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Young children are more likely to bitten by a dog

Wed, 08 Mar 2006

Families are being asked to consider delaying the introduction of a dog into their home as very young children are likely to be bitten. Parents should still think twice about getting a Doberman pinscher or German shepherd.

According to a new survey conducted by Dr Johannes Schalamon and his associates at the Medical University of Graz, 341 children were reviewed who were treated for dog bites at an Austrian treatment centre over a period of ten years.

The results were that children under one year were at a high risk of being bitten, and children up to the age of ten were at more of a risk than older individuals.

Researchers behind the survey said, "Parents should postpone purchase of a dog until children are of school age."

"Throughout evolution dogs have lived in packs with a specific order of dominance. In view of this rigorous hierarchal system in a pack, dogs may regard newborns as well as toddlers as subordinate," they added and went to say but "school-aged children can be trained successfully in precautionary behaviour when approaching a dog."

An interesting aspect of the research revealed that there was a higher risk (fives times as high) of being bitten by a German shepherd or a Doberman than a Labrador retriever or a mixed breed dog. It was also noted that the study did not involve dogs from fighting breeds such as pit bulls, due to their known aggressiveness.
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