In a land where man’s best friend is his dog, it is no wonder that nearly 4.5 million Americans are bitten by dogs each year.  What is surprising is the number of dog bites that require medical attention, 1 in 5.  With nearly a million bites requiring medical attention every year it is important to understand who is effected and how to prevent dog bites.

Dogs are generally kind and loving animals but accidents, bad moods, and injuries do happen.  Understanding how to stop this problem comes from first knowing who is at risk.

Children at Greatest Risk

Children are at the highest risk of being bitten by dogs.  Among children, ages 5 to 9 are most likely to receive medical treatment for a bite.  Although the numbers of dog bites to children is decreasing, it is important to know that each year almost 30,000 people undergo reconstructive surgery due to dog bites.  Most of the surgeries are children.

Adults also are at risk for receiving dog bites.  An adult male is more likely to be bitten then an adult female but risks are associated with both genders.

More Dogs = More Bites

Homes with dogs dramatically increase the incidence of dog bites.  As the number of dogs in the home increases so does the likelihood of a bite.  Adults with a dog in their home are 5 times more likely to be bitten by a dog.

Dog Bite Prevention

With the amount of dog bites in America, it is vital that everyone knows how to properly treat dogs.  Understanding dog’s behavior as well as preventative measures will also insure safety around aggressive dogs for both children and adults.  Additionally preparing your home and dog to make the adjustments to new ownerships will increase the safety to both yourself and your family as well as to the dog’s behavior.

There are many ways to prevent dog bites from occurring.  The easiest way is by learning simple tips to help adults and children understand what to do around dogs.  There are two ways to prevent dogs in your home from biting, the first is by preparing your home before the dogs arrive and the second is by preparing the dog to enter your home.

Preparing your home for a new dog:

• Check the dog’s history.  Make sure the dog does not have a history of aggression.  If the dog does have an aggressive history, it is best not to bring them to your home with children.
• Consult a veterinarian or animal breeder to find the right type of dog for your home.  Certain breeds will react better to children, different space requirements, and outdoor situations.
• Spend time with the dog.  Before bringing the dog into your home take your children to see it and spend time with it.  This will alleviate the fears of the children and the apprehension of the dog upon arriving to a new home with new owners.  This is especially useful if toddlers or infants are in the home.  The more time you spend with the dog before bringing them into their new environment the better.

Preparing your dog for a new home:

• Spay or neuter your dog before bringing it into a new home.  By doing this early your dog will become less aggressive which will reduce its tendencies to bite.
• Don’t treat your dog aggressively.  Just as the dog should treat you and your children well, it is important for you treat your dog with equal kindness.  Wrestling or other aggressive games will teach your dog to be rough with you and potentially your children.
• Teach your dog submissive behaviors.  Training your dog to enter your household requires your dog to understand certain commands of obedience.  Examples of submissive behavior include releasing food without growling and rolling over.  Other submissive behavior includes additional obedience commands.
• If your dog begins to become aggressive immediately seek advice from trained animal professionals.  By stopping aggressive behavior early, you can prevent any incidences of future dog bites.

Children and Dogs

Further steps can be taken to help children stay safe around dogs.  The following 5 steps are very basic but should be taught and reviewed with your children regularly:

1. Never approach an unfamiliar dog.
2. Never run or scream when approached by a dog you do not know.  Remain motionless until the dog moves away.
3. Always play with dogs only when supervised by an adult.  If bitten, immediately tell the nearest adult.
4. Never look a dog directly in the eye, disturb them while asleep or eating or pet them without letting them sniff you first.  Care should also be taken when interacting with dogs that are caring for newly born puppies.  Mother’s become protective and aggressive if they feel threatened for their offspring.  The easiest way to prevent problems at this stage is to keep children away from the puppies until the mother allows them to become more independent.
5. If knocked down, roll into a ball and remain still until the dog leaves or an adult approaches.  It is important for children to understand they that should not scream or run away if they are knocked down.  It will only encourage a dog to chase.

Cost of Dog Bites

The 4.5 million dog bites in the U.S. each year should not be ignored.  It is imperative that parents and adults take dog safety seriously to prevent dog bites and decrease aggressive animal behavior.  The current national cost of dog bites per year includes $40.5 million dollars in hospital charges alone.  An additional 25% would need to be added to the hospital cost to include physician services and later doctor’s visits.  The average cost per patient for a hospital visit is nearly $5,000, which does not include the additional costs for medical equipment and additional cost for emergency services the costs for preventative dog bites is staggering.  The Health Care Utilization Project (HCUP) estimates the total medical-related costs of injury for dog bites to be around $235 million per year.

In addition to financial costs to American families affected by dog bites is the emotional and human suffering.  With an average of 17 deaths, 330,000 emergency services and 6,000 hospitalizations per year the human effects cost a significant amount.  Fear caused by the dog bites can effect children for a life time and prevent them from coming near dogs without apprehension and alarm.  Also, the physical disfigurement caused by the bites can cause a loss of confidence and self-worth.

To prevent children and adults from dog bites it is important to then to educate the population about prevention methods.  Knowledge is the greatest tool in minimizing future bites and preventing friends, neighbors and children from being bitten.  The most important element in prevention is mutual respect and understanding when dealing with animals.  Giving dogs time to get to know you and their new surroundings will allow them to adjust to their new homes and the people in them.  By learning the valuable tips mentioned above parents can teach their children how to deal with dogs and prevent aggressive behaviors so they can live peacefully together.   With such high human and economic costs, the impact justifies further efforts to educate both children and adults in preventing aggressive dog behavior and limiting dog bites.

Should You Hire a Dog Bite Attorney?

Many dog bite laws in the U.S. aim to compensate victims for the financial, physical and psychological pain and suffering experienced by the victim. There may also be statute of limitations, which means that you may have a limited amount of time to take your dog bite case to court.

Finding a dog bite attorney in your area is the first step in helping you recoup any financial loss that occurred as a result of the attack. An experienced dog bite attorney can help you recover any future loss (ie time off from work) and help you retrieve the appropriate compensation for the physical and psychological pain that occurred as a result of the attack.