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The Dr. Ian Dunbar aggression assessment scale modified by Dr. Dunbar and Calgary Animal Services in 2012.
Source publication
Dog bites are a public health concern that also implicates animal welfare, with negative outcomes such as rehoming or euthanasia for the animals responsible. Previous research has shown that the severity of dog-bite injuries reflects multiple factors, including the degree of inhibition exhibited by dogs and how people behave towards dogs. This stud...
Contexts in source publication
Context 1
... is an objective, systematic assessment tool for measuring aggression in dogs [33], modified with the inclusion of useful graphics to accompany interpretation of the scale [34]. Depending on the amount of injury caused, the bite is categorized to one of six levels (Table 1) [35]. A level 1 (pre-bite) occurs when a dog snaps or air bites, but makes no contact with a person or another animal [34]. ...Context 2
... on chases (levels 1 and 2 on the bite scale) and bites (levels 3-5 on the bite scale) directed towards humans, provided by the City of Calgary in Excel format were merged into a single spreadsheet and imported into Stata IC v15 (StataCorp, College Station, TX, USA) for all data manipulations. The outcome of interest was a three-level ordinal variable indicating if the bite was a Low (level 1 or 2), Medium (level 3), or High (level 3.5, 4, or 5) severity incident (Table 1). It was hypothesized that the severity of a dog bite may be associated with the setting in which the incident took place. ...Similar publications
The prevalence of tail lesions evaluated at the slaughterhouse varies considerably between herds. These lesions result mainly from tail biting, a harmful behavior with multifactorial origin. This study sought to investigate if a batchwise inspection of tails at slaughterhouse could be a useful method to estimate the animal welfare situation in fini...
Citations
... In keeping with these findings, we found a trend towards fearfulness of people in our enrolled dogs, which constitutes a further altered personality trait. Fear in dogs is an undesirable trait that can bring about abandonment, aggression and, in the worst-case scenario, pose threats to public health worldwide, thus necessitating euthanasia [52,53]. This is confirmed by Palestrini et al. (2005), who showed that behavioral and physiological stress responses may also occur when dogs are handled by unfamiliar humans [54]. ...
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Prime Minister’s decree issued by the Italian government on 9 March 2020, known as “#Iorestoacasa” (I stay at home), required everyone to stay indoors, with a few exceptions, from 11 March to 3 May 2020. This decree had a substantial impact on the mental health of both people and dogs. We carried out a national survey to compare the personalities of adult dogs who were puppies in lockdown (from March to May 2020) with those of adult dogs born after that time (from June 2020 to February 2021). Our results highlighted a significant increase in personality traits related to fear and aggression in dogs who experienced lockdown restrictions during their socialization period, further confirming that the COVID-19 pandemic strongly impacted the behavioral development of dogs. Therefore, it may be advantageous for these dogs to be closely monitored by veterinary behaviorists and receive specialized behavioral rehabilitation therapy to lower the risk of episodes of aggression and fearfulness as well as to increase the wellbeing of dogs raised under social restrictions.
... Dog bites have been recognized worldwide as "a public health problem" that disproportionately affects children (1). Dog aggression also implicates animal welfare, with negative outcomes such as rehoming or euthanasia for the animals involved (2). While the number of pet dogs in Italy remained stable between 2014 and 2019, it then increased steadily in the following year: in 2020 the pet dog population in Italy amounted to ∼8.3 million, an increase of around 18 per cent compared to the previous year (3). ...
This study aimed to describe the incidence and characteristics of dog-bite injury hospitalizations (DBIH) in the largest administrative region of Italy (Sicily) over the 10-year period: 2012-2021. Four hundred and forty-nine cases were analyzed. Patients were divided into seven age groups: preschoolers (0–5 years), school-age children (6–12 years), teenagers (13–19 years), young adults (20–39 years), middle-aged adults (40–59 years), old adults (60–74 years), and the elderly (≥75 years). Association among categorical variables (age, gender, principal injury location) was evaluated using chi-square tests, and mean differences for normally distributed variables were assessed using one-way analysis of variance. Finally, a Poisson regression general linear model (GLM) analysis was used to model incidence data. The results revealed that the incidence of DBIH per 100,000 population increased from 0.648 in 2012 (95%CI 0.565–0.731) to 1.162 in 2021 (95%CI 1.078–1.247, P < 0.01). Incidence for both male and female victims also increased over the studied period (P < 0.05). We found an increasing trend of incidence in young and middle-aged adults (P < 0.05 and P < 0.005 respectively). Moreover, the most frequently injured age group by dogs was the preschooler group and, whilst we found a lower risk of being injured for males older than 20 years, no difference with females was observed. The location of lesions depended on the age group (P < 0.001). The number of days of DBIH increased significantly with age (P < 0.01). The increase of DBIH represents a public health problem that requires the development of preventive approaches.
... 11 Risk factors for dog bites include factors involving the dog, the physical environment, the owner or the victim, and occur in a variety of circumstances, within both private and public spaces, and urban and rural areas. [11][12][13] There is a lack of robust evidence regarding dog factors such as the influence of breed or sex on dog aggression, due to a lack of appropriate studies with control groups, already existing restrictions on certain breeds and inaccuracy of breed identification. [14][15][16] One recent Finnish study of pure-bred dogs showed differences in owner-reported aggression scores between breeds with Rough Collies, Miniature Poodles and Miniature Schnauzers being most aggressive. ...
Background
The prevention of dog bites is an increasingly important public health topic, as the incidence of serious injury continues to rise.
Objectives
To evaluate the effectiveness of interventions to prevent dog bites and aggression.
Methods
Online databases were searched (PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Google Scholar), using the search terms: dog/s, canine, canis, kuri, bite/s, bitten, aggression, attack, death, fatal, mortality, injury/ies, prevention, intervention, for studies between 1960–2021. All study designs were considered. Outcomes of interest were the incidence of dog bites or dog aggression. Non-English studies, and those without full-text access were excluded.
Results
Forty three studies met the review criteria, including 15 observational and 27 interventional studies. Fifteen studies investigating dog-control legislation, including leash laws, stray dog control and infringements indicated this can reduce dog bite rates. Breed-specific legislation had less of an effect. Six studies investigating sterilisation, showed while this may reduce dog bites through a reduction in the dog population, the effect on dog aggression was unclear. An alcohol reduction programme showed a significant reduction in dog bite rates in one study. Seven studies assessing educational approaches found that intensive adult-directed education may be effective, with one study showing child-directed education was not effective. Eight studies on dog training (two police-dog related), and six evaluating dog medication or diet were generally low quality and inconclusive.
Conclusions
Multiple strategies including effective engagement with indigenous communities and organisations will be required to reduce dog-bites and other incidents involving dog aggression. This review provides some evidence that legislated dog control strategies reduce dog bite rates. Available evidence suggests greater restrictions should be made for all dogs, rather than based on breed alone. Due to a burden of child injury, protection of children should be a focus of legislation and further investigations. Prevention strategies in children require redirection away from a focus on child-directed education and future research should investigate the effectiveness of engineering barriers and reporting strategies.
... [32] Even though severe bites represented a small quantity, there is a tendency of increase, that could be related to increasing consultations, that allow primary care physician to identify a real diagnosis that is classified correctly. Some studies have shown that serious injuries occur more frequently at home, mainly in animal owners, [14,25,33] who do not seek medical attention because they believe the injury is not serious or because the animal may be euthanized, [4] risking a bite injury that involves not only the possibility of rabies infection but also local bacterial infection and anatomical lesions that may result in amputation. [21] The bites recorded in El Salvador have been caused mainly by dogs and cats. ...
Introduction:
Around the world 60,000 people die from rabies each year. The main form of exposure to rabies is by the bite of animals infected with the virus. More than 20,000 cases of rabies-transmitting animal bites are reported each year, in El Salvador, a country located in Central America. People exposed should be managed with rabies prophylaxis.
Objective:
To determine the abandonment of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) cumulative incidence (CI) in humans bitten by suspected rabid animals in El Salvador from 2013 to 2017.
Methodology:
This is an ecological study based on the cases of bites by suspected rabid animals reported between 2013 and 2017 in the public health system of El Salvador. Descriptive and correlation analysis was performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24. The municipality CI, expressed per 100,000 inhabitants.
Results:
The national CI of abandonment PEP in humans bitten by suspected rabid animals was 25.6 × 100,000 inhabitants. Simple bivariate correlation analysis shows that the departments with the highest CI of bites caused by cats, wild animals, and bites on the neck (R 2 = 0.99 P < 0.05) are mostly associated with dropping out of the PEP.
Conclusion:
In El Salvador, the abandonment CI of PEP is lower than other countries, however, bites by rabid suspected animal are frequent, this represents a public health problem due to the presence of the rabies virus in wild animals and the high lethality of the disease. Municipalities where head bites are common are the most related to the abandonment of PEP.
... Instead of breed, other factors that have been shown to contribute to the likelihood of bite risk include dog attributes (e.g., male, unneutered), and negative dog/human interactions, such as chaining a dog in the yard, inadequate socialization, or harassing/teasing a dog [28,38,[43][44][45][46][47][48][49]. Regardless of breed, the vast majority felt that owners of aggressive dogs should be held legally accountable if their dog attacks/bites another dog or person, although dog guardians were less inclined to support this premise. ...
Dog aggression directed towards people is a leading reason for relinquishment and a major public health hazard. In response to the threat of dog aggression and dog bites, breed-specific legislation has been introduced in numerous cities within the United States and countries throughout the world. There is limited evidence, however, to suggest that such laws are effective. This study explored, through an online, anonymous, cross-sectional survey, US residents’ views about the bite risk of common dog breeds, breed-specific legislation, and alternative options for improved public safety. A total of 586 surveys were completed by adult US residents, 48.8% female and 48.6% male. Approximately half of the respondents reported feeling that dog bites are a serious public health issue. Although 70% of respondents were opposed to a breed ban, only 56% felt that banning specific breeds creates an animal welfare issue. Females were less likely to support a ban or agree that specific breed bans improve public safety. When participants were asked to indicate their support of several alternatives to breed-specific legislation, the most frequently endorsed options included public education about animal welfare and animal behavior, and stricter leash laws. Further research pertaining to the most effective public education dissemination methods is warranted.
... 1,2 Bite severity can range from mild to severe, with injuries such as lacerations; skin, muscle, and fascia tearing; and crush injuries. 3 While many dog bites are treated on an outpatient basis in urgent care centers and EDs, more than 10,500 hospitalizations have been reported within the past decade for dog bite complications, resulting in significant medical cost for a preventable situation. 1 Several risk factors increase the likelihood of dog bite injuries, such as the age, gender, and breed of the dog; the age and gender of the victim; the location of the incident; the dog' s ownership; and the relationship between the animal and the victim. ...
... 1 Several risk factors increase the likelihood of dog bite injuries, such as the age, gender, and breed of the dog; the age and gender of the victim; the location of the incident; the dog' s ownership; and the relationship between the animal and the victim. 3 While most dog bite injuries occur in urban areas, these are typically not influenced by race, socioeconomic status, or ethnicity. 1 Gender has been found to influence the occurrence of dog bites, with the highest rates seen in children with masculine gender expression between the ages of 5 and 9 years. ...
Children can be vulnerable to dog bites when they don't recognize aggressive cues, highlighting the importance of safe child-dog interactions. This article explains how anticipatory guidance with L.O.V.E. can be used to educate children and families about preventing dog bite injuries.
... 5,6 The need for secondary prevention is supported by studies showing that dogs who bite frequently have a history of dog aggression to either humans or animals. [7][8][9][10][11] However this requires appropriate authorities becoming aware of incidents of dog aggression for enactment. ...
... Improved reporting would also enable implementation of secondary prevention strategies for injuries occurring within private spaces, which, in turn, are less likely to be reported. 8,9 Notification to animal management services also allows for more accurate knowledge of geographical areas in which to focus strategies, improved monitoring of incidents over time, and presents an opportunity to increase dog-registrations, resulting in further financial investment into prevention strategies. As can be seen in table three, services may report a decrease in dog bite rates, when this apparent decline is due to under-reporting, and rates are in fact increasing. ...
Associated Guideline:
https://starship.org.nz/guidelines/dog-related-injuries-notification-safeguarding-and-bite-management/
... 5,6 The need for secondary prevention is supported by studies showing that dogs who bite frequently have a history of dog aggression to either humans or animals. [7][8][9][10][11] However this requires appropriate authorities becoming aware of incidents of dog aggression for enactment. ...
... Improved reporting would also enable implementation of secondary prevention strategies for injuries occurring within private spaces, which, in turn, are less likely to be reported. 8,9 Notification to animal management services also allows for more accurate knowledge of geographical areas in which to focus strategies, improved monitoring of incidents over time, and presents an opportunity to increase dog-registrations, resulting in further financial investment into prevention strategies. As can be seen in table three, services may report a decrease in dog bite rates, when this apparent decline is due to under-reporting, and rates are in fact increasing. ...
Aim:
This study aimed to investigate the rate of notification by health professionals to an appropriate authority, for all DRIs that presented during the 2018/19 year to a New Zealand public hospital, and to describe the incidence and characteristics of these presentations.
Method:
Data were obtained from all discharges from a New Zealand public hospital, with the primary external cause of injury code W54.0 (Bitten by Dog) + W54.1 (Struck by Dog) or W54.8 (Other Contact with Dog) as per the Australian Modification of the 10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases, during the period from 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2019. Clinical notes were screened for documentation of notification of the incident to an appropriate authority, including local animal management, social work, Oranga Tamariki (NZ's child protection services), or police.
Results:
There were 329 presentations to the emergency department with a DRI, 97% of which (n=320) were dog bites. There was a non-significant higher one-year cumulative incidence in children aged 0-9 years compared to adults aged 15 years and over. Children aged 0-9 years were also more likely to be injured on the head, face or neck, compared to adults or children 10-14 years, who were more likely to be injured on their limbs or torso. Notification of incidents were notified to an authority in 1.5% of incidents, including animal management services or a social worker.
Conclusion:
This study found a low rate (1.5%) of documented notification by health professionals of dog bites and other DRIs. Further research is required to investigate the evidence for introducing strategies to increase reporting on the incidence of injuries, and any potential impact on presentations for medical attention.
... 11 Risk factors for dog bites include factors involving the dog, the physical environment, the owner or the victim, and occur in a variety of circumstances, within both private and public spaces, and urban and rural areas. [11][12][13] There is a lack of robust evidence regarding dog factors such as the influence of breed or sex on dog aggression, due to a lack of appropriate studies with control groups, already existing restrictions on certain breeds and inaccuracy of breed identification. [14][15][16] One recent Finnish study of pure-bred dogs showed differences in owner-reported aggression scores between breeds with Rough Collies, Miniature Poodles and Miniature Schnauzers being most aggressive. ...
Background
The prevention of dog bites is an increasingly important public health topic, as the incidence of serious injury continues to rise.
Objectives
To evaluate the effectiveness of interventions to prevent dog bites and aggression.
Methods
Online databases were searched (PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase and Google Scholar), using the search terms: dog/s, canine, canis, kuri, bite/s, bitten, aggression, attack, death, fatal, mortality, injury/ies, prevention, intervention , for studies between 1960 and 2021. All study designs were considered. Outcomes of interest were the incidence of dog bites or dog aggression. Non-English studies, and those without full-text access were excluded.
Results
Forty-three studies met the review criteria, including 15 observational and 27 interventional studies. Fifteen studies investigating dog-control legislation, including leash laws, stray dog control and infringements indicated this can reduce dog bite rates. Breed-specific legislation had less of an effect. Six studies investigating sterilisation, showed while this may reduce dog bites through a reduction in the dog population, the effect on dog aggression was unclear. An alcohol reduction programme showed a significant reduction in dog bite rates in one study. Seven studies assessing educational approaches found that intensive adult-directed education may be effective, with one study showing child-directed education was not effective. Eight studies on dog training (two police-dog related), and six evaluating dog medication or diet were generally low quality and inconclusive.
Conclusions
Multiple strategies including effective engagement with indigenous communities and organisations will be required to reduce dog-bites and other incidents involving dog aggression. This review provides some evidence that legislated dog control strategies reduce dog bite rates. Available evidence suggests greater restrictions should be made for all dogs, rather than based on breed alone. Due to a burden of child injury, protection of children should be a focus of legislation and further investigations. Prevention strategies in children require redirection away from a focus on child-directed education and future research should investigate the effectiveness of engineering barriers and reporting strategies.
... Although most dog bites occur at home [5] and in up to 80% of the bites, the dogs are familiar to the children [6,7]; governmental prevention measures focus on public incidents and regulations concerning leash and muzzle. In order to successfully prevent incidents with dogs, parents or caretakers should concentrate on understanding and influencing the dog's conspicuous behavioral patterns and not just on safety equipment [8]. ...
... The present study confirms our previous results as well as the results of other authors [5,11] regarding the circumstances of incidents: In most cases, the attacking dogs were familiar to the children and the most common location of dog attacks was the home setting where the use of leash and muzzle is uncommon. Both of our investigations are consistent with the results of Khan and co-workers who have described that the majority of registered injuries are due to bite incidents by larger breeds [12]. ...
This study focuses on the impact of a prevention program regarding dog bites in children. As a consequence of our previous investigation in 2005, we have initiated a child safety program for primary school children starting January 2008 until present to teach children how to avoid dog attacks and how to behave in case of an attack. In our retrospective study, we analyzed all patients younger than 15 years presenting with dog-related injuries between 2014 and 2018. As the main indicator for success of the prevention measures taken, we have defined the severity of injury in comparison to our previous study. Out of 296 children with dog-related injuries, 212 (71.6%) had sustained a dog bite. In the vast majority (n = 195; 92%), these patients presented with minor injuries; the extremities were most commonly affected (n = 100; 47%). Injuries to the head (n = 95; 45%) and trunk (n = 18; 8%) were less frequent. The proportion of severe injuries (8%) was significantly lower compared to our previous study, where 26% of children presented with severe injuries necessitating surgical intervention, while the number of patients requiring in-hospital treatment declined from 27.5% in the period 1994–2003 to 9.0% in the period between 2014 and 2018 (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: Teaching of primary school children may effectively reduce the injury severity of dog bites. What is Known:
• Dog bites are a substantial healthcare problem especially in children.
What is New:
• This study shows that a broad-based prevention program for primary school children can effectively decrease the severity but not the frequency of dog bite injuries in children.
