ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, September 17, 1996 TAG: 9609170128
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 3 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: Personal Health
SERIES: part one of two
SOURCE: JANE BRODY
This is the first of two columns on how to live safely with dogs. Next week's column will look at choosing and taming a canine companion.
The owner of a New Hampshire resort knew her dog did not like children. But she decided to ``introduce'' her pet to several cottagers under 12. Without so much as a warning growl, the dog lunged at an 11-year-old, Lindsey Flook, who then joined an estimated 4.7 million Americans - mostly children - who were bitten by a dog in 1994.
The owner's insurance company ultimately paid for her mistake, contributing a six-figure settlement to the $1 billion in claims paid out by insurers each year for dog bites.
High risk for children
Lindsey was luckier than some. The dog, a Shar-Pei, was on a leash and let go right after biting her on the chin.
Although 22 stitches were needed to close the wound, which left a prominent scar, a larger dog might have chewed up half her face, or worse, if the animal had persisted in its attack.
Each year in the United States, about 20 people - again, mostly children - are killed by dogs and 800,000 need medical attention.
The injury rate from dog bites is five times that involving playground equipment, which is subject to standards and inspections. About 70 percent of dog-bite victims are children under 10, some of them infants asleep in a crib or carriage. Even when the physical scars are not serious, emotional consequences can be severe and long-lasting.
Dr. Jeffrey L. Sacks, an expert in unintentional injuries at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, calls the dog-bite problem an unrecognized but largely preventable epidemic.
With dog bites among the top 12 causes of nonfatal injury in the United States, it is time for everyone - dog owners, pediatricians, educators, parents, children and all other potential victims - to take the matter seriously.
Preventing dog bites
Sacks says the primary cause of bites is not the dogs themselves but how owners treat them and how unwary people unwittingly provoke them. He maintains that in addition to encouraging the proper selection and training of dogs by their owners, everyone should learn how to act around dogs and interpret their behavior. With dogs in more than a third of American households, these are lessons we can ill afford to skip.
Pet selection, treatment
Some breeds are more likely to be aggressive than others. In this country, pit bulls, Rottweilers and German shepherds (and in England chows and bull terriers) account for a disproportionate number of severe canine attacks. Male dogs are more likely to bite than females, and unneutered males and unspayed females are more likely to bite than those that have been surgically stripped of their sex hormones.
Dogs with a history of aggressive behavior are inappropriate pets for families with children. Dr. Katherine A. Houpt, director of the animal behavior clinic at Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine, suggests it is preferable to adopt a puppy from a dog pound, since most adult dogs in pounds have been relinquished because they were troublesome. But a puppy is best adopted after it is 6 to 8 weeks old, to give it time to be socialized by its mother to other dogs, as well as to people.
As dominance-seeking pack animals, dogs that are not taught who is boss are more likely to try to act aggressively toward the humans in their lives. Dogs, like children, need to be properly socialized into the human family. They should be taught submissive behaviors like rolling over to present the stomach and allowing food to be taken away without growling. Even a relatively calm dog can be turned into a wild beast that may bite unintentionally if you play with it aggressively, wrestling with it or goading it to ``get'' someone.
A dog should not have to be hit to learn. Books on dog training can help, but professional obedience training is much better. If you cannot spare the time and effort to train a dog properly, you should not own one. Get professional help for any dog that starts to display aggressive behavior.
Dogs should be properly restrained on a leash or chain when outside the house. As Sacks puts it: ``This is not the Serengeti plain. Dogs should not be allowed to run loose in the neighborhood.'' A Cornell study found that feeding dogs a low-protein diet - 17 percent protein by weight - can help to curb aggressive behavior.
Dog-safe behavior
In many ways, dogs know - or at least can sense - more about people than people do about dogs. Sacks said people need to learn how to read a dog's body language and recognize fear or anger that might result in a bite instead of a lick.
In a recent report on fatal dog bites, Sacks, Dr. Randall Lockwood of the Humane Society of the United States in Washington and their colleagues stated that infants and young children should never be left alone with a dog. A jealous dog may take this opportunity to become aggressive toward its competition.
Children should be taught how to act around dogs both familiar and strange. A child should never approach an unfamiliar dog and neither child nor adult should try to pet an unfamiliar dog unless the owner says it is safe to do so. Even then, the dog should have a chance to see you and sniff you first.
Sacks suggests doing nothing for the first 30 to 40 seconds, then extending a fist rather than an open hand and allowing the dog to sniff your fist before you try to pet it.
A dog that is sleeping, eating or caring for puppies should never be disturbed. Children should be taught not to play with a dog unless they are supervised by an adult.
When approached by an unfamiliar dog, stand still and stay quiet. Remember, dogs evolved from carnivores that chase and capture prey. If you run from a dog or scream, this is a signal that you are prey and may prompt the dog to chase or attack you. Likewise, teach children, who are wont to run, to slow to a walk when passing a dog on the street. Avoid staring directly into the dog's eyes, as this is likely to be interpreted by the animal as an aggressive challenge.
If you are knocked over by a dog, roll yourself up into a ball with your hands over your ears and lie still. Stay still until the dog tires of you and walks away. If you are chased by a dog when walking, jogging or biking, stop, turn toward the dog, point and say firmly ``No'' or ``Go home.'' Repeat as needed. I have found this effective even for dogs that do not ``speak English.''
LENGTH: Long : 121 linesby CNB