草莓污视频导航

June 19, 2019

Anatomy of a dog bite: The when, where, and why of dogs that bite

草莓污视频导航 researchers seek to understand biting incidents in order to prevent them
草莓污视频导航 researchers studied extensive data on more than 2,000 biting incidents 鈥 information collected by the City of Calgary between 2012 and 2017. Colourbox photo
草莓污视频导航 researchers studied extensive data on more than 2,000 biting incidents 鈥 infor

Sharing your life with a dog has lots of positives 鈥斅燾ompanionship, the health benefits of regular dog walks, and being greeted with a wagging tail when you get home. But along with the positives come some potential negatives, including the possibility of a dog bite.

聽A new聽聽found that when a dog bites someone badly enough to seriously injure them, it鈥檚 more often in the home, and the victim is most often a child or an older adult.

鈥淎ll dogs are capable of biting,鈥 says Dr. Sylvia Checkley, DVM, PhD, associate professor in the聽. 鈥淭o prevent dogs from biting, first we need to understand the circumstances in which they are likely to bite, and then apply that information and an understanding of dog behaviour to improve public awareness and tailor prevention strategies.鈥澛

A published study by 草莓污视频导航 researchers, from left: Melanie Rock, Niamh Caffrey and Sylvia Checkley, examines dog bite incidents with an eye to preventing them.

草莓污视频导航 researchers, from left: Melanie Rock, Niamh Caffrey and Sylvia Checkley.

Riley Brandt, 草莓污视频导航

Mining six years of detailed dog bite data 聽

Checkley and her co-researchers studied extensive data on more than 2,000 biting incidents collected by the City of Calgary from 2012 to 2017. Bylaw officers gather a treasure trove of information when investigating bite complaints. They record where the bite took place 鈥斅燼t home, at an off-leash park, or another public space 鈥斅燼long with the victim鈥檚 age, the dog鈥檚 age and sex, and other factors.

They rate the severity of bites using an assessment tool called the Dunbar aggression scale, created by Dr. Ian Dunbar, a veterinarian and dog behaviour expert. The scale has six levels, from dogs that snap without biting to those that bite repeatedly, causing deep puncture wounds or the death of a person or animal.

鈥淐algary has great data on dog-bite incidents compared to many cities, which gave us insight into different associations with different types of bites,鈥 says Dr. Niamh Caffrey, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar at UCVM with a strong background in animal behaviour and welfare, who led the analysis. Doug Anderson and Melissa Parkinson, with the City of Calgary, provided insight on the data.

Any dog can be a biter

Because of the subjectivity and huge variation in the breeds reported,聽the researchers sorted biting dogs into the Canadian Kennel Club鈥檚 breed groups 鈥斅爐errier, hound, working, sporting, non-sporting, herding, and toy.

鈥淒ogs in all breed groups are capable of biting, and the probability of a high-severity bite was not significantly higher in any group. And no one breed group stood out as being responsible for more bites,鈥 says Caffrey. 鈥淥ur findings support the growing body of research indicating breed-specific legislation is not a successful way to deal with dog aggression issues.鈥

The City of Calgary uses an assessment system that rates the severity of reported dog bites on a scale of one to six 鈥 from dogs that snap without biting to those that bite repeatedly, causing deep puncture wounds or the death of a person or animal.

The City of Calgary uses an assessment system that rates the severity of reported dog bites.

Colourbox

A One Health approach to preventing dog bites

The researchers used a One Health or transdisciplinary approach to address the problem, which looks at the interaction between humans, animals, and their shared environment. 鈥淵ou have to consider the whole picture 鈥斅爃uman behaviour and injury; animal health, behaviour, and welfare; the circumstances in which the dog was raised; and the environmental aspects including the urban environment, parks, and the home. Dogs react differently in different places,鈥 says Checkley.

The collaboration of professionals from different disciplines was critical to better understand the entire scope of the bite problem. As well, provincial public health and city government officials are key partners in public education campaigns and policy development.聽

鈥淓ducational information for parents, grandparents, and other caregivers should emphasize that constant supervision of dogs, including family dogs, around children is vital. And more attention should be paid to the larger risk dogs pose to older adults,鈥 says Dr. Melanie Rock, PhD, associate professor, Cumming School of Medicine (CSM) and adjunct associate professor at UCVM.

鈥淔ailure to protect people from dog bites has implications for the dogs鈥 welfare, as well. Dogs are most likely to bite when they feel insecure in the first place, and in cases of severe dog-bite injuries, dogs are often rehomed or euthanized.鈥澛

One take-home message from the study is any dog is capable of biting. UCVM students learn about dog behaviour and reading a dog's body language.

One take-home message from the study is any dog is capable of biting.

Jager & Kokemor Photography

Training of both dogs and people critical to reduce bites

鈥淲e like the Calgary approach because of the positive way they've worked towards using education and licensing to support dogs and dog owners,鈥澛爏ays Rock, a co-author on the study.

鈥淰eterinarians are also important,鈥 adds Checkley. 鈥淎t every wellness or new puppy exam, veterinarians talk about dog behaviour, training, and other things that can prevent bites. That鈥檚 what we teach our veterinary students, too, how to better read the dog. Through their behaviour, dogs usually warn before they bite, but you have to be able to understand what they鈥檙e saying.鈥

Olivia Schmidtz, a fourth-year veterinary student who helped with the project, gained a deeper understanding of the issue, which she hopes to put into use during her fourth-year clinical rotations and in veterinary practice when she graduates.

鈥淪ocialization of dogs and basic obedience training are critical,鈥 Checkley says. 鈥淭hrough education and training of both people and dogs, it鈥檚 possible to limit severe bites and dogs being euthanized as a result of biting.鈥

Sylvia Checkley is an associate professor in the Department of Ecosystem and Public Health at UCVM and a member of the聽O鈥橞rien Institute for Public Health.聽As part of聽UCVM鈥檚 Strategic Plan,聽she leads a One Health Research Group to support opportunities for interdisciplinary One Health research and discussion.

Melanie Rock is an adjunct associate professor at UCVM and an associate professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences at the CSM. She is also a member of the O鈥橞rien Institute for Public Health and the Hotchkiss Brain Institute.

聽can inform policies that could lead to better lives for people, pets and wildlife in cities.

Olivia Schmidtz, a fourth-year veterinary student who helped with the project, gained a better understanding of the issue, something she hopes to put into use when she graduates.

Olivia Schmidtz, a fourth-year veterinary student who helped with the project.

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