When Dogs Attack: How to Ensure Your Children are not the Victims
By Dawn Rose
A dog is more likely to bite a child than an adult. Of little kids 14 and under, about fifty percent are reported to have been bitten by a dog. An enormous amount of bites are reported to be carried out on kids age nine and under. By paying close attention to signals, often times a dog attack can be stopped. It seems that most dogs are okay to be around, but many times a dog doesn't look at our kids the same way. We must ensure that we teach our young children to recognize potential pitfalls.
There is not an understandable argument for a canine mauling a human being, but figuring out the logic, from the K9's point of view, may be handy in stopping bites. Here are some results from a prestigious university which were gathered within a 36 month term.
Of reported canine bites on infants yet to reach their 5th birthday, an overwhelming amount were attacked during the spring. The majority were bitten above the shoulders, the vast majority are reported to be mauled in their place of residence, more then 39 percent of attacks reported were from the family pet and close to 58% had no history of aggressive behavior.
Of reported canine bites on young kids yet to reach their 17th birthday, but older then 4, an overwhelming amount were attacked during early summer. Very few were bitten above the shoulders, less then half are reported to be mauled in their place of residence, more then 24% percent of attacks reported were from the family pet and close to 49% had no history of aggressive behavior.
This suggests many patterns...
Most dogs will attack if provoked, but many would never if the proper measures are taken.
Dogs give off many warnings. Before you approach a dog watch our for the following tell-tale signs:
- Growling or barking
- lips raised
- teeth bared
An offensive threat posture is when a dog is hostile, assertive, ready for combat, dominant and self-confident. It does so when provoked. The dog can be a loving and loyal pet to his immediate family if given proper training, but this type of dog can bite if challenged. The motive is to hurt the challenging person. The problem is, we do not always know what the dog may regard as a challenge. The brave/aggressive dog's offensive threat posture, may include growling deeply, raised hackles, staring, a show of fangs, standing tall with ears and tail erect and leaning toward the opponent. If the situation is not handled carefully, this dog might bite.
Make your kids aware of these guidelines:
- Avoid pack dogs
- Do not try to separate dogs fighting.
- Always ask an owner if it's okay to pet their dog
- Stand still if a strange dog approaches you
Animals and children are capable of living in harmony, but kids need to be taught how to act around animals. If you conform to the following information, you and your kids will be safer!
About the Author:
Dawn Rose is a pet enthusiast and avid pet advocate. She runs a blog and pet news site called Front Page Pets. She also writes articles for the www.pet-super-store.com.
Article courtesy of www.ezinearticles.com.
