Dog bites: Perception and Prevention

Traditional approaches to studying dog bites have predominantly used epidemiological methodology to understand risk factors and prevention centred on education about dogs’ body language. Instead, in this project dog bites are explored from the perspective of those directly affected, as a victim or a dog owner. The objectives of this study included understanding how dog bites are perceived and experienced and how the context of individual lived experiences influences these perceptions and practices around dogs. The project also aimed to learn how impact of bites could be reduced. The project used a mixed research methods approach: a) qualitative methods (in-depth interviews, participant-observations, focus group discussions, and analysis of documents and comments) were used to explore individual experiences and perceptions; b) Statistical analysis of a health and safety database was used to explore patterns of dog bites and remedial actions within occupational contexts. This research highlights that victims or dog owners (but rarely dogs) were blamed for bites and felt stigmatised due to their experience, which hindered prevention by impacting on their motivation to seek help. Two most common scenarios in which bites at work occurred were: entering or delivering a parcel to a property, or handling dogs in a veterinary practice or dog shelter. In many occupational bite scenarios, dogs were not seen before a bite. Risk in interactions with dogs was identified and managed by drawing on three overlapping strategies: through routines and procedures; emotions and intuition; and trust and sense of responsibility for the dog. At work, the formal, co-dependent procedures for risk management were modified in response to individual experience and relations with colleagues and dogs. Trust was used as a proxy for risk identification, but also paradoxically, led to taking risk in interactions with some dogs. Trustworthiness was assessed by scrutinising a dog’s reputation, character or appearance (including breed), performance, and the dog’s owner. Most participants believed that the emotional contagion between humans and dogs was a risk as well as a tool for negotiating safety. Risk management was consequently discussed in terms of ability to regulate emotions, and in so doing, controlling one’s own body and bodies of dogs. Prevention required practical skills to control dogs, which owners often lacked. Dog bites often had a long-lasting impact on individual physical and mental health. This research indicates that dog bite prevention requires more than knowledge of dog behaviour: it was embedded within social relations and necessitated co-operation with colleagues or family, and it was shaped by the physical environment in which the interaction took place, social norms, and perceptions of dogs and possibility of preventing bites. While dog bites cannot always be prevented, their impact could be feasibly reduced through provision of muzzles as well as return to work policies, mental health care and social support which could reduce the long-term damage to the injured person. More broadly, dog bite prevention can be improved by expanding efforts to be more ‘system-wide’ so that there are multiple opportunities for intervention

Comprender el riesgo de las interacciones entre los seres humanos y los animales

Es necesario que exista una mejor comprensión no solo de la importancia de los animales en las vidas de las personas desplazadas, sino también de los riesgos que pueden suponer las interacciones entre los seres humanos y los animales, y cuál es la mejor manera de atenuar estos riesgos

Can sleep and resting behaviours be used as indicators of welfare in shelter dogs (Canis lupusfamiliaris)?

Previous research on humans and animals suggests that the analysis of sleep patterns may reliably inform us about welfare status, but little research of this kind has been carried out for non-human animals in an applied context. This study explored the use of sleep and resting behaviour as indicators of welfare by describing the activity patterns of dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) housed in rescue shelters, and comparing their sleep patterns to other behavioural and cognitive measures of welfare. Sleep and activity patterns were observed over five non-consecutive days in a population of 15 dogs. Subsequently, the characteristics of sleep and resting behaviour were described and the impact of activity on patterns of sleep and resting behaviour analysed. Shelter dogs slept for 2.8% of the day, 14.3% less than previously reported and experienced less sleep fragmentation at night (32 sleep bouts). There were no statistically significant relationships between behaviours exhibited during the day and sleep behaviour. A higher proportion of daytime resting behaviour was significantly associated with a positive judgement bias, less repetitive behaviour and increased time spent coded as ‘relaxed’ across days by shelter staff. These results suggest that, in the context of a busy shelter environment, the ability to rest more during the day could be a sign of improved welfare. Considering the non-linear relationship between sleep and welfare in humans, the relationship between sleep and behavioural indicators of welfare, including judgement bias, in shelter dogs may be more complex than this study could detect

Comprender el riesgo de las interacciones entre los seres humanos y los animales

Es necesario que exista una mejor comprensión no solo de la importancia de los animales en las vidas de las personas desplazadas, sino también de los riesgos que pueden suponer las interacciones entre los seres humanos y los animales, y cuál es la mejor manera de atenuar estos riesgos

Welsh hospital admissions due to dog bites and strikes (2014-2022)

Objective To describe the incidence and victim demographics of Welsh hospital admissions due to dog bites and strikes from 2014 to 2022. Study design Descriptive analysis of Welsh hospital admissions data. Methods Residents of Wales admitted to a Welsh National Health Service (NHS) hospital for a dog bite or strike, were identified using ICD-10 codes. The annual incidence of dog bite admissions between 2014 and 2022 was calculated and stratified by child–adult status, sex, and Local Health Boards. Trends over time were analysed using Chi-square test for trends. Results Hospital admissions due to dog bites and strikes have significantly increased from 16.3 per 100,000 to 23.7 per 100,000 population in 2022. This was driven by an increase in non-geriatric adults, and an increase in three Local Health Boards. The Swansea Bay area has the highest incidence in Wales (56.1 admissions per 100,000). Conclusions Wales has a higher incidence of dog bites than England or the Republic of Ireland. Work in the communities where incidence is exceptionally high is needed to understand the reasons behind having the highest incidence of dog bites in the British Isles and to establish the most efficacious methods for bite prevention