Did you know that every year in the U.S., 4.5 million people get #bitten by #dogs? That makes 1.5% of the population. And, only about 20 of those bitten, die from the bites. In comparison, about 330 people get struck by lightening each year in the U.S. This means that you are 17 times more likely to get struck by lightening than bitten by a dog. Wow! Typically, those most at risk for #dogbites are children, the elderly, and those poor postal workers on foot, in that order.
We as #petparents, parents, and as a society must work together to make interacting with #pets a safe and enjoyable experience for all. Furthermore, we must have compassion for the #animal world and remember that it is all about educating ourselves and respecting boundaries as to all get along and co-exist. Pretty basic, right? You'd think most would agree, but you'd be wrong. Fear of what we do not understand is inevitable.
Once when I was a teen, I had a large black #Labrador. He was sweet, quiet, shy, and never aggressive. My neighbor's son called my #dog, Zhoi, over to him one day. Zhoi ran across the street and into the boy's yard eager to greet him. When #dogs greet one another, they are both at the same level of height. They sniff each other's backsides and genitals to identify who the other dog is. They attempt to do the same with humans, but are unable to reach us as we are too tall for them. This is why we catch them sniffing our private parts and trying to jump on us. It is just a simple #doggy greeting and we should not #fear it or punish the dog. All you have created now is the dog's mistrust and #fear of you. In that case, a dog may bite to protect themselves.
My dog jumped up to greet this tiny boy, the boy screamed, mom ran out and assumed my dog attacked him. Ot was no one's fault, just ignorance. Long story short, she had my dog picked up and I had to pay $75. to bail him out! This and other scenarios I have witnessed us why I stress to #petparents that we take responsibilty for our own and educate as we go along.
Step 1 is train and socialize your #dogs. If they aren't used to other people and trained to be submissive to a pack leader (you), what else can you expect but an accident waiting to happen? Dogs should view all humans as a pack leader. Another thing to do is avoid aggressive play and games like tug-of-war. This type of play will confuse a dog when they get too rough and get punished or hurt in return. You are in effect, teaching them that aggression is ok and feed into their natural instincts, which makes biting ok, too. Instead focus on playing fetch, and practicing the command "drop it" and leave the toy infront of you. This command can save a life should you find you #pet with someone's arm in their mouth!
Spaying and neutering your #pets can also be helpful in putting a stop to aggressive behavior. Female #dogs are particularly aggressive and protective of their pups. Always use caution when approaching a mother and her #pups! Fixing your male dogs helps stop all aggression in them in general.
EDUCATE YOUR CHILDREN!! Kids don't readily know not to go charging with excitement toward a strange dog. Teach them to ask your permission as well as the pet parent's before petting a dog they don't know. Also, help them understand that even if a pet parent says no, they have a good reason and your child should not be upset, as there is probably a good reason. When they do get a green light to #pet a #dog, ask them to move slightly from side to side or at least their hand.
Something I learned about dog vision is that they cannot see straight on if something is moving toward them. They see motion from side to side. This is why you can catch a dog off guard if you're right at his nose with a treat or your hand. He didn't see you. Secondly, be sure your child pets the dog preferrably on the chest. Dogs see any weight on the back as a sign of dominance and may snap at you. My baby #Chachi is an angel until a dog puts his paw on his back. Never pet on the head, either. When a dog see your hand, palm down going over their head, they will flinch. Especially if you're dealing with a formerly abused #dog, he will snap at that hand, cause he may think you're gonna hit him. Do not quote me on this, but I once was told by a #pitbull mom that these dogs have soft sculls and patting them directly on the head can hurt them and possibly cause aggression.
Children also like to pull on tails and tug ears, or even pick up or grab dogs. This is never ok! Practice "No talk, no touch, no eye contact" with them and tell kids to wait for the dog to approach them. Dogs see direct eye contact as a challenge, plus, dogs come to the pack leader, not the other way around. If the dog sniffs and stays, he has given you a sign that you may pet him. If he leaves, he is not interested in further interaction, so let him be. Above all, keep kids calm around #dogs. Excitement from the kids at the very least, revs up the dog and at worst, makes them anxious and on guard. Yelling or running away can provoke a chase that could end badly. Never leave your children unattended with an animal, even your own family #pet.
It is important to learn the body language of a dog, too. If a dog has his ears pinned back or the hair along his back is raised, these are signals that he is tense and may strike. These signals mentioned along with a dog yawning mean they are showing their teeth as a warning, and not that they are just ready for a nap. And when a dog has done all this and is making direct eye contact with you, this is a clear sign that you need to back off immediately!
"Stay calm, don't get bitten" -Ceasar Milan
Bites:
In the event that you or someone else is bitten, here's what you can do:
- Scrape or gash: clean the wound under running water, hydrogen peroxide, or alcohol. Apply a topical antibiotic ointment and bandage the wound.
- Puncture wounds: Let it bleed. Blood flow helps cleanse the wound. If the wound is gushing or shooting out, or if the #bite is on the neck or head, call 911 immediately! Wait about 5 minutes, then stop the bleeding by applying pressure to the site. Rinse and cleanse wound under running water using a mild soap for about 5 minutes. Don't use peroxide, alcohol, or iodine, this may slow down the healing process. Puncture wounds do not need to be bandaged.
- If bitten by unknown dog: Exchange contact info between owner and victim. Ask for or show proof of #vaccinations, and treat the wound. If the dog behaves aggressively, is partially paralyzed, or acts strangely, he may be #rabid. Call 911 immediately to begin your #rabies vaccination. If at all possible, catch or detain #dog to have a vet or animal control check him for #rabies. And, I must also advise you to call police, to report the incident. But, please remember that it is not the dog's fault. Have compassion, for they are either not well or not trained.
- Puppy bites: all #puppies go through a nipping stage, it's normal. Puppies nip, it's what they do. Most likely they are #teething. Your hand is soft and feels good on their tender little gums. Do not punish them. Instead, get them #chewtoys! I used a baby teething ring with #Chachi. I let it freeze and gave it to him to stop him from chewing the furniture and my hands. It worked great and soothed his little doggy gums! Stay calm and redirect is what Ceasar teaches. Just before they nip, lightly pinch the scruff of the neck. Eventually, they learn not to do it. You can also try yelping like a #puppy at play. When #puppies are playing, one will yelp to let the other know he's being too rough. This technique worked with my boy. The less and more gently you react, the less the dog reacts. Don't punish after the fact, correct immediately. A dog will not understand why he's in trouble later.
- More on bites: Again, no punishing or hitting after the fact! All you have done is confuse and hurt the dog. Now you've lost his trust. That is a sad thing! If your own or a strange adult dog bites you, consider that they may be in pain or have a hidden injury. When I met my #client, Maggie, she needed help up on to the couch. I picked her up and she nipped at me. I learned later that she had bad arthritis in her hips, so it hurt when I put pressure there. Also, ask yourself, did you surprise a dog when you suddenly sat too close to him? Did you go near their food bowl when they were eating? Did you take their favorite #dogtoy away?