Animal Chat

There is a health crisis in the United States that nobody seems to pay attention to until it happens to them. It happens to 4.5 million Americans every year. Of those 4.5 million affected 20% will need medical attention to deal with it. Half of the affected people are children. What is this medical problem and why is it discussed in an animal care column?

We are talking about dog bites. Children are by far the most common victims of dog bites and are far more likely than adults to be severely injured by a dog. Senior citizens are the second most common group of victims.

Education of both dogs and people are the answer to this problem. Puppies need to be well socialized and children need to be taught how to interact with dogs. Here is a list of 10 situations in which you should avoid petting a dog.

• If the dog is not with its owner.

• If the dog is with its owner but the owner does not give permission to pet the dog. 

• If the dog is on the other side of a fence, don’t reach through or over a fence to pet the dog.

• If a dog is sleeping or eating.

• If a dog is sick or injured.

• If a dog is resting with her puppies or seems very protective of her puppies and anxious about your presence.

• If a dog is playing with a toy.

• If the dog is a service dog. Service dogs are working animals and shouldn’t be distracted while they are doing their jobs.

• If the dog is growling or barking.

• If the dog appears to be hiding or seeking time alone in its special place.

Education of small children on how to properly interact with a dog is extremely important. There are some excellent DVDs on the subject. Wimberley Veterinary Clinic this type of material available to be checked out to help families teach their children about appropriate behavior with dogs. Watching this type of video may be the most important video your young child ever sees.