only stems from poor training and socializing but also confusion and a dog not getting enough stimulation both physically and mentally. In January 2008 The Daily Mail reported an incident with the headline “Girl, nine, has face ripped to shreds in savage attack by Rottweiler” . the young girl had been injured during a party at a neighbours house. It was claimed that the dog jumped up and savaged the child when she came downstairs for a drink, with the childs mother stating "I knew the family had a dog and because of the death of the young boy in Wakefield, who was killed by a Rottweiler, I asked the children to keep away from it”. A subsequent court case against the owners of the Rottweiler ordered the destruction of the dog, the decision was appealed by the dogs owners who claimed their dog had jumped up at the child and that the damage was accidentally caused by a claw and was not the savage attack it had been reported to be. (9) The Dogs owners accepted that they had regretfully taught their dog to jump up and take food from a raised hand as a trick, this was what they felt he was trying to do at the time of the incident as the little girl had raised arms up towards her mother, they accepted that his mouth was open but claimed the connection with the childs face was made by a paw and was accidental, at appeal the decision was made by the judge and bench that the medical notes provided by the prosecution were not consistant with a bite or shaking as claimed by the prosecution but were consistant with a claw injury as was the report provided by a vet, and that the original case resulting in a destruction order was not proved by the prosecution. he ruled that the injury was not a vicious attack but a tragic accident. The injury was severe and the trauma and pain that this child went through was awful, but it was decided in court that this was what the injuries caused were consistant with and that it was an accident. The Rottweiler’s destruction order was lifted and he was ordered to be released immediately But the poor childs fears are real and she tragically may never be comfortable around dogs again, Lessons should and im sure will be learned because both parties are now aware that accidents can and do happen and that the lives of all parties have been affected by this awful incident.
When they have puppies.
Mother dogs can become very protective of their pups this is termed as Maternal aggression and the mother may appear to react unpredictably even with people they know well when nursing a litter, unfortunately puppies are very appealing to children so handling by children when in the presence of the dam should be carefully supervised. Jordan Gillon suffered serious injuries when he was set upon by three dogs belonging to 41-year-old Yvonne Webb, of Waterhayes, in January 2007, the dogs owner was not at home at the time and Jordan had been playing outside Mrs Webbs house with her son prior to the incident and had followed him into the kitchen where 3 rottweilers had been secured by Mrs Webb prior to her leaving the house. The dogs, two bitches, one of whom was nursing a litter at the time, and a male ran at Jordan who ran away, with them chasing him, he ran into his home a few doors away with the dogs following whereupon they grabbed him and had to be wrestled off by the boys father, it was intimated in the court case that the presence of the puppies could have been a factor in triggering the attack. (10)
When sleeping.
There is a reason for the old saying "Let sleeping dogs lie." A tired dog is more likely to be less tolerant of things. Startling a dog awake can lead to a bite.
Redirected Aggression
This type of aggression occurs when an aggressively motivated dog redirects its aggression from one source to another. A common example of this is a dog barking at the door, but then redirects its aggression on its owner who is holding him/her back. This can also be the reason behind some injuries caused when splitting up two fighting dogs. Children tend not to think of the consequences of their actions hence the criminal age for responsibility being ten years old.
Hot Weather
‘Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun’ hot weather coupled with dogs and children spending long periods outdoors, can lead to bite incidents taking place. Dogs can suffer heat exhaustion a symptom of which is irritability, that along with the presence of children racing around or squealing in a paddling pool. Year-old Liam Eames was shaken “like a rag doll” when the family’s American Bulldog clamped its jaws over the back of his head in their garden. The dog, released its grip only when the family’s second dog attacked it, trying to defend Liam. Mum, Jackie and Liam had been enjoying the sunshine when the dog attacked at 1.25pm on Monday in Tinshill, Leeds.(11)
One of the main factors in recent cases are children and dogs left unsupervised, many families applying to rescues are disappointed when turned down as adopters because their children let themselves into the house from school and would be alone with the dog until their parents get home from work, even with all the warnings the safety issues just doesn’t seem to occur to them.
Children are far more likely to get bitten than adults because of the way they interact with dogs. For example, they move faster, are often unpredictable, and are more likely to try to interact with the dog in a way that unexpectedly provokes aggression. Children are more likely to approach a sleeping dog - or one that is eating - and decide to kiss it or cuddle it, they do not see the signs that the dog is uncomfortable or realize that leaning over or putting arms around the dog is seen as a threatening situation by the dog.(12)
Adults themselves do not always understand and address the safety issues. Many children are bitten while adults are present, even in the same room. Sometimes an incident still occurs much too quickly for the adult to intervene. Some dog owners do not see the signs that their dog is uncomfortable, this may be because they are inexperienced owners but sometimes, such as when having friends round for a barbecue, they are focused on other things.
Some also feel that their dog should accept petting by any stranger or child, but this is a practice that can actually be seen as threatening by many dogs depending on the approach. A dog that likes to cuddle from an owner that he trusts may not be as keen when an unfamiliar person attempts to do the same.
An owner needs to be aware of their dogs demeanor at all times and should not leave their dog alone with children even if other adults are present as they may not pick up on the signs that the dog is uncomfortable until its too late, even if they themselves are dog owners, as the number of visual signalsavailable to a dog is very much dependant on breed, There have been a large number of reported attacks by Rottweilers in the UK in recent times, a breed which generally has a docked tail thus losing an important way of signaling, they also have ears that they are unable to erect fully, meaning that someone who owns a German Shepherd whose ears are erect and tail is long may have difficulty in interpreting the behaviour and signals given by a Rottweiler. Also the Devil Dog tag given to rottweilers by the press could in our opinion lead people to act nervously around the breed which could in itself lead to a bite.
Studies of dog bite injuries in the USA have reported that:
- The median age of patients bitten was 15 years, with children, especially boys aged 5 to 9 years, having the highest incidence rate
- The odds that a bite victim will be a child are 3.2 to 1.
- Children seen in emergency departments were more likely than older persons to be bitten on the face, neck, and head. 77% of injuries to children under 10 years old are facial.
- Severe injuries occur almost exclusively in children less than 10 years of age.
- The majority of dog attacks (61%) happen at home or in a familiar place.
- The vast majority of biting dogs (77%) belong to the victim's family or a friend.
- When a child less than 4 years old is the victim, the family dog was the attacker half the time (47%), and the attack almost always happened in the family home (90%). (13)
- the circumstances surrounding the dog bite
- signs of provocation,
- adequacy of child supervision,
- breed of dog,
- sex of animal,
- spay/neuter status,
- history of prior aggression of the dog,
- Was dog restrained time of event, and how
- patients previous histories of dog bites,
- length of dog ownership by dogs handler,
- location where dog bite injury occurred,
- disposition of dog afterwards,
- physical factors
- environmental factors
- The circumstances should be allowed to be examined along with the dog in question by behaviourists and veterinarians, whose opinions should be recorded.
- Do not approach an unfamiliar dog.
- Do not run from a dog or scream.
- Remain motionless (e.g., "be still like a tree") when approached by an unfamiliar dog.
- If knocked over by a dog, roll into a ball and lie still (e.g., "be still like a log").
- Do not play with a dog unless supervised by an adult.
- Immediately report stray dogs or dogs displaying unusual behaviour to an adult.
- Avoid direct eye contact with a dog.
- Do not disturb a dog that is sleeping, eating, or caring for puppies.
- Do not pet a dog without allowing it to see and sniff you first.
- If bitten, immediately report the bite to an adult. (14)
References
(1) http://www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/40026056/
(2) http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/32999
(3) http://www.newhamrecorder.co.uk/content/newham/recorder/news/story.aspx?brand=RECOnline&category=newsNEWHAM&tBrand=northlondon24&tCategory=newsnewham&itemid=WeED06%20Feb%202008%2010:52:25:330(4) http://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/abs/10.2460/javma.232.4.542
(5) http://www.dogbitelaw.com/PAGES/whybite.html
(6) http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article1597109.ece
(7) http://www.pickmeupmagazine.co.uk/real_lives/Baby_killed_by_Rottweiler_article_195048.html
(8) http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/sep/03/ukcrime
(9) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-506574/Girl-face-ripped-shreds-savage-attack-10-stone-Rottweiler.html(10) http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article28543.ece(11) http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article109821.ece(12) http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/our_pets_for_life_program/dog_beh avior_tip_sheets/Dominant-Dogs.html
