To help reduce the number of people bitten by dogs – more than 4.5 million Americans every year – the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and U.S. Postal Service (USPS) join forces the third week of May every year for National Dog Bite Prevention Week.
“Veterinarians recognize, while there are 72 million good dogs in the United States, any dog can bite if it is frightened or feels threatened, even the family pet,” said Dr. Larry M. Kornegay, AVMA president, in a statement.
Denver news anchor Kyle Dyer found this out the hard way last February, when she was bitten in the face on air after getting too close to a dog who’d been rescued from an icy reservoir the day before.
Dog trainer Victoria Stilwell, star of “It’s Me or the Dog” on Animal Planet, joined the campaign last year. In the AVMA statement, she said that using domination or punishment to train dogs can increase their fear and anxiety, making them more likely to bite.
“Dogs need and want us to provide effective leadership, but the most effective leaders do not simply impose their will on their followers,” Stilwell said. “And I firmly believe the only way to truly ensure that we are successful in achieving the necessary balance with our dogs is by using positive reinforcement and treating them with the same respect that we ask of them. It’s not the breed of the dog that causes the bite, but rather how well the dog is trained and controlled.”
The USPS offers these tips for being a responsible dog owner:
Obedience training can teach dogs proper behavior and help owners control their dogs.
When a carrier comes to your home, keep your dog inside, away from the door in another room.
Don’t let your child take mail from the carrier in the presence of your dog. Your dog’s instinct is to protect the family.
Spay or neuter your dog. Dogs that are fixed are less likely to bite.
Dogs that receive little attention or handling, or are left tied up for long periods of time, frequently turn into biters.
To avoid a dog bite, the USPS advises you to do the following:
Don’t run past a dog. The dog’s natural instinct is to chase and catch prey.
If a dog threatens you, don’t scream. Avoid eye contact. Try to remain motionless until the dog leaves, then back away slowly until the dog is out of sight.
Don’t approach a strange dog, especially one that’s tethered or confined.
While letter carriers are discouraged from petting animals, people who choose to pet dogs should always let a dog see and sniff them before petting the animal.
If you believe a dog is about to attack you, try to place something between yourself and the dog, such as a backpack or a bicycle.
PHOTO: Jeffrey Beall
