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It is when a dog is not socialized between six weeks and three months (It mean that he has to see a maximum of things and people and to be used to ear a lot of differents noises) that the risk of bite is the most important for he is often afraid of humans.

It emerge four principals cases:

the bites by irritation,

hierarchicals bites,

They are the more frequents.

the predatories bites,

the bites because of fright. By example if the child cornes the dog, this one will have no solution except bite to escape.

They are much more rares but more serious.

"The dogs that suffer from intermittente anxiety (Emotional state of nervous tension, of fright, strong, ill differentiated, and often chronic. Source Dictionnaire de la Psychologie LAROUSSE) are often at the origin of aggressions by fright or irritation. They are more frequents that interactions dog-child are themselves irritating (pulling of hair, of the tail, etc...).

The animals suffering of painful disorder (arthrosis, otitis, etc...) can also attack when they are manipulated on the level of their pains zones.

Those that develop illnesses like retinals degenerations may not grasp distances and to be surprise by children. So they react by an aggression by irritation. As well the dogs that have hair behind the eyes can also to be surprise and turn against the individual that come to disturb them.

The predatories aggressions are, of course, subject of media repercussions, but are luckily rare in France. They are concerning no socialized dogs towards human or children and end almost always by death of these latters."

The dog consider his family like a pack. If he thinks he is a chief, he may bite if his hierarchical position is called into question, to be respected.

"The children that become pubescent are often the victims of his aggressivity because their sexual maturity modify their social statut. So, sociopath dog test them attacking them or menacing them. An aggression against a teenager is the same than the one against an adult. It is a hierarchical aggression caused by the main prerogatives that are food, space (notably places for sleep of the dog or of the masters) or management of relationships between humans and the animal.

Well-regulated by the dog, these bites are generally less dangerous than the one caused by irritation. Often masters estimate them without gravity and qualify them of "pinchings". They are almost always preceded of intimidation (curl of chops, growlings), but situation can unfavourably evolves and they can become instrumentalized and to occur without intimidations.

Other aggressions, happily rare, meet when the female, in situation of challenge with her mistress, attacks the offspring of this latter.

Dogs suffering of the syndrome HSHA (hypersensitivity hyperactivity) may hurt children involuntarily, in the course of games not well-regulated or during nibblings.

Finally all the behaviour disorders told "productives" may induce the dog to attack the children. Let cite notably the dysthymies (Sort of chronic breakdown characterized by a humour trouble of depressive type... it is generally accompanied by appetite and sleep troubles, general fatigue with fall in energy, of difficulty... to concentrate and a blow to self esteem accompanying a certain despair. Source: Grand Dictionnaire de la psychologie LAROUSSE), the "dissocializations" (Refusal of rule of life in society), dissociations (Breaking of psychic unity causing a looseness of associatives process on which may depend on mental working. Source Grand Dictionnaire de la Psychologie LAROUSSE).

An inquiry, realized in about 150 families that possess a dog, allow to distinguish Three differents canin populations:

The "normals" dogs , that never attack children (57% of the hole population).

The sociopathes, (25% of the hole population),

And those attacking children (17,5% of the hole population).

Note: The animals not well-socialized or presenting a behavioural disorder have been volontary rule out.

The sociopaths dogs are inclined to attack particularly teenagers. 74% did it against children (especially in the form of nibblings). The origin of the main attacks are possession of objects, happen during games, arround food, or are often caused by irritation.

The dogs that attack only children menace particularly those of less than 11years old. 54,1% of menaces come to bites or nibblings. The aggression happen particularly arround the dog food, for possession of objects, during games, or caused by irritation...

...Only 5% of children bited (or nibbled) go to the doctor. 11% of concerned parents speak of it with the veterinary.

On average, the child recognized dog's menaces only at 3 and a half years old.

It doesn't exist significants differences in characteristics of the dog (breed, sex, weight, age, etc...) or the family (one-parent or two-parents in differents population of dogs. Moreover 98% of the masters the offspring was yet bitten find the relationship dog-child harmonious."

the puppy may be socialized by the breeder and notably get them used to children contact. They may stay with their mother at least up to height weeks old because she has a predominant role in the education of her puppy, notably concerning bite inhibition. "In one-parent families, it is better that the dog be of same sex than the parent in order that the hierarchical insertion be easy... it is indispensable that children respect the place of bedding of their new companion and to leave him alone when he eats... You never have to leave a child and a dog alone in the same room with no adult watch, and that up to the child recognize possibles menaces...

These informations come from "La Semaine Vétérinaire of May 19th of 2001.

"More than half of hole bites of dogs enregistrated in general population is concerning people from 0 up to 18 years old, and the repercussion decrease as the child growth. Two ages bracked are particularly affected, the one of one up to four years old and from ten up to thirteen years old, with a marked predominance of boys (56 up to 65%), notably with the younger victims.

Bites happen all the year, but with a peak of frequency more marked from june up to september. They happen almost always inside the house (15 up to 20%) or in its close outbuildings (35 up to 40%), generally at home or at friends home. Only 15 up to 20% of them happen in other places (parks, public gardens, streets). In 20 up to 25% of cases, the child is alone with the dog. More than half of accidents happen in the absence of the vigilance of adults...

...Of course, without asking parents to substitute for the doctor, who will always examinate the wound, it is advisable to cite the urgency measures to take face to a child that just be bitten. You must first rince the wound with much water then locally desinfected unsing quaternary ammonium or iodized solution or of chlorhexidine. The previous rinsing grows shorter the time of presence of infected saliva's droplets in the wound and so decreases infectious risk.

It is also important to reassure the child, often in state of shock. The doctor, himself, will specify an appropriated treatment.

In 40% of cases the dog is the one of a neighbours...

...The dogs of first and second categories of the french law of january 6th of 1999 are at the origin of a minority of the hole bites (less than 2%)...

...The dog who attacks is generally young and a male (Chomel et al. see bibliography). He is the dog of the parents the one of close family (20%), or the one of neighbours (40%). The potential responsability of a stray dog or of a dog the masters are unone by the child or the family is rarely involved. However in near one case on two, the child doesn't know the animal.

These informations come from "La Semaine Vétérinaire" N°1015 - Mai 5th and 12th of 2001.

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF LA SEMAINE VETERINAIRE

L. KERN: "Contribution à l'étude des raltions entre l'enfant et le chien", mémoire de vétérinaire comportementatiste mai 1999, ENV de Toulouse.

P. Pageat, Pathologie du comportement du chien éditions du Point Vétérinaire.

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L.M. Bernardo, M.J. Gardner, N. Amon: "Dog bites in children admitted to Pennsylvania trauma centers", Int. J. Trauma. Nurs., 1998, n°4, pp. 121-127.

B.B. Chomel, J. Trotignon: "Epidemiologic sureys of dog and cat bites in the Lyon area", Eur. J. Epidemioy, 1992, n°8, pp. 619-624.

C. Duval, C. Fournier: "Accidents dus aux chiens : 6871 cas. Juillet 1986 à juillet 1996", documents statistiques, EHLASS, ministère de la Santé, octobre 1997.

L. Kern: "Contribution à l'étude des relations entre l'enfant et le chien", mémoire de vétérinaire comportementaliste, mai 1999, ENV de Toulouse.

G.R. Patrick, K.M. O'Rourke: "Dog and cat bites: epidemiologic analyses suggest different prevention stategies", Public Health Rep., 1998, n°113, pp. 252-257.

D.A. Talan, D.M. Citron, F.M. Abrahamian, G.J. Moran, J.C. Goldstein: "Bacteriologic analysis of infected dog and cat bites", N. Engl. J. Med., 1999, n°340, pp. 85-92.

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