Experts reveal why dogs bite
New research has revealed that half of dog bite victims are young children, who pat resting pets.
The findings have animal experts urging parents to teach their kids the warning signs of an upset dog, particularly when most injuries are from dogs that are known to the child.
TV Vet, Dr Harry Cooper, said it is important to teach children what an aggressive dog looks like.
"They may have a dog of their own and that dog’s happy and friendly so they just think every dog’s happy and friendly," he said.
"So if a dog bares its teeth, as they do, and starts to growl, they don’t know what that is."
International experts agree and say it's often best to follow the old adage and 'just let sleeping dogs lie'.
"If the dog approaches you, that's a better scenario," President-elect of the American College of Veterinary Behaviourists, Dr Jacqueline Neilson said.
"But, the vast responsibility lies upon the parents to actually make sure that they’re doing the appropriate management and supervision, to make sure that the child doesn’t put itself in a dangerous situation."
Dog experts, together in Adelaide for the Australian Veterinary Association's annual conference, also agree that smaller houses and busier lifestyles mean animal owners aren't socialising dogs enough to prepare them for contact with other people.
"At this day and age we’re keeping our dogs confined behind fences, on leads, indoors a lot more, so that opportunity to engage with the wider world is much smaller," Australian Veterinary Association spokeswoman, Dr Debbie Calnon said.
Dr Neilson agrees.
"Unfortunately, as more and more people have become city dwellers, they have also become less familiar with how to interact safely with dogs and other animals," she said.
Experts say the best benefit of 'puppy schools' is that it gets the dog used to unfamiliar surroundings, reducing the anxiety and confusion that brings about aggression in dogs.
"Education is vital to dog bite prevention in modern communities, and understanding dog behaviour is an important step towards having the right tools to educate both animals and people," Dr Neilson said.
And Dr Harry's top tip for teaching kids to approach dogs?
"I would always use a closed fist held below the dog’s nose and then if you’re going to scratch the dog, scratch it under the chin," he said.
"Because patting a dog on the top of the head, which 99 out of every 100 people do, and it took me 30 years to stop doing it myself, is the wrong way to go."
He estimates there are about 50,000 hospitalisations for dog bites in Australia each year and said it's important to remember dogs aren't toys.
"Kids get bitten all the time... we need to educate them on what an aggressive dog looks like and what it’s going to do if you take that extra step." he said.
"The way (for kids) to approach a dog, is to always approach a dog with somebody, never a dog on its own."
"So if this dog is on a lead and the child is with an adult then I think the two can meet and the child should ask the owner of the dog, ‘Can I say hi to your dog?’"
