In honor of Dog Bite Prevention Week, I’m posting the link to the blog I wrote in December about bites.
http://tailsfromthefield.blogspot.com/2010/12/preventing-dog-bites-dog-bites-and-cat.html
2013年9月28日星期六
Dog Bite Prevention Week
2013年9月26日星期四
May 20-26, 2012 is Dog Bite Prevention Week
30% of children’s bites come from the family dog; another 50% come from the neighbor’s dog.
Have you ever been bitten by a dog? I’ve never been bitten badly but have been nipped by dogs over the years, usually for teasing them. With my own dog, I used to tickle the tips of his ears while he was trying to sleep – an act which frequently earned me a thoroughly disgusted stare – but that’s all.
Not all dogs are so tolerant though, and it’s important to know some do’s and don’ts of how to treat dogs for yourself, for the children in your house and neighborhood, and for the dogs. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) estimates that approximately 4.7 million people are bitten by dogs nationwide each year, and the biggest majority are children. In fact, of kids 18 years old and under, 30% of dog bites are from their family dog. Another 50% of bites are delivered courtesy of the neighbor’s dog.
So what do you do?
Here are a few tips that the AVMA provides to get you thinking about proper care and bite prevention:
- Carefully select your pet. Puppies should not be obtained on impulse.
- Make sure your pet is socialized as a young puppy so it feels at ease around people and other animals.
- Don’t put your dog in a position where it feels threatened or teased.
- Train your dog. The basic commands “sit,†“stay,†“no,†and “come†help dogs understand what is expected of them and can be incorporated into fun activities that build a bond of trust between pets and people.
- Walk and exercise your dog regularly to keep it healthy and provide mental stimulation.
- Avoid highly excitable games like wrestling or tug-of-war.
- Use a leash in public to ensure you are able to control your dog.
- Keep your dog healthy. Have your dog vaccinated against rabies and preventable infectious diseases. Parasite control and other health care are important because how your dog feels affects how it behaves.
- Neuter your pet.
- If you have a fenced yard, make sure the gates are secure.
With many people, young and old alike, when you see a dog, you just want to pet it. But you really need to consider the situation. If it’s a dog with an owner, ask permission before reaching out. If it’s a dog in a yard, think twice before reaching through or over the fence. If it’s a stray, consider that the dog may not be vaccinated and is probably already scared without you trying to pet it or catch it. And definitely put a stop to it if you see children teasing any dog. (myself included)
If you have questions on dog etiquette or are considering getting a dog with young children in your home, contact a veterinarian in your area to get some answers. The AVMA also offers resources for the public by clicking here. (scroll down under Useful Links) Dogs are fun and should be enjoyed by everyone. Just make sure you have the facts.
2013年9月25日星期三
Dog Bite Prevention Conference Update
May is Dog Bite Prevention Month, and last week I flew to Atlanta to attend the first National Dog Bite Conference, presented by the State Bar of Georgia. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but was pleased to be able to go and learn more about people’s perception of dog breeds and the way dog bites are handled by law enforcement.
There was a lot of great information packed into the one-day conference, and a lot of my fellow VSPDT’ers (Victoria Stilwell Certified Trainers) from across the country attended also.
The day began with an attorney, Claudine Wilkins, who has worked tirelessly for two years to change the dog bite law in Georgia. Along with a few others, including Dr. Gene Maddox, a state rep, lobbied and wrote and revised and re-revised and toiled until the law was changed to include a criminal penalty for dog owners who have dangerous or vicious dogs. From what I can tell, the law is similar to Colorado’s Dog Bite Law, passéd in 2004. The best news? The Georgia law was passed on May 3- the day before the conference, so Claudine was happy to announce that it passed, very unexpectedly!
Next up- Victoria Stilwell, whose focus was on dog bite statistics and education about the rise in dog bites in the past several years. The first video was of Kyle Dyer on 9News, and the footage of her being bitten by Max, the Dogo Argentino. She discussed all the signs Max was giving and how the entire thing could have been prevented. She also spoke about certain TV shows that promote forceful and punishment-based dog training methods and how dog bites to humans have increased since those shows have been on the air. Victoria expanded on breed bans, and the fact that since certain breeds have been banned, dog bites have actually increased exponentially (perhaps not coincidentally since certain forceful dog training shows have been on the air). In the UK, dog bites have gone up 150% since pit bulls have been banned! Another statistic I found shocking is 50% of children are bitten by dogs by their 12th birthday… 70% are bitten by dogs that they know!
Other stats:
• An estimated 4.7 million dog bites occur in the U.S. each year
• Nearly 800,000 dog bites require medical care
• Approximately 92% of fatal dog attacks involved male dogs, 94% of which were not neutered
• Approximately 25% of fatal dog attacks involved chained dogs
• Approximately 71% of bites occur to the extremities (arms, legs, hands, feet)
• Approximately two-thirds of bites occurred on or near the victim’s property, and most victims knew the dog
• The insurance industry pays more than $ 1 billion in dog-bite claims each year
• At least 25 different breeds of dogs have been involved in the 238 dog-bite-related fatalities in the U.S.
• 82% of dog bites treated in the emergency room involved children under 15 years old
• 70% of dog-bite fatalities occurred among children under 10 years old
• Bite rates are dramatically higher among children who are 5 to 9 years old
• Unsupervised newborns were 370 times more likely than an adult to be killed by a dog
• 65% of bites among children occur to the head and neck
• Boys under the age of 15 years old are bitten more often than girls of the same age
Reference- Humane Society of the United States
Next up was a victim of a horrendous dog bite attack, 8-year old Javon. He spent 9 days in the ICU and now has scars on his face and body. He and his sisters were playing on a playground, and 3 pit bulls, who were chained in their front yard 24 hours a day, got loose and went after Javon. The dogs were neglected, chained, frustrated, and had strong prey drive. This was a case of the owner being extremely irresponsible, not a case of dogs being inherently vicious. Javon is thriving and it was a pleasure to meet him!
Other speakers included Kevin Hearst, a DeKalb County Animal Control officer. Because many of the conference attendees were animal control staff from around the country, he presented information on how to prevent being bitten when going to a dangerous dog call. He was informative and hilarious and I hope he comes to the Denver Conference. Jim Crosby, a nationally known dog bite investigator also presented. I saw photos of bites I never thought were possible, including autopsy photos. So tragic- I will never forget those images.
Afterwards, the entire VSPDT group went out to eat and enjoyed some downtime. Even when we can socialize like ‘normal’ people, we still talk about dogs! We know that educating people about dog body language, calming signals, communication, and positive non-forceful training is key. We know that helping people understand how to set dogs up to succeed is imperative. We just have to figure out how to get the message out, and we’ll keep trying until everyone understands- it’s not about the breed. It’s about how we interpret dog language, train our dogs with positive, non-forceful methods so they don’t become aggressive, and how we educate parents and their children about dog bite safety. A great place for more information is http://www.doggonesafe.com/
I had a great time in Atlanta and look forward to the Denver Dog Bite Conference in October… Details coming soon!
NATIONAL DOG BITE PREVENTION WEEK
In a tradition started by none other than the Postal Service, this week (May 16 to 22) marks National Dog Bite Prevention Week. The public service campaign was initiated to call attention to one of the nation’s most commonly reported public health problems - dog bites – and offers safety tips, emphasizing the need for increased pet owner responsibility in the prevention of dog bites.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4.5 million Americans are bitten by dogs each year. Of those, one in five results in injuries that require medical attention. In the latest annual data available, more than 31,000 people underwent reconstructive surgery as a result of being bitten by dogs.
To read more about it,
check out Caesar Milan’s website.
Remember to keep your teefies
off of your postman
and everyone else!!
XOXO
Lilly, Piper, Carrleigh, Ruairi and Becky
The Cooperative Dog Blog » national dog bite prevention week
It’s fitting that I had the experience I had today while walking with Hawk in Coolidge Corner. Since she came to me at 5 months of age last August, I have posted many photos and entire albums of Hawk’s Socialization Adventures on my Facebook page. Next week, May 20-26, is National Dog Bite Prevention Week. [...]
Posted on Saturday, 19th May 2012
Tags: brookline ma, child & dog safety, dog behavior, dog behavior consulting, dog training, dogs, how to greet a dog, national dog bite prevention week, The Cooperative Dog, The Kids & Dogs Project
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The US Postal Service provides some very sound advice in a News Release today. The USPS has also teamed up with the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Veterinary Medical Association, American Society of Plastic Surgeons, and other organizations such as Prevent The Bite to bring awareness to National Dog Bite Prevention Week May 16-22. With  72 million dogs [...]
Posted on Thursday, 13th May 2010
Tags: dog bites, national dog bite prevention week, usps
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2013年9月24日星期二
It"s Dog Bite Prevention Week
As the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) says, there are 70 million dogs … and any one of them can bite. Sure, you know your own Pookie, Spot, or Frisky better than anyone, but even the most docile dog can bite if put in the right situation. It may not mean to or want to, but a dog that has been injured, stepped on or accidentally hit, or one that just doesn’t want his food messed with during meal times can surprised any family. Let’s look at some tips – and yes, some of them are really obvious – to keep in mind with our four-legged friends.
This also seems like an opportune time to mention that this list is in no way complete. PVMA has a more comprehensive Dog Bite Prevention fact sheet available for download here.
If you see a dog you think you’d like to meet, here are some pointers:
- Ask before you pet. As well as being a courtesy to the owner, it allows them an opportunity to warn you if the dog is unfriendly or aggressive to strangers.
- Ask the owner the dog’s name. Calling the dog by it’s name will help relax it.
- Allow the dog to smell your hand first. Sniffing is like a hand shake for dogs so introduce yourself before you pet.
- Don’t reach for the dog’s head. Many dogs don’t like being pet on the head and could be frightened by a stranger’s hand reaching for their face. Pet the dog on its side, chest, or back.
- Never hug a dog you’ve just met. Many dogs don’t like to be hugged.
Dogs at home
If you have a dog at home, you know its personality better than anyone else, but that doesn’t mean you always know the right thing to do. Here are a few common sense tips that we might not think of to help you and your dog live harmoniously.
- If your dog is eating or enjoying a treat, leave him alone till he’s finished. Even if your dog is not agressive, dogs don’t like to be disturbed while eating and might react aggressively if they think you’re going to take their food away.
- If your dog is sleeping, never hit it or make loud noises to wake it. Dogs that normally are not aggressive may bite or growl if they are scared out of a deep sleep.
Resources
Here are some family-friendly resources to help prevent dog bites which include quizzes and games to help kids learn how to treat man’s best friend.
Puppies’n Dogs
http://www.puppiesndogs.comDog Bite Prevention and Children
http://www.vet.utk.edu/dogbiteprevention/Doggone Safe
http://www.doggonesafe.comDoggone Crazy
http://www.doggonecrazy.ca/bite%20prevention.htm
2013年9月23日星期一
Dog Bite Prevention Week
Did you know that every year more than 4.7 million people are bitten by dogs? With more than half of these victims under 14? Â Yikes! Check out this brochure from the American Academy of Pediatrics to learn a few tips and tricks on keeping man’s best friend friendly.
2013年9月22日星期日
Dog Bite Prevention Week
How can dog bites be prevented?
Dog bites are a largely preventable public health problem, and adults and children can learn to reduce their chances of being bitten.
Before you bring a dog into your household:
- Consult with a professional (e.g., veterinarian, animal behaviorist, or responsible breeder) to learn what breeds of dogs are the best fit for your household.
- Dogs with histories of aggression are not suitable for households with children.
- Be sensitive to cues that a child is fearful or apprehensive about a dog. If a child seems frightened by dogs, wait before bringing a dog into your household.
- Spend time with a dog before buying or adopting it. Use caution when bringing a dog into a household with an infant or toddler.
If you decide to bring a dog into your home:
- Spay/neuter your dog (this often reduces aggressive tendencies).
- Never leave infants or young children alone with a dog.
- Don’t play aggressive games with your dog (e.g., wrestling).
- Properly socialize and train any dog entering your household. Teach the dog submissive behaviors (e.g., rolling over to expose the abdomen and giving up food without growling).
- Immediately seek professional advice (e.g., from veterinarians, animal behaviorists, or responsible breeders) if the dog develops aggressive or undesirable behaviors.
2013年9月21日星期六
Dog Bite Prevention
The single most important action to prevent dog bites is the most obvious, though not always the easiest one: parental supervision of young children around all dogs, including the family dog.
The single most important thing to read — and I wish every dog owner would read it — is Chapter 3 [Socialization, Fear and Aggression] of Jean Donaldson’s classic book on dog training, The Culture Clash. This chapter could save a child’s life. I can’t emphasize enough how important the information in this chapter is for parents and dog owners.
This site is meant to be a collection of the most factual and authoritative studies on dog bites. Of course all the studies posted here were carried out in an effort to learn more about dog bites in order to prevent them — see the PubMed article on child swings, for example.
So while dog bite prevention is a paramount concern, a collection of links to the internet’s many dog bite prevention articles is, as they say, beyond the scope of this site. The primary exception is the definitive report by the Task Force on Canine Aggression and Human-Canine Interactions, listed in the AVMA section of the sidebar.
Both the AVMA and the CDC have pages on dog safety. The SFSPCA has excellent pages on dog aggression and dogs and kids, as well as information [and on-site classes] designed to help introduce the family dog to a new baby. Dog Bite Law, a huge site I plan to link to and discuss, has material on dog bite prevention as well. For a community approach to dog bite prevention, the AVMA report is unsurpassed. I hope visitors to this site will take advantage of all the links in this post.
[There is a permanent link to this post in the sidebar.]
2013年9月20日星期五
Dog Bite Prevention Week
Monthly Archives: May 2011
How can dog bites be prevented? Dog bites are a largely preventable public health problem, and adults and children can learn to reduce their chances of being bitten. Before you bring a dog into your household: Consult with a professional … Continue reading
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Video: KLN Family Brands with Kenny and Charlie Nelson
Watch a video on KLN Family Brands with Kenny and Charlie Nelson. From our family to yours!
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All in the family
All in the family “In today’s business world there are fewer and fewer family-owned-and-operated manufacturing businesses, especially ones as unique as ours,†says Charlie Nelson, vice president of sales and part of the family that owns Tuffy’s Pet Food. Tuffy’s, … Continue reading
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Dog Bite Prevention
All dogs with teeth can bite
I’m writing this blog a few days after Dog Bite Prevention Week. I saw alot of great information on Facebook from my dog trainer friends, but it never seems to reach enough parents and children. Bites still happen. Last month, I went to a dog bite investigation seminar that was targeted for professionals in law enforcement and dog training. To be honest, I am still shaken by some of the images I saw.
The statistics are staggering. There are 5 million dog bites reported each year. Based on my conversations with my clients, there are many bites that go unreported. Some of my clients call me after several incidents and none were reported. 50% of children will be bit by a dog by the time they graduate high school. Although fatal attacks are rare, kids are the primary victims. 76% of fatal attacks are on children 12 years old and under.
Why kids? Jim Crosby, the presenter of the dog bite investigation seminar, offered two reasons:
1) Adults, because of their size, are able to absorb a wound better than a small child.
2) Kids don’t read the warning signals from a dog as well as adults.
So how can we keep children and the rest of humanity safe from these adorable creatures that share our homes and lives? Everyone can help whether you own a dog or not. Please review the items below and share some of the attached resources with friends, family, teachers, and veterinarians.
For dog owners:
- Do not buy a puppy from retail puppy store, backyard breeder, or on the internet. Puppy mills and backyard breeders do not do temperament testing on their breeding dogs (or testing for genetic disease for that matter) and the puppy mill environment is devoid of socialization with humans.
- If you have a puppy, socialize him early and safely. Unsocialized dogs are more likely to bite out of fear.
- If you have a puppy, work with a dog training professional to teach the puppy what’s called “bite inhibitionâ€.
- Work with a professional dog trainer to learn exercises to prevent resource guarding. Dogs that guard food or other items can be dangerous, especially to children.
- Work with a professional trainer to teach leave it and drop it. Bites often occur when taking an item away from a dog.
- Do not train your dog using aversive or punishment based methods. Dogs trained with these methods are at risk to develop aggressive behaviors.
- Properly confine dogs indoors, in fenced areas, or on six foot leash (no retractables). One of the really shocking photos from the seminar involved four prey driven dogs in a rural area that chased, dragged, and killed a child.
- Provide proper supervision of dogs in fenced in yards. Fences can be compromised when owners are not supervising.
- Never leave babies or small children alone with dogs.
For everyone:
- Learn about dog body language and warning signs and share the information with others.
- Learn how to properly greet a dog and share with this information others… especially kids.
- Learn how to prevent or stop a dog attack and share this information with others.
- Encourage your local government to adopt and enforce strict neglect and abuse laws including anti tethering laws. Abused, neglected and tethered dogs are more likely to bite.
Resources:
AVMA Dog Bite Prevention
How to Greet a Dog Do’s & Don’ts
Body Language of Fear in Dogs
5 Tips on Surviving a Dog Attack
2013年9月18日星期三
An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure: Dog Bite Prevention Week
The U.S. Postal Service has released statistics for the number of dog bites to postal workers in 2010, broken out by city. Houston took the top spot with 62 attacks. Denver, with its long-standing pit bull ban, took the #8 spot, with 31 bites. The fact that Denver would rank so high despite its firm adherence to breed specific legislation is hardly a surprise to those who really understand dog bites. Research by the National Canine Research Council shows that dog bites do not occur due to breed. Rather, the most relevant factors are whether the dog is a “resident†dog (versus a primarily indoor “family†dog), whether the dog is intact, and whether the owner is responsible or properly supervised the dog.
The Insurance Journal also released statistics for the number of and costs related to dog bite insurance claims. State Farm’s data shows that California tops the list for the most dog bite claims, at 369, while Florida has the highest costs per claim, with an average claim of $ 38,356. I cannot resist a big shout out to State Farm, which continues its tradition of refusing to deny coverage based on breed. The one exception even State Farm cannot escape – the state of Ohio, which classifies bully breeds as automatically “vicious.†So where does Ohio fall in the list of dog bite claims? Number 3, with 215 claims, right behind California and Illinois. So much for the efficacy of breed specific legislation.
One group most at risk of dog bites is children. Psychology Today has a great article explaining why children are so at risk, which is due to insufficient supervision by adults, and children’s notoriously bad skills at reading body language. In an effort to address this, and just in time for Dog Bite Prevention Week, Dr. Sophia Yin has provided a poster that you can download from her website on recognizing a fearful dog’s body language.
For other tips on how to prevent dog bites, visit the American Veterinary Medical Association’s site and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s site. You can also find more great information and downloads on Doggone Safe’s site.
National Dog Bite Prevention Week- Preventing Bites in Children
In the first part of our series, we discussed why dogs bite. Today, we’re going to discuss how to prevent dog bites in children. Below are some interesting statistics on dog bites in children:
According to the American Humane Association:
- 50% of dog attacks involved children under 12 years old
- 82% of dog bites treated in the emergency room involved children under 15 years old
- 70% of dog-bite fatalities occurred among children under 10 years old5
- Bite rates are dramatically higher among children who are 5 to 9 years old
- Unsupervised newborns were 370 times more likely than an adult to be killed by a dog
- 65% of bites among children occur to the head and neck
- Boys under the age of 15 years old are bitten more often than girls of the same age
Although adults do often get dog bites, it is blatantly obvious that children are the more likely victims of being bitten or attacked by dogs. Children don’t always have the best manners, and may treat dogs like they would a stuffed animal. The only difference is a stuffed animal can’t cause severe injury or bodily harm! Here are some helpful tips on how to prevent dog bites in children.
The first way to prevent bites or attacks is to never, EVER leave an infant or a young child alone with a dog. If they are left alone and the child is bitten, you have no way to know if the child provoked the attack or if it was unprovoked. It is unfortunate, but if something happens to your child when you’re not there, odds are you will never be able to trust your dog again, and your dog can sense that distrust.
Dr. Sophia Yin
Next, make sure you start educating your children at an early age. Dr. Stacey Kilcullen highly recommends that everyone check out Dr. Sophia Yin’s Website. Dr. Sophia Yin is an internationally acclaimed veterinary behaviorist, and her website has an entire section on dog bite prevention, with a variety of links geared toward preventing dog bites in children. Click Here for a direct link to this section of her website.
When your child meets an unknown dog, always make sure you have your child ask the owner if it’s OK to pet their dog. Asking permission is not only a courtesy to the pet owner, but if the pet is not friendly then a crisis is diverted.
If there is an unknown dog loose in your neighborhood, your child should not run, and especially not scream. Running and screaming will attract the dog, and make the dog more likely to chase them. Instead, stand motionless. The best way to describe this to a child is by telling them to “be still like a tree.â€
Instruct your child to never approach a dog when they are sleeping, eating, or caring for puppies. If a dog is woken from a deep enough sleep, it could seriously scare the dog, causing it to lash out and who/whatever happens to be closest. Some dogs are also food aggressive, and if approach while eating may think that you are a threat to their food.
Sources:
http://www.americanhumane.org/animals/stop-animal-abuse/fact-sheets/dog-bites.html
2013年9月17日星期二
National Dog Bite Prevention Week: Understanding Your Dog"s Signals
It’s National Dog Bite Prevention Week, and you can help the cause by learning to understand your dog’s warning signs. This week was established by Doggone Safe, an organization devoted to promoting education that can help prevent dog bites and providing support for dog bite victims. The ultimate goal of this week is to help us, the humans, properly understand and communicate with our dogs in ways that can help prevent biting. As Doggone Safe acknowledges, we often misunderstand our pups. When a dog bites, we interpret this behavior in negative human terms, when to a dog, biting is a relatively normal and primal behavior. By learning to understand why dogs are motivated to bite in the first place, we can help reduce the risk that our pet will respond to situations with a bite or other threatening behavior.
Basic knowledge of your dog’s physical behavior can take you a long way towards preventing biting. Our sister organization, Morris K9 Campus, published a blog post in honor of Dog Bite Prevention Week about canine body language and how to read the signs that may lead to aggression.
Watch out for:
- Tail between the legs
- Whites of eyes showing
- Ears back, head down, or teeth bared
- Excessive yawning or licking
- Furrowed or tense brow
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You can also help prevent biting or lashing out by avoiding situations that often make dogs uncomfortable. Avoid surprising your dog, especially while they are asleep, as they may react instinctively and bite. Do not approach a tethered dog or a dog that is chewing on a bone; even if you know the dog well, they may become defensive. Also avoid forcing your dog into a submissive position.
By keeping your dog comfortable and watching for these warning signs, you can help prevent your dog and others’ pets from biting. Though they may be subtle, these signs are a dog’s way of telling us how they are feeling. If you watch for them, you can become more in tune with your dog’s likes, dislikes and overall well-being.
Dog Bite Prevention
This weekend, like every other weekend, was HECTIC at the shelter. Saturdays and Sundays are by far our busiest days and man this weekend was not an exception. We have around 60 kennels at the shelter that hold up to 2 dogs each…and around 40 of them had dogs in it. A full house! Which also means, a butt load of cleaning for us. On top of that, the weather dropped to the 40′s (especially in the mornings)…so my fingers were turning blue during our morning cleaning. We gave most of the dogs blankets and comforters to sleep in at night, and they seriously did not want to get out of them this morning when we were cleaning lol.
The topic I really wanted to touch on in this post is very important for everyone to learn about – dog bites. It’s the most common problem with dogs and also the most preventable. According to the AVMA, over 4.7 million people in the US are bitten by dogs every year. Children and senior citizens are by far the most common dog bite victims. I hear of all these terrible stories of people getting bit, and I bet the majority of them could have been completely avoided if they were informed of how to act around a dog…especially a strange dog!
I am so guilty of many of these and I learned the hard way when I first started my job. For example, one of the most common mistakes people make is going up to an unfamiliar dog and sticking your hand in their face, thinking that if you make them smell you that they’ll automatically “know” you and like you. WRONG. I did this at first to some of the dogs at the shelter thinking that it would work, and instead many of them would just snap at my hand. Lesson learned. All we’re doing is invading their space and scaring them, and their only defense to keep us away is by snapping at us. It’s not like they can just tell us to stay away! There are proper ways to approach a dog and allow them to feel safe and comfortable…and I bet you they will most likely NOT bite.
So please, READ the rest of the post! Even if you’re not a huge dog lover, I’m sure there will come a time when you will encounter a strange dog and everyone should know how to properly approach them. I mean…do you ever want to get bit? I doubt it!
I got all these images and information from Dr. Sophia Yin DVM, MS from her Animal Behavior and Medicine Blog. This has been the best explanation through pictures I have seen and she has this info available for people to use for Dog Bite Prevention Week. I tried to download the poster and somehow put it on this post but it didn’t work, so here is all her useful advice. (http://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/preventing-dog-bites-by-learning-to-greet-dogs-properly).
Appropriate and inappropriate approaches: You’d probably feel threatened if someone randomly walked up to your car and stuck their hand into the window to reach for you. Similarly dogs may feel scared or violated if you reach into their safe space. It’s best to stand out of the dog’s safety/ threat zone and even look away so it’s clear you’re not some bad guy trying to break in.
Appropriate and inappropriate approaches: People frequently see a cute pooch and want to rush up to pet him. Just as you might feel scared if a stranger or even an acquaintance ran right up to you, a dog may feel uncomfortable too. It’s best to approach slowly—at a leisurely walk while watching the dog for body language signs of fear.
 Appropriate and inappropriate approaches: It’s mostly kids who rush up uncontrollably to pet a dog, but even adults encroach threateningly. For instance, suddenly reaching out from nowhere without first asking parents or the owner can lead to bad results.  Even children are nervous of strangers approaching, and rightly so. We shouldn’t expect our dogs to be more comfortable with stranger danger than our kids. That’s why it’s important to always ask owners if it’s OK to greet their pets. It’s up to the owner to know their pet well enough they can inform others if it’s safe to pet their dog and if the dog will enjoy the interaction.
Appropriate and inappropriate approaches: Starting in childhood, we were all told to avoid staring. It’s rude, and even creepy. So even if a dog’s owner says it’s OK to greet Rover, avoid approaching head-on and staring. Instead, approach offset or sideways and look using your peripheral vision.
Appropriate and inappropriate greetings: Have you ever seen a toddler or young child visiting Disneyland or some other theme park to see their favorite beloved cartoon character? But when they see Mickey Mouse or Yogi Bear he’s gigantic in size and looming over them and they get scared. The same thing happens to dogs. They may seem friendly and happy as you approach, but if you loom over them, especially if you’re facing them head on, you can cause them to have a meltdown. That’s why it’s better to stand facing slightly sideways and remain outside their personal space or bubble. Note that the size of the bubble varies from dog to dog. Then let them approach at their own rate if they feel like it. If they don’t feel like approaching, then just admire them from a distance. For little dogs you can squat down to their level. But be careful to do so from far away and face sideways so that when you are shorter your face isn’t right in their face.
Appropriate and inappropriate greetings: Although you’ve probably heard that you should greet dogs by letting them sniff your hand, reaching out to their face is actually pretty rude, especially if you’re facing them or staring. Imagine if someone was standing near you and they reached a hand out towards you. It’s best to let the dog approach at his own rate and avoid putting pressure on him by reaching out.
Appropriate and inappropriate greetings: Some kids have phobias about clowns or certain types of people. Similarly some dogs are afraid of some types of people or people wearing or carrying certain objects or in various environments. Even if you’ve followed all of the appropriate greeting rules so far, some pets may still feel uncomfortable. So if you see signs of fear, discomfort or tension (link to the dog body language/ dog bite prevention-the one from Friday’s blog), even if the dog comes up to sniff you, still avoid petting him. Instead just admire the pet from nearby.
Appropriate and inappropriate interactions: Lastly, remember that some interactions are just not appropriate or aren’t as fun for the animal (or for children) as you think. For instance, most kids don’t like being pinched on the cheek even if they will put up with it. Similarly most dogs dislike being hugged even by family members even if they allow it. Imagine how a dog who dislikes hugging might react if they are hugged by someone with whom they’re only mildly familiar. When interacting with a dog, especially an unfamiliar one, avoid hugging, patting or petting in an overly familiar way. Instead pet in a calm, gentle, relaxed manner.
News Moms Need » National Dog Bite Prevention Week
Next week is National Dog Bite Prevention Week. Thanks to dog vaccinations  and other public health efforts, rabies is rare in the United States. But it’s still a serious concern. And dog bites can also cause infection and serious injury.
Here’s what you and you family can do to protect yourselves from dog bites:
  * Don’t approach an unfamiliar dog.
  * Don’t run from a dog or scream when you’re around a dog.
  * Be “still like a tree†if an unfamiliar dog approaches.
  * If a dog knocks you down, roll into a ball and lie “still like a log.â€Â
  * Avoid direct eye contact with a dog.
  * Don’t disturb a dog that is sleeping, eating or caring for puppies.
  * Before petting a dog, let it see and sniff you.
  * Report stray dogs or dogs acting strangely to your local animal control agency.
For more information, read Dog Bite Prevention on the Web site of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Dog Bite Prevention Week
It is a pity we do not make prospective animal owners take a test of competency, and an instructional course before they are allowed to own a dog. Then again, most of us would benefit from the very same preparation before raising children- and we don’t make anyone do that either!
One of the saddest complications from the human-canine relationship is the dog-bite. Especially when the victim is a child.
It is especially sad when we consider that a dog’s misbehavior is often the result of our own misunderstanding or mistreatment of that animal.
We can’t always understand what makes a dog tick (or ticked off), nor can we predict when to get out of harms way. What we can do, however, is learn as much as we can about our own dogs, and teach our children how to remain safe around their own and stranger’s dogs.
It is estimated (and I am certain that the number errs on the low side given our propensity to forgive the trespasses of man’s best friend) that there are 4.5 million dog bites a year according to the CDC, and the American Board of Veterinary Medicine. It appears that 60% of these reported incidents involve children. Of these bites, those requiring medical attention reach 800,000. Dog maulings ending in a human death occur about 16 times a year.
Emergency room visits for dog bite victims which require the help of a plastic surgeon- either because of the location of the bite, or the age of the patient, or the severity of the incident are numbered at 30,000 times a year. Unfortunately, this represents an 8% increase from the previous year (the good news is that this number is down 29% from 9 years ago!).
With numbers like these it is imperative that we take our dog raising skills seriously.
We can certainly put some effort into educating ourselves, and those around us about properly raising our four footed friends, and most of all into teaching our children how to safely and respectfully behave around dogs.
Safety Tips for Dog Owners:
- Seek a veterinarian’s advice about which dog is right for your family and lifestyle.
- Socialize your dog so it feels at ease around people and other animals.
- Don’t put your dog in situations where it may feel threatened.
- Follow leash laws – don’t let your dog roam free.
- Keep your dog healthy; Illness and pain can make a dog more likely to bite.
- Spay/neuter your dog.
- Confine your dog in a fenced yard when not in the house.
- Never tether or chain your dog.
Safety Tips for Adults and Children:
- Never approach an unfamiliar dog.
- If approached by an unfamiliar dog, stand still like a tree.
- Never run from a dog and never scream around a dog.
- If you believe a dog is about to attack you, try to place something between yourself and the dog, such as a backpack or a bicycle.
- If a dog knocks you over, roll into a ball, cover your face and stay still.
- Children should never play with dogs unless supervised by an adult.
- Don’t disturb a dog that is sleeping, eating or caring for puppies.
- Don’t play with a dog without allowing it to see and sniff you first.
- Children should never approach a dog unless supervised by an adult.
- Adults should never leave an infant or young child alone with any dog, not even the family pet.
If Bitten:
- Seek medical attention immediately.
- Control bleeding and wash the area of the bite with soap and water.
- Because serious dog bites can cause scarring, if you are bitten in a location where scarring is of concern, like your face, ask that a board-certified plastic surgeon treat the injury.
- Report the bite to your local public health department, animal control agency or police.
- Provide authorities with an accurate description of the dog, the circumstances surrounding the bite, and the dog owner’s identity, if known.
Please find more information on the site links below. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â -drB
2013年9月16日星期一
National Dog Bite Prevention Week®
Sunday was the start of National Dog Bite Prevention Week®, and Mom already did her part to prevent dog bites by sending Barry and Mel to Pooches’ Paradise during our picnic!  But really, everybody needs to be careful all the time and try to prevent dog bites, not just during this one special week.
Last year I wrote a rather excellent post about dog bites and how to keep them from happening. Â But since this is such an important subject, I think it’s worth writing about again. Â An average of 4.5 million people get bitten by dogs every single year, and one in five of those people has to get medical care. Â This is what happened to Mom when she got bitten by that dog at the shelter last summer, and she had to go to the doctor to get some antibiotics.
The people that dogs bite the most are (1) children, (2) old people, and (3) mail carriers.  So there are all sorts of groups who are helping sponsor National Dog Bite Prevention Week®, including the US Postal Service, the American Veterinary Medical Association, pediatricians, plastic surgeons, and insurance companies.  Also Victoria Stilwell, who has a program on Animal Planet called It’s Me or the Dog, is being part of the campaign against dog bites.  Ms. Stilwell only uses training methods that are based on positive reinforcement.  She feels that if you force dogs to do stuff by yanking on their collars or rolling them over on their backs, you are just making them feel scared and stressed.  Which means they are more likely to bite you.
The USPS is very interested in preventing dog bites because about 10 letter carriers get hurt by dogs every single day. Â The most common way this happens is that a person goes to the door and opens it to take their mail from the carrier, and then the person’s dog rushes out past them and bites the mail carrier. Â So the way to solve this problem is either to keep your door closed when the mail comes or to put your dog someplace safe before you open the door.
The Postal Service put out a list of the top 10 cities where dogs have attacked mail carriers, and guess what! Â The number one city is my own hometown of Houston! Â Of course, this doesn’t exactly make me proud, and I hope you don’t think I’m the kind of girl who would ever bite the mailman. Â But anyway, here’s the top ten list, with the number of bites in each city during 2010:
 1. Houston, TX – 62
 2. Columbus, OH, and San Diego, CA – 45 each
 3. Los Angeles, CA – 44
 4. Louisville, KY – 40
 5. San Antonio, TX, and St. Louis, MO – 39 each
 6. Cleveland, OH, and Phoenix, AZ – 38 each
 7. Minneapolis, MN, and Portland, OR – 35 each
 8. Denver, CO, and Philadelphia, PA – 31 each
 9. Sacramento, CA – 30
10. Seattle, WA – 28
Anyway, like I said in my post last year about dog bites, there are a lot of things you can do to make dogs less likely to bite you. Â But today I want to just talk about what to do when you meet a dog that you don’t know, because a lot of times people get bitten when they are meeting new dogs.
If the dog is with its owner, you should ask if you can pet the dog before you try to do that. Â And even if the owner says it’s okay, you should approach the dog slowly and calmly and watch to see if the dog seems afraid of you. Â Because dogs who are afraid are mostly the ones who bite, since they might think you are threatening.
And also, a dog who is with his human might think the human needs to be protected, and that’s another reason you might get bitten. Â So if the dog is sort of cowering or seems uneasy or especially if it growls, DON’T TRY TO PET IT! Â And don’t have that silly idea that “dogs always like me” and force yourself on the dog. Â
A lot of people, when they are coming up to a new dog, hold out their hand for the dog to sniff. Â And they often tell kids to do this, too. Â Personally, I think this is a dumb thing to do because as I have told you before, dogs have Very Good Noses, so we can smell a person perfectly well without needing to have a hand stuck under our noses. Â And if someone reaches out toward us, it can be kind of frightening, and we might just decide to bite that hand.
The same is true if you reach out to pet a dog on the head, because in dog language, this is a sign of dominance, and some dogs don’t react well to being dominated by someone they only just met. Â So if you are going to pet a new dog, you should do it on his neck or back or side or maybe give him a little scritch under the chin. Â This way, you will not seem like a threat, and the dog will not be thinking about whether to use his weapons of defense.
If you see a dog that is just roaming around loose, without its person, you should be even more careful about how you go up to that dog. Â And this is because a dog that is lost is probably very scared and nervous. Â Except that sometimes a lost dog might be happy to have found somebody to rescue him, and he will be really friendly. Â But you have to know how to read doggy body language so that you can stay safe.
Well, that’s pretty much all I’m going to say right now about preventing dog bites. Â Just remember that ANY DOG WILL BITE if the situation seems threatening enough. Â And just because your beloved, faithful dog has never bitten you, Â that doesn’t mean he might not bite somebody else sometime.
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