BIGDAWG
Best of Breed
Posts:321
 | | 04/28/2006 9:42 AM |
| | NATIONAL DOG BITE PREVENTION WEEK
May 21-27, 2006 is National Dog Bite Prevention Week. Join us in helping to reduce the 4.7 million dog bites that take place each year in the United States. Of the 800,000 of those that are bitten and seek medical attention, half are children.
Dog bites are often preventable when the following precautions are taken:
For your dog:
Do not play aggressive games (e.g. wrestling) with your dog.
Train your dog to respond to basic obedience commands; he/she should respect social rules and discipline.
Neuter or spay your dogs to reduce aggressive tendencies.
Seek professional advice (from veterinarians, animal behaviorists, etc.) if your dog demonstrates aggressive or undesirable behaviors.
For your child:
Children should not approach an unfamiliar dog.
Do not leave younger children alone with a dog – even if that dog is “familiar” to them (family dog, neighbor’s dog, etc.).
Acknowledge when a child is fearful or apprehensive and delay interaction with the dog.
Children should not run or scream when approached by an unfamiliar dog, but remain motionless without looking directly into the dog’s eyes.
If knocked down by a dog, children should curl up in a ball and be still.
Encourage children to immediately report a dog bite to an adult.
For everyone:
With an unfamiliar dog (e.g. lost dog), approach slowly and quietly, while allowing the dog to sniff the back of your hand.
Do not disturb a dog that is sleeping, eating/drinking, chewing on a bone or other toy, caring for puppies, etc.
Do not reach into a fenced area, dog run or car to pet a dog. | | | |
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muttmeister
Champion
Posts:4
| | 05/01/2006 1:17 PM |
| | The most difficult bites to avoid are from the psychotic dogs who don't give any warning. Most dogs are good in expressing danger signals: growling, snarling, curled lip, position of ears, position of tail, etc. However, some dogs lunge and bite in a split second without any warning.
A week ago in a park, I was bitten by a vicious Weimeraner who didn't give any warning. The dog's "handler", a middle-aged woman who claimed the dog was nice, was holding him on a leash, and as I walked by them, the dog gave no warning, lunged out with infinite speed, and bit my arm, breaking the skin and causing lots of pain for days. The scar hasn't gone away. The dog had already been fixed. He was from a rescue organization; too bad the organization didn't rescue a dog who actually deserved to be saved. I didn't call the cops or anything, as I believe a dog should be allowed one bite (after which the owner should keep the dog away from everyone), but I don't want to see that dog in public again without a muzzle. Seconds after the bite, the psycho dog behaved as if nothing had happened; he might not even have realized he bit. Most likely he was reacting to mixed emotions by the woman, including some combination for fear and hate.
Stay out of public places if your dog is psycho. At least the ones that growl give their possible victims time to back away.
I am most suspicious of older women because they often imagine every man on the sidewalk or park is a mugger, rapist, etc. The dog picks up on these delusions and acts to defend the weak pack member that is the old woman. I believe dogs are least likely to bite when they're with just a young strong adult, especially a man. They're more likely to bite if they're with a "weak pack member": a little kid or an elderly person, especially an old woman.
One breed with which I avoid contact is the Springer Spaniel because they often have Rage Syndrome, lashing out at people (including their owners) and mauling them without warning. Many police dogs (e.g. Shepherds) also bite without warning. It would be good if show-variety Springers were discontinued.
In another thread, someone complained about strangers asking to hold the dogs back. I don't blame the strangers. Walk the dog a safe distance around strangers, and if your dog has any history of aggression toward other dogs, avoid other people who have dogs.
There are probably a lot more cases of dogs biting other dogs than dogs biting people. Many a dog walker has had his/her nice dog savagely bitten by another person's dog after the other person claimed his/her dog was friendly. | | | |
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OKarin
Best in Group
Posts:714
| | 05/01/2006 1:54 PM |
| | OK too much generalizing! I'm not an old woman but I am an "older" woman and I found this insulting. As I read it you are saying that old or older woman are paranoid and man-fearing and that they pass this on to their dogs which then become vicious to strange men. Give me a break! I live in Canada and have never found this to be true. How about you "old" or "older" American women is this true?
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RottieQueenB
Posts:0
| | 05/02/2006 9:38 AM |
| | I also take great offence to this! I am not "old" but I am also not young and that has not a thing to do with anything. Who says that the dog that bit you was not deserving of being rescued?? Not you that's for sure. I have Rotts and a Lab and folks as if they bite, I tell them that they are not known to nor have they but don't mess up around them cuz they will take it as aggression towards me and then they will enjoy you. Dogs are very protective of their owners and are very perceptive and may read something in a stranger that the owner doesn't and therefore becomes defensive. Let's don't blame women or the elderly that is totally ignorant. Yes there is owner responsibility in handeling the animal but no animal is totally predictable!! | | | |
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BIGDAWG
Best of Breed
Posts:321
| | 05/02/2006 7:11 PM |
| THIS WAS AND IS A POSTING FOR "NATIONAL DOGBITE PREVENTION WEEK" I DIDNT POST IT TO START A NORTH AMERICAN DOGBITE PROVOCATION CAMPAIGN. | | | |
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OKarin
Best in Group
Posts:714
| | 05/02/2006 8:12 PM |
| BIGDAWG you're my bud and you didn't start anything. Your posts are always fun and informative. I look for them. 
It's just that some people should read what they have written before they submit a reply so they may realize that someone may be offended. I hate when people generalize about any group of people but especially when I happen to be a member of the group being generalized about.![](/images/icon_smile_angry.gifborder="0") | | | |
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jakeysmom
Best of Breed
Posts:245
| | 05/03/2006 8:07 AM |
| | I was the one who commented on how a stranger asked me to hold my dog back..FIRST OFF..as I stated in my comment I am a very responsible dog owner - I know my dog very well he never lungeous out at people..NEVER....I also stated that I was on the other side of the trail and Jake could have cared less if those people were on the other side of the trail - he didn't even turn to look at them - he never even walked towards them...In otherwords I have complete control of him on the leash - he walks very good and never bothers anyone....Im FAR from being "OLD" and I am not a "weak-link"..your comments are very unappropriate and no not every women feels or thinks every man is a rapist/thug, etc.... Its your OWN fault if you didn't call the cops or report that dog bit. Don't blame your lack of responsibility to report the dog bit on us responsible owners. Did you even discuss the bit with the owner of the dog??? And another thing..MY DOG DOES NOT HAVE AGGRESSION towards other dogs..I simply stated that on the trails if you have a dog he likes to say HI....he dosen't growl, bite, ....only sniffs.....perhaps you were the stranger on the trail???LOL | | | |
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BIGDAWG
Best of Breed
Posts:321
| | 05/03/2006 9:35 AM |
| quote:
Originally posted by okarin
BIGDAWG you're my bud and you didn't start anything. Your posts are always fun and informative. I look for them.
It's just that some people should read what they have written before they submit a reply so they may realize that someone may be offended. I hate when people generalize about any group of people but especially when I happen to be a member of the group being generalized about.
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TailWagger
Champion
Posts:111
| | 05/05/2006 2:41 PM |
| | Ever notice that the people who are insulting online are the ones that usually don't have photos posted of themselves?
Sorry, back to our regularly scheduled program. | | | |
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OKarin
Best in Group
Posts:714
| | 05/05/2006 4:32 PM |
| | hehe | | | |
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RottieQueenB
Posts:0
| | 05/06/2006 12:22 PM |
| Or come into chat to discuss their reasoning for their posts. | | | |
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jakeysmom
Best of Breed
Posts:245
| | 05/08/2006 10:36 AM |
| absolutely...    | | | |
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adoptapittie
Champion
Posts:173
| | 05/10/2006 3:11 PM |
| | I am generally fairly passive in my comments to topics - but I'm afraid I cannot hold my tongue to the muttmeister.
Because this rescued dog bit you it did not deserve to be rescued?? That is a very ignorant mean comment. I volunteer with rescued weims and own one myself. You have no idea why that dog bit you. It could've been sick and not feeling well, it could've been abused by a man , it could've had any number of things going on and you have just generalized that it didn't deserve to be rescued based on your one incident. Quite honestly folks like you that make judgements with no history on any dog scare the heck out of me worse than any dog that may bite. | | | |
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corona28
Champion
Posts:127
| | 05/24/2006 8:51 AM |
| | In regards to National Dog Bite Week:
I once rescued this female terrier mix from our local shelter. She was soooo adorable and exactly the size that I wanted. At the time, our local shelter did not offer visitation..you know, where you can bring your animals so that they can meet potential adoptions to see if they will get along. So, I adopted her and brought her home. She was great with my other dogs, even my female husky let her play..which is astounding since she is the alpha female. One day she was lying on the floor next to me and I was petting her belly, she somehow got scared and lunged for my face and bit me. It was the first time that I was actually privy to shock. I didn't know what had happened or what may have caused her to scare, but all I knew was that I had to go to the hospital. In our state, if your dog bites you, you have to have it quarantined for 10 days. I felt sooo bad that she had to be quarantined for something so minor, but I had to do it by the law. Afterwards, I had a problem seeing her..every time I visited her at the vet I would get all nervous inside and clamy. I knew that I couldn't take her back home or I would always be afraid that she would possibly bite me again. So, I put her up for adoption thru my vet and found a good home for her. I informed the new owners that she had bitten, by law we have to, and that I did not know the cause for the bite. Needless to say, she has a loving home that she doesn't have to share with any other dogs and her new owners are thrilled with her. So..out of some bad incidents comes a good deed! | | | |
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