Beware: Mad Dog!

Did you know dogs bite more than four million people in this country each year?

It's estimated that almost half of all children will be bitten by a dog before they graduate from high school.

Dr. Wayne Hunthausen, former president of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior has created a video, Dogs, Cats and Kids, to help parents prevent such accidents. He joined CBS This Morning to give some important information on how to protect children from dangerous dogs.

There seems to be an epidemic of dog bites and one of the reasons is an increase in urban dogs as well as an increase in large dogs for protection. Since dogs do communicate with people, it is best to know what a dog is telling you through its body language.

It is important to know the difference between a fearful and an angry pet.

A fearful dog will tuck its tail under its body; its ears will point down; the hair on its back may rise; and it might shake, growl or back away. This dog can be the most dangerous because children don't recognize the behavior as threatening.

An angry or aggressive dog will point up its ears and make direct eye contact. Its tail will be up and wagging and it may also growl, bark and show its teeth. So get away from this dog.

Here are some things young people should be taught to do when they encounter a stray or aggressive dog:

• Stand very still, like a tree.
• Avoid threatening gestures like extending the arms, making eye contact and yelling.
• If you get knocked down, fall into a fetal position. Keep the knees pulled up, make fists and hold them against your ears.

Finally, it is important not to go near dogs that are tied up or behind fences.

Here are some Dos and Don'ts when playing with a dog:

• Don't disturb a dog that's sleeping, eating or chewing on a toy.
• If the dog is not your own, ask the owner if you can pet it and ask whether the dog is friendly.
• When petting, the safest way is to do it along the side or back of the dog, not the head, face or ears. In other words, don't tease a dog or play rough tug of war.

Pet owners can do several things to train a non-agressive dog. These include:

• Taking advantage of a puppy's socialization period, which is when the animal is between 4 to 12 weeks. This is the time when pets are more sensitive.
• Getting your dog used to being touched. Puppies that are handled a lot will be more likely to accept touching later in life.
• Don't wait for a mistake to train your dog.
• Taking time to look for and reward good behavior.
• Considering the timing in terms of punishing. Half a second after the behavior is best and it's wise not to be too harsh.
• Teaching your dog that the human hand is a friend. Hand-shy dogs tend to bite.

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