People love their pets. And in many homes, Fido is simply another member of the family — so much so that little thought may be given to what to do when a new baby arrives. But when it’s time to bring a newborn home to meet the dog, parents need to keep a few things in mind.
According to a dog bite fact sheet from the American Veterinary Medicine Association (AVMA), it is estimated that 4.7 million Americans will be bitten this year alone, most of them children. A study published in the March 2006 issue of Pediatrics, the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, concluded that children under the age of 10 represent a high-risk group when it comes to dog attacks. Of great concern is the fact that researchers also found children under one-year-old were even more likely to be bitten than older children. Worse yet, the majority of the bites (73 percent) involved dogs the victim knew.
Which dogs did most of that biting? Household pets were responsible in 33 percent of those incidents. Other familiar dogs included those that belonged to friends, relatives, and neighbors.
While it’s true that some dog breeds are more likely to bite than others – German Shepherds and Dobermans accounted for 37 percent of the bite cases studied, parents must remember that all dogs – even small breeds – are capable of biting. And the family dog, however lovable, is no exception. In fact, newborns may be more at risk in homes where the dog is an established member of the family because it’s natural instinct for the dog to see the new arrival as a threat to his position in the pack.
