Trent Consultants Korea Dog Care: Young children are especially vulnerable to severe dog bites in the head and neck areas, and there is a correlation between cases of dog bites and rising temperatures, according to new research published in the March 2009 issue of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.

In an evaluation of 84 cases of dog bites in children over an eight-year period, the authors found that most injuries were caused by family pets (27%), with a high frequency of injuries occurring during the summer months. While the reason for this is unknown, the authors suggest it may be because of children spending time outdoors playing with dogs in the warmer temperatures, or due to a general increase in the irritability of dogs during the warmer months.

The most common sites of bites to the head and neck were the cheeks (34%), lips (21%), and nose and ears (both 8%). Sixty-four percent suffered wounds in more than one location, with the average wound size 7.15 cm. Pit bulls were the breed most commonly cited as the cause for the attack.

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The authors believe that by implementing more accurate and timely reporting of dog bites to local health authorities, medical professionals can be educated on how to identify trends and develop prevention strategies. The authors recommend a system for uniform data collection to include the circumstances of the dog bite (signs of provocation, adequacy of child supervision, breed of dog, sex of animal, spay/neuter status, history of prior aggression of the dog, dog restraint, time of event, patients previous histories of dog bites, length of dog ownership, location where dog bite injury occurred, disposition of dog afterwards, and vaccination profile rabies/tetanus). Furthermore, families should be made aware of the increased likelihood of dog bite injuries during the summer months.

It is estimated that 1 percent of all emergency room visits can be attributed to dog bite injuries, including 44,000 annual cases of facial injuries in the United States alone. Adapted from materials provided by American Academy of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery

Trent Consultants Dog Care and Training is all about helping pet owners enhance their relationships with their pets. Our professional pet-care services includes boarding, grooming, training, now available in Korea. When you’re at work, your dog can be playing and getting the attention he needs at Trent Consultants. Dogs that come for day care have opportunities to play throughout the day in one of our with our doggie playgroups. You can visit us at www.trentconsultant.com. Email us info@trentconsultant.com.

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Tips for Dog Owners to Control or Avoid Aggressive Dog Behavior

Dog bites and dog attacks are a serious issue and can cause a dog owner a great deal of trouble. Dog bites and dog attacks not only cause injuries to family, friends or neighbors, they also leave the dog susceptible to being destroyed as a vicious animal and leave a dog owner susceptible to a law suit. In fact, dog bite lawsuits have become a lucrative business for lawyers dealing with personal injury cases. Fortunately, there are some things that responsible dog owners can do to help insure that their dog is unlikely to bite or attack.

Avoid Dog Bites and Attacks by Keeping the Dog on a Leash

Approximately half of all dog bites occur when a dog is running at large or is not leashed. By keeping dogs leashed, dog owners have more control over the dog’s activities.

Spaying or Neutering Dogs Helps to Decrease the Possibility of Dog Bites

Spayed or neutered dogs tend to be less aggressive, better behaved and more easily trained than those that are not spayed or neutered. Spaying or neutering removes the influence of hormones from a dog’s behavior and allows the dog to focus more intently on training lessons, making training easier and more effective.

In addition, aggression between dogs is generally lessened when dogs are spayed or neutered. People often get bitten by dogs when trying to intervene in aggressive situations between dogs. Spaying or neutering makes it less likely that an owner’s dog will become involved in this type of situation.

Basic Obedience Training Helps to Decrease Dog Bites and Attacks

Teaching a dog some basic obedience commands, such as come, sit and stay, can allow a dog owner to have more control over a dog’s behavior and can also positively affect the dog’s behavior. When the dog owner is able to calmly command the dog to come, sit and stay, the dog is less likely to become excitable and bite due to agitation.

In addition to basic obedience training, puppies and adult dogs should be taught not to bite at home. Dog owners are best advised not to play roughly with their dogs or puppies or otherwise encourage them to “play bite”. This type of behavior can lead to accidental bites when strangers are allowed to handle the dog. When a puppy insists on biting on an owner’s fingers or toes, it should be distracted from this activity and fingers and toes replaced with an acceptable chew toy.

Proper Socialization Helps to Reduce the Risk of Dog Bites and Dog Attacks

Properly socializing puppies can result in an adult dog with more confidence and less fear. However, the best age to socialize puppies is at a very young age, generally prior to 3-4 months of age. Introducing young puppies to a variety of situations, people and other animals can teach the puppy that these things are not dangerous. This lessens the chance of the puppy growing into a fearful dog and thus lessens the chance of a dog biting or attacking out of fear.

Knowing a Dog’s Personality Can Help Avoid Dog Bites and Dog Attacks

Most dog owners know their dog’s personality fairly well. By carefully observing the dog, especially when the dog is in a strange or stressful situation, an owner can often intervene and remove the dog from the situation before the dog bite or dog attack occurs. Watching a dog for signs of fear or aggressive behavior and stepping in before the situation escalates can be an effective deterrent to a serious situation.

In a similar vein, it is best to avoid placing the dog in a situation which is likely to elicit fearful or aggressive behavior if at all possible. Discouraging strangers, especially children, from petting or handling a fearful dog can deter a dog bite.

More off-leash dog parks proposed
A 1.4 acre off-leash dog park site is being proposed at Mabel Davis District Park.  The location used to be a landfill in the late 1940s and officials said pesticides are buried underground.
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