Approximately four million people – mostly children – are bitten or attacked by dogs every year in the U.S., and about 800,000 must seek medical attention as a result of their wounds. Most dogs are not “aggressive” but it is important to understand that any dog can bite under the right circumstances. Triggers for aggression include breed, training and behavior of the victim before the attack – even friendly behavior can be misunderstood by the dog.

The best thing to do is to avoid an attack in the first place. Recognize the dangerous situations where an attack is more likely to occur, and learn how to approach (and not approach) dogs. Most importantly, teach your children not to come close to a strange dog and never leave a child with a dog unsupervised.

Dangerous Situations

Most dog attacks happen because the dog is protecting its territory, its owners, or itself. Remember that even though you know you are not going to harm the dog, it may not know that, and in fact it may assume that you pose a danger. Recognizing these dangerous situations and acting appropriately will help prevent attacks. Some of these situations include:

Always ask the owner’s permission before petting a strange dog, and allow the dog to sniff you before touching. Also, do not look straight into the dog’s eyes. Although good eye contact is great with other people, dogs and most animals take this as a sign of aggression and may respond in kind.

If Attacked

Taking precautions does not mean that an attack will not occur. If you are attacked, do not try to run away unless you can immediately put a barrier between yourself and the dog such as a car door or a fence. Instead, remain still and growl as loudly as possible – the dog will see that you are not backing down and will wonder why. You may also try yelling “No!” as loudly as possible in an authoritative voice. If you have time, wrap an article of clothing around your arm and present it to the dog so that it bites the most protected part of your body. Otherwise, try to present the outside body parts like outer hip, leg, or arm, since a bite here will be less painful and damaging than the inner leg, etc.

After an attack, seek medical attention as soon as possible. Then contact the dog bite injury lawyers at Jim S. Adler & Associates . We have decades of experience getting our clients the compensation they deserve from careless owners who allow their animals to attack other people. You may have expensive medical bills, not to mention pain and suffering. We will fight to get the settlement that will help you get back on track. Contact Jim S. Adler & Associates today for a free case assessment.