Yes, they do occur. In fact, two percent of the U.S. population will be the victim of a dog bite. And, of the top reasons for visits by children under 12 to an emergency room, dog bites are second only to injuries inflicted by a baseball or softball. Higher than skateboard accidents, texting, tweeting, or even taking double-dares.
Preventions
The first and foremost preventive measure - exercise common sense. I could stop there, but to make this article useful to those who may not be blessed with any (not you of course), I'll list preventions that will prove most useful under most circumstances. This is advice that is most applicable for adults and teenagers. Advice you can provide your younger children appears in the next section.
Any dog acting sick or injured needs to be left alone. Owners need to be notified and the dog should get medical attention.
Don't approach a strange dog without an owner in sight. As much as you may love dogs, this is inviting an incident. Especially avoid approaching the high risk breeds (Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, Dobermans, Akitas, and Chows).
Avoid quick, jerky movements, or loud noises when approaching a dog.
Should a dog get overly excited while playing, freeze until he settles a bit, walk away and come back when the dog is calm.
If the situation has progressed to the point where you think you are about to be bitten, remain completely still, stare at the ground in front of you. Remain still until the dog calms down or retreats. Do not stare at the dog. In doggiedom, that's the same as a one of those double-dares I mentioned above.
If the situation has progressed a little bit further than "thinking you'll be bit", and the dog has actually attacked you, fall to the ground and immediately roll up into a ball covering your face and head with your arms. Stay still, be silent. Don't scream, don't run, don't hit or throw objects at the dog. Those are sure fire ways for you to end up a chew toy for one pissed off dog.
Be sure to train your children on the proper ways to approach dogs.
Teaching your children
An independent effort called Safe Kids/Safe Dogs published some very wise advice to provide your children. This project is designed to teach young people to reduce dog-related accidents. Here's some of the dog safety tips they teach children:
Approach dogs from the side or front - do not sneak up on a dog from behind or while the dog is sleeping or eating.
Never approach a dog without adult supervision - even if the dog belongs to a friend or neighbor.
Always let the dog sniff you first and do not stare him in the eye, some dogs may be threatened by this.
Pat under the chin or on the back, some dogs may get nervous if you touch the top of the head.
If approached by a dog, stand still. If you are on a bike, stop, put the bike down and stand still. Never run or ride away!
Never hang over fences or put your hands through fence openings to touch a dog, even one you know.
Leave a mother and pups be - she may become protective!
Avoid rough games such as tug-of-war, jumping up for toys/food, wrestling and "chase the kid".
Never tease or hit a dog or pull ears, tail or feet.
Always inform an adult if you see a loose dog.
Never run away from a dog - it can encourage a chase.
Preventions for dog owners
As a responsible dog owner, it is your responsibility to start socializing your dog or puppy from the first day you bring him into your home. There are a lot of great resources available to help you do it yourself. The manual I recommend based on my own personal use is called The Secrets to Dog Training Manual. I provide a link at the end of this article you can visit to access this valuable resource.
Some things to do the first day - get your dog out and about among people and other dogs - but always on a leash. Walks to dog parks and people parks. Be cautious in the beginning by slowly allowing people and other dogs to approach your dog.
Get your dog used to having all parts of his body handled. Make sure your dog becomes familiar with the rules of proper greeting - like having your dog sit calmly before he is approached. Which brings us back to the subject of obedience training. Begin that immediately along with the early socialization steps.
After you've exposed your new dog to other creatures you will have a much better feel for just how much training your dog will require. Certainly he will have to learn to respond quickly and consistently to sit, stay, come. Always monitor your dog's behavior, especially in the early days of adoption, and promptly address any concerns through proper training. If serious problems are detected, you would be wise to seek the help of a professional trainer or even a dog behaviorist.
Be sure to spay or neuter your dog if he/she hasn't already had the procedure. Hormones can lower a dog's tolerance for unwanted attention. Don't expect altering your dog will be a cure for all aggressive behaviors but the procedure will certainly enable you to better train your dog to be obedient, tolerant, and just plain old happy.
Dog Bite Remedies
Again, exercise common sense and you can avert an incident from becoming a tragedy. It is very important that you be able to help authorities identify the dog. If it's a strange, non-local dog, try to get any kind of identification. You could very well be avoiding painful rabies shots by doing so.
If the bite has broken skin, wash the wound with soap and warm water. As with most wounds, apply pressure to stop persistent bleeding. Be sure you've wiped all traces of dog saliva from the wounded area. If it is a puncture wound, do not attempt to close the wound, but cover it with a dry, clean cloth dressing and see your doctor immediately (with information about the dog in tow) or the emergency room if warranted. Hopefully you're up-to-date with your tetanus shot. If not, you soon will be.
Make the experience of adopting an older dog - or even a pup - a positive one for you and your dog. Begin training your new family member immediately. For information on the most comprehensive, economical and easy-to-use dog training manual I've found, visit this post on my blog - DogsRpeople2: Secrets to Dog Training!. It's available for immediate download.
I created my blog to reach and encourage others who may be considering dog adoption. It provides visitors with actionable information, wonderful stories about successful adoptions, resources that will enable them to help others; and, even the opportunity to post pictures and a story of their own dog. I invite you to visit and join the conversation - http://butdogsrpeople2.blogspot.com/
