Bad dog!

Avoid Being Chewed Even Though Dog Bite Prevention Week is Over

By J. Gelband, 5-29-07

They say the bark is often worse than the bite, but just ask one of the 4.7 million people each year bit by dogs what they think.

Last week was National Dog Bite Prevention Week. Experts believe that public education can help prevent these bites – it doesn’t mean outwitting the fangy maneuvers of man’s best friend, but rather just being aware of triggers and following the rules laid forth in the wittily titled BARK program that teaches kids how to be safe around dogs and cats.

The Elinor Baker Trust Fund and the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation Fund through the Idaho Community Foundation gave the Idaho Humane Society a grant to implement BARK because children are the most frequent victims of animal bites and attacks. The program is free and available to schools and youth groups – even now that National Dog Bite Prevention Week is over.

Interesting fact that bucks the stereotypes: Children are 900 times as likely as letter carriers to be attacked by dogs. According to the Center for Disease Control Statistics, the rate of dog bite-related injuries is highest for children ages 5 to 9 years and injury rates are significantly higher for boys than for girls. And the dogs that bit most are the ones that haven’t been properly socialized, haven’t received enough attention or handling or are left tied up for long periods of time.

BARK’s lesson on how to avoid being bitten includes the following messages:

 Don’t run past a dog. The dog’s natural instinct is to chase and catch prey.

 If a dog is threatening, don’t scream. Avoid eye contact and try to remain motionless until the dog leaves, then back away slowly until the dog is out of sight.

 Don’t approach a strange dog, especially one that’s tied up or confined.

 Before petting dogs, always let a dog see and sniff you before petting.

 If you believe a dog is about to attack, try to place something between yourself and the dog, such as a backpack or a bicycle.

And how to be a responsible dog owner:

 Obedience training can teach dogs proper behavior and help owners with control.

 Keep dogs inside, away from the door, when letter carriers come to the door. 

 A dog’s instinct is to protect the family, so don’t let kids take mail from the letter carrier in the presence of the family dog.

 Spay or neuter your dog. Statistics indicate that neutered dogs are less likely to bite.

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