FAMILY MEDICINE® COLUMN
By John C. Wolf, D.O.
Associate Professor of Family Medicine®
Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine

TIPS FOR DEALING WITH "MAN'S BEST FRIEND"

Question: A dog nipped my heel while I was jogging last week. Dogs are a frequent nuisance on the route I usually run, but this is the first time one has actually bitten me. My injury wasn't serious, but I'm concerned that another attack could be. How common are dog attacks?

Answer: A dog may be "man's best friend," but they can also be a serious hazard to us. There are about 53 million dogs in the United States, and about 36 percent of American households own one. That's a lot of dogs! From this large number there are about 585,000 bites that are serious enough to require medical attention each year. Your encounter and other similar, mild injuries wouldn't be recorded in this total unless they are reported to the authorities.

These numbers indicate that about one out of each 100 dogs will bite someone each year and about 20 people die annually because of them. Every needless death is tragic, and dog bite deaths are particularly so because 57 percent of them occur to children 10 years old or younger.

One's risk of being bitten by a dog isn't terribly high, but it is high enough to accentuate the need to approach dogs with caution. There is no foolproof method to predict which dogs will bite. In fact, I think it is safe to assume that all dogs will bite if the circumstances provide the proper motivation for them. I can give you some general tips that may help reduce the risk of dog bite, and particularly death from dog attacks.

Children are more prone to be bitten, in part, because they spend more time with pets and engage in rough play often wrestling with a well-loved dog as though it were another child. For the record, 77 percent of dog bites occur in the dog owner's yard or house, with the dog unrestrained in more than half of the these incidents. So to reduce the risk of a severe injury, children, particularly young children, should always be supervised when they play with a dog.

One of the best predictors of biting behavior is the breed of dog. German shepherds and shepherd mixed breeds are two to five times more likely to bite than any other breed. They cause about 20 percent of all reported bites. Chow Chows are next in line. The often feared Doberman Pinscher accounts for less than 4 percent of bites. And, Chihuahuas, Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, Poodles, Scottish Terriers and Shetland Sheep dogs each account for only about 1 percent of recorded bites.

Despite the low incidence of general dog bites, pit bulls are responsible for more than one-fourth of all dog bite fatalities. Rottweilers and German shepherds are a distant second and third place finishers in this grisly tabulation. Dogs that are 5 years old or older are more likely to bite than are younger dogs, and male dogs are more likely to bite than neutered or female ones.

Finally, I'd like to offer some personal as opposed to the more scientific -- advice on avoiding dog bites. Dogs may consider you and me a threat any time we enter their territory, and our definition of "their territory" may differ from theirs. If the animal holds its head slightly lowered, gaze fixed on you, and ears laid back -- you are in potential trouble.

Running with your back to an angry dog is likely to get you bitten. You are better to face the aggressive beast, fix your angry stare on him, and slowly back away from his territory. Uttering a low-pitched guttural growl as you do this often makes you appear as a formidable opponent from the dog's perspective. And if you are unfortunate and get bitten, seek medical attention. You will at least need a tetanus shot even if the wound is only a scratch.

Family Medicine® is a weekly column. To submit questions, write to John C. Wolf, D.O., Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Grosvenor Hall, Athens, Ohio 45701.