Revolt! Puppy, Flickr
Actually, none of those things, says Adam Goldfarb, director of the Pets at Risk Program for the Humane Society of the United States.
Dogs bite 4.5 million Americans each year, and about one in five victims suffer severe enough injuries to require medical attention. Young children are at the greatest risk according to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Senior citizens and mail carriers are also common victims.
In honor of National Dog Bite Prevention Week, we asked Goldfarb for tips on how to avoid being bitten.
Stay Calm, Move Slowly and Appear Nonthreatening: Dogs love to chase and catch things--and you don't want to spark that urge. If you're out walking and a dog starts running after you, stop moving. Then remain still or back away slowly until the dog is out of sight. Avoid eye contact, because "a stare can be seen as threatening or intimidating," Goldfarb says. He also suggests turning sideways "because it makes you look smaller to a dog and less threatening." Don't scream or give the dog a reason to become excited or aggressive.
Prepare Your Kids: 400,000 children are treated every year for dog bites and most bites involving young children occur during everyday activities and while interacting with familiar dogs, notes the AVMA. Teach your children not to hug or kiss the family dog on the face, a common cause of bites to the face. Instead, scratch the dog on the chest or the side of the neck. The AVMA offers a coloring book in English and Spanish to help educate children about interacting safely with dogs and avoiding dog bites that can be downloaded.
If Attacked, Distract: Get on the other side of a car or "feed" the dog your backpack, purse, t-shirt or a garbage can lid to both distract the animal and to create a barrier between you and it while you try to get away safely.
Protect Yourself: If you fall or are knocked down, curl up in a fetal poition, squeeze your hands into fists and put them over your face and your ears. Those body parts "are so sensitive, and such a huge amount of damage can be done to those areas with even a small bite," Goldfarb says. "Making fists also protects your fingers."
Be Cautious: Use your common sense and never disturb a dog that's caring for puppies, sleeping or eating. Likewise, never reach through a fence to pet a dog. Even a well-mannered dog can bite if they are startled, threatened, or perceive any kind of attack or an intrusion on their territory.
For more information on Dog Bite Prevention Week, download this AVMA pamphlet.
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Most dogs LOVE the mailman. They usually like dogs and carry treats. Most know when there is a biter on their route and take the necessary precautions. Loose, roaming dogs are dangerous to everyone!
I am a retired mail carrier. During my career with the U.S. Postal Service, I was bitten by dogs six times. The mace that was issued to mail carriers does not deter the dogs. I was nervous about dogs when carrying the mail. I learned where every dog on my route lived and how many dogs lived at a particular address. I would exercise extreme caution when approaching a residence that had a dog. The Postal Service allows carriers not to deliver mail to houses, where the carrier believed that it was not safe for the carrier to deliver the mail to that house. Also if a dog was running loose throughout the neighborhod, the carrier was allowed to not deliver that neighborhood. Let the irate neighbors deal with the dog owner, when they don't get their mail, because the dog was running loose. When I notified my supervisor about a problem dog, the supervisor would send the dog owner a letter requesting that the dog be kept in the house. If the owner did not comply, and the dog was out again, the Postal supervisor would contact animal control.