Dogs are great, aren't they? What would you do without your dog? He's always there when you need him. He calms your mood, is a great playmate, and hunting companion. And regardless of what your husband or wife is mad at you for, your dog still loves you!

We have shared our lives with dogs for over 12,000 years. More than 53 million dogs in the US have human families! That's about 1 in 3 homes. Evidence shows that this companionship has contributed substantially to our quality of life. They truly are "man's best friend".

So, why are we here? We have invited you to my blog today to talk a little about dog bite prevention. Dog bites have become a serious public health problem in the United States. The number of dog bite instances continues to climb. About every 40 seconds someone in the US seeks medical attention for a dog bite related injury. Nearly 5 million incidents of dog bites are reported each year with nearly 800,000 of those requiring medical treatment. The majority of dog bites are never reported.

Statistically speaking

About 70% of dog bites occur on the owner's property. Outdoor dogs are more likely to bite than indoor dogs because they are more socialized. With that being said, a chained dog is 2.8 times more likely to bite. Believe it or not, dogs with identifiable owners bite more frequently than "strays". Only 10 -20% of dog bite victims don't know the dog that bit them.

Although all do not require medical attention, approximately ½ of all children are bitten by a dog before they hit the teenage years. According to the American Medical Association, dog bites are the second leading cause of childhood injury. That's about 20% more kids injured by a dog than playground accidents. Approximately 60% of all dog bite victims are children under the age of 12, especially boys between 5 and 9. Watch out guys, males are 2 times more likely to get bitten than females, regardless of your age. When a child less than 4 is the victim, the family dog was the attacker half the time and the attack most always happened in the family home. People over 70 comprise 10% of those bitten and 20% of those killed.

Dog bites cost society well over $1 billion a year and account for a most 1/3 of all homeowner's insurance liability claims. Our insurance companies are paying out roughly $1 billion per year alone. That averages about $17,000 per claim. Medical costs for dog bite victims is more than $165 million a year. Added to the cost are medical insurance claims, worker's comp claims, lost wages, and sick leave.

So, which dogs bite? Any of them! The media likes to portray big dogs as the aggressors, but that isn't necessarily true. It only appears as though large dogs are the problem because naturally, a bigger dog has a bigger bite. That's not to say that small dogs can't cause injury, however. Children could be at greater risk from breeds with reputations for nice temperaments and little furry balls of love since they tend to be less cautious with these than big dogs. Not to pick on a particular breed, but studies have shown that Pit Bulls make up 1-3% of the overall dog population and are reported to cause more than 50% of serious attacks. When they bite, 1 in 16 will inflict serious injury. There is an 8 of 10 chance that the biting dog is male, with a 6 out of 10 chance that he hasn't been neutered. Any dog that hasn't been sterilized is 3 times more likely to bite. Dogs between 1 and 5 yrs. seem to be more involved in dog bite instances.

Visit my next blog to find out what makes your cuddly friend want to bite.

Dog Bite Prevention Part 2, What Made Muffy Bite?

Dog Bite Prevention Part 3, Practicing Safe Behaviors

Dog Bite Prevention Part 4, OH NO! Here Comes Butch, And He Doesn't Look Happy!

Dog Bite Prevention Part 5, OUCH! He Got Me!