Rationale:

• Dog bites are likely to result equally from provoked and unprovoked dogs.
• Most dog bites occur in children, especially boys between the ages of 5 and 9, and result from dogs familiar to them.
• Most dog bites to children occur at home without adult supervision.
• Education of children about unfamiliar dogs can result in decreased risk of dog bites.
• Fatal dog bites are most often committed by unrestrained dogs on the owner's property.
• Certain breeds of dogs account for most fatal dog attacks, including pit bulls, rottweilers, German shepherds, huskies, malamutes, wolf-dog hybrids, chow chows, and Dobermans.
• Neutering male dogs can decrease aggressive behavior.
• Certain occupations, including veterinarians, laboratory technicians, and animal control officers, place workers at risk for dog bites and complications of dog bite infections.

Evidence:

• Up to 50% of dog bites result from unprovoked dogs (1; 2).
• Over 70% of dog bites result from the victim's own pet or a dog familiar to him or her (3; 4; 5; 6; 7).
• A prospective survey of 100 consecutive dog bites to children treated in an emergency department showed that 65 occurred at home, 35 occurred in public places, and 98 took place without adult supervision (8).
• The highest incidence of nonfatal dog bites treated in emergency departments occurs in boys between the ages of 5 and 9, with an incidence of 293 in 100,000 (9).
• A randomized controlled trial of educational intervention in children aged 7 to 8 significantly lowered the rate of petting unfamiliar dogs from 79% to 9% after only 30 minutes of education (10).
• Most fatal dog bites in a 20-year period resulted from unrestrained dogs either on (58%) or off (24%) of the owner's property, whereas only 17% resulted from attacks by restrained dogs on the owner's property (11).
• German shepherd dogs account for 50% to 60% of all dog bites (8; 12).
• In a series of 341 dog bites in children, bites from a German shepherd or Doberman were five times more likely than dog bites from a Labrador or cross breed (7).
• Pit bulls and rottweilers accounted for 32% and 19% of fatal dog attacks over a 20-year period from 1979 to 1998 (11).
• Of the fatal dog attacks where neuter status was known, 95% of the dogs were not neutered (13).
• In a survey of companion animal practices, dog and cat bites were the most common occupational hazard (14).
• Seventy-five percent of veterinarians surveyed reported being bitten previously by a dog (15).
• A case-control study of dog and cat bites in a veterinary teaching hospital showed a significantly increased risk of bites from animals with warning signs on their cages and from animals deemed to be difficult to handle, of which only 37% were muzzled (15).
• Animal control officers are up to 500 times more likely to be bitten by an animal than the general population (16).

Comments:

• Capnocytophaga canimorsus sepsis can occur in healthy workers following a dog bite and needs to be recognized early to prevent severe complications, including death (17).
• In a survey of veterinary nurses, 98% report a history of either a dog or cat bite or scratch (18).