obviously, the biggest victims of dogs are children, especially those less than 15 years old. And given their size, facing a large dog, it is often on the face and neck that they are attacked. Sometimes they may need surgery for facial reconstruction.

So why the children? It is often linked to their behavior (fast and unpredictable for the dog) and their (legitimate) incapacity à understand that the dog does not or does not want to play with them anymore. The dog sends many signals to signal to his fellows that he wants to be left alone (yawn, lick his lips or muzzle, look away, turn his head, move away …) or that the interaction is less intense. So if a child catches and hugs a dog tightly and the dog shows these signs, maybe You can show the child how to have a smoother interaction to reassure your dog of the child’s benevolent intentions, and even allow him to withdraw from the interaction if he wants to. Either way, all studies agree that a child under 10 shouldn’t be left alone and unsupervised with even the nicest dog.

Moreover, in adults, it is more often the hands and arms that are bitten, during interactions often initiated by humans. Owners trying to intervene during a dog fight may get bitten by their dog or the other dog involved. When a dog is cornered during a punishment, it can also bite to break free and scare away the aggressor.

Finally, territorial aggressions are quite frequent on factors, for example, who enter the garden considered as its territory by the dog who keeps the house.

The dog has a natural inhibition of attacking immature dogs (puppies), and this also applies to human children. But given the risk of biting always present, it is better not to leave the dog alone with the child and to show him how to handle it gently.

It is also important to learn how to approach an unknown dog and explain it to your children as soon as possible. English speakers use the WAIT method to teach bite prevention when you see a dog you want to touch on the street.

W: Wait, wait that the dog and the owner who accompanies him have noticed us. Wait to see if the dog looks friendly. If he looks scared or angry, it’s best to keep going.

A: Ask, ask to the owner if the dog is nice and if it can be touched. Do not insist if the owner refuses or if he says that the dog can bite.

In: Invite the dog to feel our hand: present the hand, palm upwards and fingers folded towards us, away from the dog, leaving the dog the choice to come or go. Use a calm voice to call her. If the dog is not interested, do not insist.

T: Touch the dog: Well done, we can stroke the dog, preferably not at the level of the head or at the level of the lower back. Instead, let’s touch it on the flanks or on the back, passing through one of its sides.

Dogs that do not return when called should be kept on a leash.

The first step is to clean the injured area with soapy water for a good 5 minutes and then disinfect. If the wound is deep, bleeding, or has reached risky areas such as the head, neck and hands, do nothing and contact the SAMU (dial 15) to have the right procedure to follow.

In all cases you will need to consult a doctor. Dogs’ mouths are septic, that is, they contain a large amount of bacteria and even if the initial injury is not serious, infection is still possible. This rule is all the more important if the person bitten is one of the fragile people (child, elderly person, immunocompromised person).

Any dog ​​that has bitten a person falls under the “Biting Dog” protocol, for the prevention of the transmission of rabies. It must be declared to the town hall. He will need to be seen by a health veterinarian three times a week apart. The first visit must take place within 24 hours of the bite. If your dog is the biting animal, you are responsible and you must take the contact details of the person bitten and give them yours. You have to make a declaration to your insurance. Special measures may be taken by the mayor of the city against the biting dog if the behavioral assessment indicates a real dangerousness of the dog or if the dog’s keeper is irresponsible.