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Protect family from dog attacks
By Cathy M. Rosenthal/Express-News : January 16, 2011
What if I told you that you could virtually eliminate the potential for dog bites and/or dog attacks by doing a few simple things? Would you be willing to make those changes? You would be surprised at how many people say “of course,” but then don't do those things when they see the “to do” list.
The No. 1 thing you can do to prevent dog bites and/or dog attacks is sterilize your dog. More than 84 percent of dog attacks are from unsterilized male dogs. Yet when I share this information with parents in the pets and baby class I teach at North Central Baptist Hospital, there are always a few people who refuse to sterilize their dogs, even though a new baby is on the way. They are convinced their dog will never be a problem.
Thankfully, fatal dog attacks are quite rare. There are almost 75 million dogs in the United States, according to the American Pet Products Association — more than twice as many as there are in any other country in the world (Brazil comes in second). But there are only about 30 fatal dog attacks annually in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta has said that this number is “statistically insignificant” when you consider the number of dogs living in the U.S. The truth is, you are twice as likely to be killed by lightening, which happens on average 58 times annually, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, than you are to be killed by a dog.
But this is little comfort to people who have lost a loved one in a fatal dog attack. While there are rare, unexplained instances of fatal dog attacks, in most cases, there are warning signs and things pet owners can do to reduce the risk that their dog will ever bite or harm someone.
Here's where common sense comes into play. If you see lightening, you seek shelter inside until the storm passes. Common sense works with dogs, too. By sterilizing your dogs, you reduce the risk that hormones will play a factor in a dog attack. Recently in California, a 2-year-old was killed by an unsterilized male dog. Sadly, an unsterilized female dog was in heat and in the home at the time of the attack. Dogs behave differently when they are in heat or are aroused by a dog in heat, so dogs should be sterilized if they are kept around children.
To reduce the risk of dog bites and attacks, we only have to look at the reoccurring factors that contribute to these incidents. Resident dogs, dogs that are kept outside and are not properly trained or socialized, are 78 percent more likely to bite than a family pet. Chained and unsterilized dogs are three times more likely to bite. Dogs that roam or escape from their home in packs, female dogs in heat or who have just given birth, and dogs that are acquired for negative reasons (such as guarding or protection) are also more likely to attack.
So let's use some common sense. Sterilize your dogs, train your dogs, keep them inside your yard or on a leash (no roaming the neighborhood) and make them part of your pack to ensure they learn how to behave around people.
Send your pet stories and questions to Cathy M. Rosenthal, c/o Features Department, San Antonio Express-News, P.O. Box 2171, San Antonio, TX 78297-2171, or firstname.lastname@example.org. Cathy's advice column runs every Sunday. You can read her blog, Animals Matter, at www.mysanantonio.com.