The Dangers Of Dog Bites

A lot of people argue that a dog behaves the way it was raised and taken care of by its owner. Every dog owner should do everything they can to make sure their dog understands different types of behavior and what is acceptable and what is not. Showing a dog how to properly behave can be done through training, it may take time, but in the long run it will protect you and your family. Having your dog spayed or neutered also helps reduce the chance of your dog biting someone. If your dog seems to repeatedly snap or aggressively chase after people there might be a real problem, most likely your dog is not just being protective, but needs some sort of training whether it's done by you or with the help of a trainer

Take precautions such as:

- Not leaving your dog alone with a stranger or small child

- When taking your dog for a walk using a leash wil help prevent a bite from happening, chances are you will see quite a few people and other dogs while walking, this could possibly set your dog off. However, being able to restrain your dog will help.

- It is a wise idea to take the time and money and invest in putting a fence in your yard to keep your dog away from neighbors or passerby's when you aren't around.

If you have suffered a dog bite:

- Call 911- explain to animal control or the police exactly what happened

- Identify the Dog- Do you know where the dog lives or what breed it is?

- Take pictures of your injuries and continue to take pictures as your injury heals

- Get medical care- it would be a wise idea to see your doctor regardless of the extent of your wound

In the meantime while you wait for help to arrive, if you or your child has been bitten by a dog, there are steps you should take right away to treat the wound depending on how bad it is. If the wound is deep you should apply pressure to help stop the bleeding and see your doctor right away or wait for medical attention to arrive if you have called for an ambulance. If you have suffered a minor wound meaning the bite barely broke the skin, then you should simply wash it with soap and water and then apply an antibiotic cream to help prevent infection. You should also cover the wound with a bandage. You may want to have the minor wound looked at just to be sure it's not worse than what you think. If there are any signs of infection from the dog bite such as redness or swelling then you should seek medical attention right away. You should also see your doctor if you suspect the dog has rabies.

Dog owners in Iowa don't realize the liability they put on themselves when they get a dog. There are more than 4.7 million dog bite cases each year. When picking out a new family dog or puppy, you shouldn't base your decision on how the dog or puppy looks. You need to take your family into consideration first. If you have small children or any children at all you should go with a breed that is great with kids.

If your dog were to attack or bite someone, then as the owner of the dog, you are liable; there are very limited exceptions for dog owners such as if the person was trespassing. If you fail to have insurance and your dog bites someone, it could end up costing you thousands. However, insuring your dog may not be as simple as it seems depending on what kind of dog you have. Insurance companies have stopped insuring certain breeds of dogs. Examples include: - Pit bull - Doberman - Rottweiler - Akita - Chows - Wolf Hybrid These breeds aren't necessarily "bad" dogs, but they tend to be a high risk dog to own and insure because they have been known to attack more often than other breeds. Please keep in mind, if you do have insurance and your dog bites, your insurance company will most likely demand that you pay a higher premium or might even remove your dog from the policy, because there is now a higher risk of your dog attacking again.

As a dog owner, there are different things you can do to limit your liability. For example, before you decide what kind of dog you want you should reasearch breed you are interested to see if it would fit in with your family. Another thing you need to do it inform your homeowners insurer that you have gotten a dog. If you fail to do this you are placing even more risk on yourself and family, because you won't have insurance coverage to protect your family if the newest member of your family does bite someone. In 2007, the average cost of a dog bite claim was $24,511. Can you afford to not be insured?