Dog Bite Prevention
What Dog Owners Can Do To Prevent Bites
- Choose a dog from a reliable source. Find the right breed for your needs. Talk to your veterinarian before getting a puppy and ask for a referral to a breeder or the local humane society.
- Enroll your puppy in dog training classes that your veterinarian or local dog trainer (Link: www.apdt.com) offers. The classes will provide tools to teach you about normal behavior, training, preventing problems, and will properly socialize your pet.
- Continue the training daily at home. Socialize it with children, adults and other dogs.
- Teach your dog to meet and greet.
- Get your dog used to situations it will encounter in its environment (cars, traffic, sights and sounds).
- Spay or neuter your dog.
- Practice routine health care and wellness for your dog.
- License your dog, follow the local leash law, or use official off-leash areas (www.mromp.org ).
- Don't isolate a dog more than necessary.
- Make sure that your dog is exercised daily.
- Supervise your dog at all times when outside, in an unfamiliar situation, or among an unfamiliar group of people. Aggression is a common result of fear.
- Make sure to contain your dog safely with a fence.
- NEVER leave your dog unattended with a child.
- If problems occur, seek help immediately! Behavioral issues especially aggression will not stop without intervention and the juvenile dog will not just grow out of it . Untreated behavior problems often lead to euthanasia or owners surrendering their dog to humane societies. Contact your veterinarian and make sure that the behavior is not due to medical problems. Your veterinarian can provide you with behavioral advice or refer you to other sources, if necessary.
- Remember, most cities have leash laws. Some head collars allow for better control of your dog.
- Muzzles are an option. The use of a basket-type muzzle is a humane and safe method to prevent a bite, if used with all other methods of precaution that your veterinarian or veterinary behaviorist can recommend. Avoid muzzles that hold the dog's mouth shut since they don t allow the dog to pant.
Source: University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine
Reference:
Petra X. Mertens, D.V.M., Ph.D., is an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. She is a certified applied animal behaviorist. Dr. Mertens coordinates the behavior clinic at the CVM Veterinary Teaching Hospital.
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