INTRODUCTION

Dog Bite are attacks on humans by feral or

domestic dogs. With the close association of dogs and
humans in daily life (largely as pets), Dog Bite—with
injuries from very minor to significant, and severe to
fatal—are not uncommon. Attacks on the serious end of
the spectrum have become the focus of increasing
media and public attention in the late 20th and early
21st centuries. It is estimated that two percent of the US
population, 4.7 million people, are bitten each year. In
the 1980s and 1990s the US averaged 17 fatalities per
year, while in the 2000s this has increased to 26.77% of
dog bites are from the pet of family or friends, and 50%
of attacks occur on the dog owner's property.
 Human-dog interaction

Despite domestication, dogs, like their ancestors wolves, remain

cunning, swift, agile, strong, territorial and voracious - even
small ones have large, sharp teeth and claws and powerful
muscles in their jaws and legs and can inflict serious injuries.
The lacerations even from inadvertent dog scratches, let alone
deliberate or reckless bites, are easily infected (most commonly
by Capnocytophaga ochracea or Pasteurella multocida).
Medium-to-large dogs can knock people down with the usual
effects of falls from other causes.

Should affection or mutual respect not exist (as with feral dogs),
should a dog be conditioned to become an attacker, or should
someone intrude upon a dog's territory and pose a threat, then
the natural tendencies of a predator manifest themselves in a
dog attack in which the dog uses its predatory abilities to
defend itself. Extrication from such an attack is difficult because
of the dog's power and agility.
 Factors related
to attack incidents

Human behavior
Many human behaviors (especially by people
unfamiliar with dogs) may factor into bite
situations. The majority of dogs will not
respond to all or even any of these behaviors
with aggression, however, some will. These
behaviors include:
 Challenging for food or water. For example, removing
food from a dog, or appearing to intervene between a dog
and its food. Even when inadvertent, this may trigger
aggressive behavior in some animals.
 Attacking (or perceived attacking) a dog or its
companions, or encroaching on its territory. Dogs are
pack hunters; they often have an instinct to defend
themselves and those they consider their "pack" (which
could be other dogs, humans, or even other animals), and
to defend their territory, which may include areas they
consider "theirs" or belonging to their family. Any dog is
unpredictable in the presence of an intruder, especially but
not always a burglar.
 Sickness or injury. A sick or injured dog, or an older
animal, like people, may become "cranky" or over-reactive,
and may develop a tendency to become "snappish".
 Failure to recognize insecurity or fear. Like humans, dogs that feel
insecure may ultimately turn and defend themselves against perceived
threat. It is common for people to not recognize signs of fear or insecurity,
and to approach, triggering a defensive reaction.
 Intervention when dogs fight. When dogs fight, a human stepping in
between, or seeking to restrain one of them without due care, may be badly
bitten as well.
 Threatening body language. Especially including direct staring (an act of
dominance or aggression) or a person not known to the dog moving their
face very close to the animal's own snout (may be perceived as a challenge,
threatening, or imposing). Staring is more dangerous when on the same
visual level as the dog (such as small children), or when the human is
unfamiliar.
 Prey behaviors. Dogs retain many of their predatory instincts, including
the chasing of prey. Running away from a dog or behaving in a manner
suggesting weakness, may trigger predatory behaviors such as chasing or
excited attack. For example, the instinct to jerk one's hands upwards away
from an inquisitive dog may elicit a strong impulse to grab and hold.
 Ignoring warning signs. Trained attack dogs may act against an intruder
without warning.
Dog behavior

Many adoption agencies test

for aggressive behavior in
dogs, and euthanize an
animal that shows certain
types of aggression.
Alternatively, aggression can
often be addressed with
appropriate corrective
training. Sources of
aggression include:
 Dominance. Dogs as pack animals will often seek to dominate others in
their pack or family (acquire more status and authority) if they feel they are
able. A dog that seeks to dominate may use aggression as a means to
elevate its perceived power and authority, or to make others respect its
wishes and not challenge iT. Pet owners are generally encouraged to not
allow a dog to become overly dominant due to the aggressive behavior that
may result. Dominance may include "pushy" behavior, refusal to show
respect or obedience to humans, attempted "ownership" of high status
locations such as beds, sofas, or doorways, and in general, any type of
behavior the animal sees as furthering a dominant social role.

 Fear and self-defense. Like humans, dogs react when fearful, and may
feel driven to attack out of self defense, even when not in fact being
"attacked". Speed of movement, noises, objects or specific gestures such as
raising an arm or standing up may elicit a reaction. Many rescued dogs have
been abused, and in some dogs, specific fears of men, women, skin
coloring, and other features that recall past abusers, are not uncommon. A
dog that feels cornered or without recourse may attack the human who is
threatening or attacking it. A dog may also perceive a hand reached out
toward its head as an attempt to gain control of the dog's neck via the
collar, which if done to a wary dog by a stranger can easily provoke a bite.
 Territoriality and possessions. See above. Aggressive
possessiveness is considered a very important type of
aggression to test for, since it is most associated with bites,
especially bites to children.
 Predatory instincts. In isolation, predatory behaviors are
rarely the cause of an attack on a human, although with large
dogs or very small children this may sometimes occur.
Predatory aggression is more commonly involved as a
contributing factor for example in attacks by multiple dogs; a
"pack kill instinct" may arise if multiple dogs are involved in an
attack.
 Pain or sickness. See above. As with fear, pain can incite a
dog to attack. The canonical example of sickness-induced
attack is the virulent behavior caused by rabies.
 Redirected aggression. A dog that is already
excited/aroused by an aggressive instinct from one source,
uses an available target to release its aggression.
 Training and aggression
In a domestic situation, canine aggression is normally suppressed.
Exceptions are if the dog is trained to attack, feels threatened, or is
provoked. It is important to remember that dogs are predators by nature,
instinct is something that never completely disappears, and that predatory
behavior against other animals (such as chasing other animals) may train a
dog or a pack of dogs to attack humans. It is possible to acclimatize a dog
to common human situations in order to avoid adverse reactions by a pet.
Dog experts advocate removal of a dog's food, startling a dog, and
performing sudden movements in a controlled setting to teach the dog who
its leader is, to defuse aggressive impulses in common situations.

Small children are especially prone to being misunderstood by dogs, in part

because their size and movements can be similar to prey. Also, young
children may unintentionally provoke a dog (pulling on ears or tails is
common, as is surprising a sleeping dog) because of their inexperience.
Because of a dog's pack instincts, more dominant dogs may view children or
even complacent adults as rivals rather than as superiors, and attempt to
establish dominance by physical means. Any attempt at dominant behavior,
no matter how tentative, should be firmly discouraged as soon as possible,
to affirm to the dog that all humans are pack superiors.
 CAUSES OF DOG BITE
CAUSES Fear and Self-protection Pain Aggression and dominance
Lack of socialization Dogs, like humans, respond to fearful situations
by either fighting or running. If your dog feels threatened or helpless,
he may very well resort to biting. While this annoys humans, it is just
part of dog's ancient survival instincts. If he feels cornered, he is
going to react by attacking back. On top of biting out of fear, dogs
also bite out of pain. Similar to fear-based biting, pain-based biting
occurs when a dog doesn't know what is going on and reacts
aggressively. If your dog gets injured, his normal gentle manner will
go out the window, and be replaced with out-of-control behavior.
Different from biting due to fear or for self-protection, biting to show
aggression or dominance often occurs when a dog wants to show
dominance. This will occur if the dog does not understand that the
owner is the alpha leader. Breeds that have a tendency to be
dominant, such as German Shepherds or Beagles, are particularly
prone to this behavior. As Beagles show, dominant dogs aren't
necessarily the big, tall dogs. Dogs that do not have the opportunity
to socialize with other dogs, animals and people will become fearful
or aggressive in new situations.
Unsupervised children
 This is arguably the most critical factor in fatal
dog attacks on children, who because of their
small size are usually not able to withstand an
attack until help arrives. Many adults survived
severe dog attacks simply by virtue of the fact
that they were able to sustain and fend the
dogs off to some degree until assistance
arrived.
 Children often engage in behavior that will
trigger a dog attack. For example, approaching
a chained dog, trying to hug or kiss an
unfamiliar animal, or trying to pull its tail.
 The age group with the second-highest
amount of fatalities due to a dog attack are 2-
year-old children. Over 88% of these fatalities
occurred when the 2-year-old child was left
unsupervised with a dog(s) or the child
wandered off to the location of the dog.
Breed-specific attacks
 Dog attacks on humans that appear most often in the
news are those that require the hospitalization of the
victim or those in which the victim is killed. Dogs of all
sizes have mauled and killed humans, although large
dogs are capable of inflicting more damage quickly.

 When dogs are near humans with whom they are

familiar, they normally become less aggressive. This is
because familiarity with their 'pack members' lowers
the likelihood of attack. However, it should not be
assumed that because a dog has been with humans, it
will not attack anybody - even a family member.
Caution needs to be taken when approaching new
dogs for the first time. Intact males also bite more
frequently than females or neutered males.

 Due to the pit bull-type breeds' perceived aggression,

owning such an animal is not allowed in Australia and
many European countries, and in several US and
Canadian localities
Facts & Stats

 Children make up 60% of dog bite

victims.
 Dog bites are the second leading cause of
childhood injury (AMA)
 Male children are bitten about twice as
often as females.
 Dogs not known to the victim account for
approximately 10 - 20% of all reported
dog bites.
 Younger dogs (1-5 years) are involved in
more dog bite incidences than older than
dogs (>6 years).
 Male dogs bite more frequently than
female dogs.
 The chained dog is 2.8 times more likely
to bite than an unchained dog. (CDC)
Dog Bite – First Aid
 First of all, the wound should be wiped clean of any saliva if
the dog is suspected to be rabid (infected by rabies). The cloth
used should be discarded and care taken not to touch the
saliva. Instead, the wound should be washed well with soap
and running water.
 After drying, the wound should not be closed if it is a puncture
wound, but it may be covered with a dry dressing if there is a
cut or laceration.
 The person should be taken to the doctor immediately.
 Since there is a chance of being infected with tetanus, the
doctor will administer an injection containing tetanus vaccine.
 The owner of the dog should be informed and the dog taken to
a Veterinarian immediately, to check for symptoms of rabies.
 The dog should not be killed, but should be kept under
observation for 10-15 days to see whether it develops
symptoms of rabies. If it does not develop symptoms within 10
days, then chances are that it is not infected by rabies. There
have been cases reported where the dog does not show
symptoms of rabies, but still carried the virus. That is why it is
important to ask the owner, whether the dog has been
vaccinated and whether it has been behaving normally.
 Preventing Dog Bites
 Never approach an unfamiliar dog.
 Stand still when a strange dog comes up to you.
 Never run from or scream at a dog. (Unless you’re a bad
guy, than please run)
 If a dog knocks you over, roll into a ball and stay still, and
cover your head.
 Never pet a dog unless its owner says it ok.
 Don't play with a dog without allowing it to see and
sniff you first.
 Don't look a dog right in the eye.
 Look at his chest.
 Don't disturb a dog that is sleeping, eating, or caring
for puppies.
 If you see a stray dog or a dog acting strangely , call
Animal Control, Humane Society or ASPCA.
 If a dog bites you seek help.