Dog bite

A dog bite is a bite inflicted upon a person or another animal by a dog. More than one successive bite is often considered as a dog attack. The majority of dog bites do not result in injury, disfigurement, infection or permanent disability, but some can result in serious complications. Another type of dog bite is the 'soft bite' displayed by well-trained dogs, by puppies, and in non-aggressive play. Situations in which dog bites occur include dog fighting, mistreatment, trained dogs acting as guard or military animals, provoked or unprovoked. A dog bite is a bite inflicted upon a person or another animal by a dog. More than one successive bite is often considered as a dog attack. The majority of dog bites do not result in injury, disfigurement, infection or permanent disability, but some can result in serious complications. Another type of dog bite is the 'soft bite' displayed by well-trained dogs, by puppies, and in non-aggressive play. Situations in which dog bites occur include dog fighting, mistreatment, trained dogs acting as guard or military animals, provoked or unprovoked. There is considerable debate on whether or not certain breeds of dogs are inherently more prone to commit attacks causing serious injury (i.e., so driven by instinct and breeding that, under certain circumstances, they are exceedingly likely to attempt or commit dangerous attacks). Regardless of the breed of the dog, it is recognized that the risk of dangerous dog attacks can be greatly increased by human actions (such as neglect or fight training) or inactions (as carelessness in confinement and control). Significant dog bites affect tens of millions of people globally each year. It is estimated that 2% of the U.S. population, 4.5–4.7 million people, are bitten by dogs each year. Most bites occur in children. In the 1980s and 1990s, the U.S. averaged 17 fatalities per year, while in the 2000s this has increased to 26. 77% of dog bites are from the pet of family or friends, and 50% of attacks occur on the dog owner's property. Animal bites, most of which are from dogs, are the reason for 1% of visits to an emergency department in the United States. Rabies results in the death of approximately 55,000 people a year, with most of the causes due to dog bites. Capnocytophaga canimorsus, MRSA, tetanus, and Pasteurella can be transmitted from a dog to someone bitten by the dog. Bergeyella zoohelcum is an emerging infection transmitted through dog bites. Infection with B. zoohelcum from dog bites can lead to bacteremia. Even without provocation, some dogs will bite. All dog breeds can inflict a bite. Breed is not an accurate predictor of whether or not a dog will bite. In the US pit bull-type and Rottweilers most frequently are identified breeds in cases of severe bites. This may be due to their size. These breeds are more frequently owned by people involved in crime. In a study comparing media accounts of 256 dog bite related deaths, when a strict definition was used ('documented pedigree, parentage information, or DNA test results or on the basis of concordance among media breed descriptor, animal control breed descriptor, and the veterinarian-assigned breed from a photograph') the resulting 45 dogs comprised 20 recognized breeds and 2 known crosses. The study also published information comparing when multiple media reports (or media reports compared with animal control reports) differed in reporting the breeds. When using a strict definition ('Rottweiler' is NOT equal to 'Rottweiler-mix') 30%-40% of the reports varied. When using a less strict definition ('Rottweiler' and 'Rottweiler-mix' ARE equal enough) only 12%-15% of the reports varied. A 2000 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports of 327 people killed by dogs 'pit bull terrier' or mixes thereof were involved in 76 cases. The breed with the next-highest number of attributed deaths was the Rottweiler and mixes thereof, with 44 fatalities. The American Veterinary Medical Association released a statement that this study 'cannot be used to infer any breed specific risk for dog bite fatalities'. These figures reporting certain breeds as being more prone to biting has found those to be the breeds in the greatest population where the dog bites are reported. A 2015 study in Ireland found that dog bite injuries greatly increased since the introduction of legislation targeting specific dog breeds. This study also suggested that targeting dog breeds may actually contribute to increases in dog-bite hospitalisations through the reinforcing of incorrect stereotypes of risk being determined by breed. The study reported that as a result of targeting dog breeds, stereotypes of the dangerousness of certain breeds and assuming the safety of others simply due to their breed may result in people incorrectly interacting with dogs from both categories.