How
To Prevent Dog Bites
Recognize a dog’s body language
Both fearful and aggressive animals are prone to bite. A fearful animal will hold its tail tucked in, flatten its ears, may shake and growl or back away. An aggressive dog has its ears up and forward, eyes looking directly at you, tail up and slowly wagging or rigid, hair on its neck back and tail standing up. It is likely to bark or growl with its teeth exposed.
What to do when you can’t avoid an encounter
Freeze. Hold your arms by your side, hands in a fist, don’t yell, don’t say anything and above all don’t stare the dog in the eyes because this is interpreted as a threat. If a dog knocks you down, roll into a ball, knees up, elbows tucked in and hands in fists held against your ears. If the dog charges at you, don’t scream, but offer the dog an article, such as a bag, purse, article of clothing or other item to tug on.
If the dog actually grabs your arm or leg, push back into the animal’s mouth as hard as you can. The dog will often let go and may even run away. On the other hand if you pull your arm or leg away, the dog’s teeth will tear into your flesh.
Don’ts
Do not tease dogs behind fences; do not approach dogs tied up in yards or to trees, poles etc. Do not approach a stray dog.
What is safe behavior around a presumably friendly dog?
Don’t pet a dog belonging to someone else unless you are given permission to do so. When petting a dog, stroke its sides and back. Head and ears are often very sensitive. Don't nuzzle the dog. Don’t tease it; don’t play rough games and don’t bother the animal while it is sleeping, eating or chewing on something.
Train your animal to be safe around people
Take it to puppy school. Dogs learn best when praised for desirable behavior. Harsh physical punishment, prong collars, shock collars and other painful training methods may turn your dog into a fearful animal prone to bite in self defense. Don’t reward unwanted behavior, such as barking, growling etc. by petting. Petting will only reinforce this behavior. If the dog becomes aggressive, immediately remove it from the situation. Spaying or neutering your dog, particularly if male, will usually ameliorate aggressiveness. HB
Any rogue dog that attacks without provocation or inflicts severe or even fatal bites is unsafe in any situation and should be humanely destroyed. H.Breder, MD
