Dog Bites - An Analysis PUTTING FATAL DOG BITES INTO PERSPECTIVE Incidents of dog bite fatalities by ANY breed are very rare. There are approximately 15 to 20 dog bite fatalities in the United States a year, and that's out of the 64 million dogs that Americans keep as pets. Janis Bradley, dog bite researcher and the author of 'Dogs Bite: But Balloons and Slippers Are More Dangerous,' states, "Dogs can be dangerous. And they are more dangerous to children than adults. Not as dangerous, of course, as kitchen utensils, drapery cords, five-gallon buckets, horses or cows. Not nearly as dangerous as playground equipment, swimming pools, skateboards, or bikes. And not remotely as dangerous as family, friends, guns, or cars. A child is more likely to die choking on a marble or balloon, and an adult is more likely to die in a bedroom slipper related accident. Your chances of being killed by a dog are roughly one in 18 million. You are five times more likely to be killed by a bolt of lightening."

"It is important to emphasize that dogs bite today for the same reasons that they did one hundred or one thousand years ago. Dogs are no more dangerous today than they were a century or millennium ago. They only difference is a shift in human perception of what is and is not natural canine behavior and/or aggression and the breed of dog involved." -Karen Delise, "Fatal Dog Attacks"

Dog Bite Statistical Analysis - click on location or title to view analysis

DOG BITE EPIDEMIC:  Yeah or Nay? 
T.E. Houston, PhD 
May 2006                                                                      

Is there an epidemic of dog biting in the U.S?  According to the media frenzy that follows an incident of a bite, one is likely to think so. 

Recent data from the Center for Disease Control website shows a decline in reports of emergency department incidents of dog bites for the years 2001 to 2005.  (Figure 1).  The crude incident rate of emergency department dog bites are at a high of 130 bites per 100,000 human population in 2001 and drop to 108 bites per 100,000 in 2005. 

Historically what information there is available on reported dog bites shows an increase in bites with increasing population and demand for dogs, primarily associated with increasing suburban life style and concerns on rising crime, followed by a decline in bites.  The incident of bites in the late 1950’s was about 362 per 100,000 human population.  The 1960’s saw an increase in bite rate up to 456 per 100,000 by 1970.  In the mid 1970’s bites were reported at about 448 per 100,000.  By the early 1990’s the bite rate was about 214 per 100,000 and by late 1990’s at about 130 per 100,000, the same number seen in 2001. The reduction in bites seems to be associated with increasing efforts to enforce leash laws, restrain of dogs from running at large, and increased education of responsible dog ownership. 

Dog bites are believed however to be significantly under-reported by as much as 50-90%, since it is estimated that 10-15% of the dog population will bite.  The wide discrepancy between reported and unreported dog bites leaves a lot of unanswered questions about the dogs, as well as the victims involved.  The majority of the information available on dog bites and the victims involved are from the reports made to hospitals, animal control, and law enforcement.  The information obtained may be incomplete at best and inaccurate at worst.  The result is it is difficult to draw recommendations or conclusions about dog bites when in reality so little is really understood.

The media attention that results focuses more on a dog’s breed, resulting in the perception of some breeds being more dangerous than others in dog attacks.  What is lost is the fact that the majority of dog bites are minor, usually from the family dog and with some simple precautions the risk of a bite can be minimized. Only 2 studies, one in Canada and another in California, have looked at the potential risk factors that lead to a dog bite. 

Why do dog bites happen?  Just from evaluating the reports on bites, a lot can be learned about the risk factors involved.  Dog bites generally occur in and around the dog’s territory.  This territory is predominantly the house where the dog lives, including the front and back yards.  If a dog is allowed to run at large, then the dog may “accumulate” more territory, that is, what he considers “his” territory” is expanded.  So if another dog or person intrudes into that territory, the dog may respond with a bite.  Certainly the greatest portion of bites occurs at the dog’s house, this may be the family dog, a visitor coming on to the property where a dog lives, a person delivering packages or items to the residence, or a person doing maintenance work on the property.  In many cases this is the dog responding as protection of territory.  Of particular note, is if there is an argument between individuals and the dog’s owner or just in the dog’s property area, the dog may bite, possibly perceiving the behavior as a potential threat. 

Dogs of course, like to chase things, even more so if they are around their perceived “territory”.  Riding bikes, jogging, or walking by the area of the dog’s property is another common cause of a bite.  The dog’s prey drive is aroused by the moving objects, and hence increases the potential of a bite.  This also occurs when the dog is not properly contained, and the dog is allowed to run at large or accidentally gets out of his enclosed yard area.  If a person is walking by with a dog on leash, the dog at large is likely to respond, sometimes this is just meet and greet, other times this may end up with getting into a dog fight. 

Breaking up dog fights is another one of the major causes of injuries.  People try to break up a fight, and usually get caught in the middle with misdirected aggression by the dog.  This can happen with any breed, any size.  Sometimes the fight is aggressive, as another dog approaching a dog that is being walked, other times this may be over things like bones or toys.
 
A child playing or interacting with a dog may accidentally cause a bite.  Children all too often display behaviors that are not exactly conducive to their safety.  A child runs up to a dog and tries to give it a “hug”.  A child may be playing with the dog’s toys, or near where the dog is eating.  Sometimes a child will accidentally fall on a dog that may be sleeping, particularly smaller children.  This is why it is essential that parents understand the importance of supervising the child around the family dog.   

Some precautions that one can do to help minimize bites:

There are those who advocate the idea of no “free” bite, if the dog bites once, he is considered dangerous or euthanized.  Such action would mean an unprecedented number of dogs loosing their life, since no one breed has the corner on the market for bites.  This action does not address the very important factor of human behavior as a major component of a dog’s action.  As long as we have dogs, there will be dog bites.  The only way to eliminate them entirely is to eliminate dogs.  Not a very good solution. 

Figure 1:  Data from Center for Disease Control, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, based on emergency department records for the years 2001-2005.

Links to Dog Bite Information