How to be Safe from Dog Bites
Safety around dogs can be tricky sometimes. Although dogs have been known to be man’s best friend, sometimes these best friends of ours can’t help but get confused and bite the wrong perpetrator!
Here are some tips for you to be able to keep your safety around dogs.
If you are in the neighborhood or at a friend’s house and you want to be friendly with a neighbor’s or friend’s dog, you have to be observant of the nature of the dog. Just try to check if it's subdued or not aggressive before you even attempt to go near it.
Also, before petting a dog, you must ask permission from the owner first. They are more aware of the nature and disposition of their animals. This, however, carries no guarantee.
In order to understand if dogs want you to go near them, let the dog sniff your hand first. Dogs have very keen sense of smell. They can sense if you are a friend or a threat to them just by the smell you emit. Thus, the saying, dogs can smell fear. If you want a dog to smell your hand, do not open your hand and let your fingers get in the way of the dog’s nose and mouth. They might get irritated and bite you unintentionally.
When the dog seems to be comfortable enough with you going near it, start petting the dog from its chin or chest. Be gentle in handling the dog. Remember that they have canines that can pierce through your skin and bones in an instant.
In the animal kingdom, even dogs have their own social hierarchies. It is best to keep this in mind when engaging with dogs. They might feel protective of their status in their society. So make sure that you give dogs their due respect especially if there are alpha dogs around.
Alpha dogs are the leaders of the pack. In a household, if you see more than one dog, you should determine who the leader among them is. Do not humiliate the alpha male by just walking towards it or even carry it around like a puppy.
If you have a child and he or she wants to play with a pup or a dog, make sure that your kid is properly supervised. This is to be sure that your child is safe when playing with a dog and that he or she does not suffer dog bites if your child plays with the dog the wrong way.
In case there are puppies around, before coming up to it and petting it, look for the mother dog first. The mother dog maybe overprotective of her litter and lunge at you in an instant you touch her young ones. It is better to observer the demeanor of the mother dog first. And if possible, pet the mother dog before you turn your eyes to the young ones. Aside from being protective, the mother dog might get jealous of you being more friendly will her litter than with her.
Finally, do not disturb a dog that is munching his or her meal. Dogs by nature are also hunters. Their instinct is to protect their food. If you come up to a dog that is eating its meal, it might get startled and bite you.
Safety around dogs is a must in your day to day living. You may or may not like dogs, but the bottom line is, in owning or dealing with one, these are very helpful tips to prevent any dog bite accidents. For more information about dog bites visit our Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawyers website.
About the Author
Atty Gabriel Cosh is a legal advocate and a practitioner of law for over 10 years now. He is also an expert in the field of social legislation and personal injury cases.
Tell others about
this page:
Comments? Questions? Email Here