The Joys of the Season include all kinds of wonders: Christmas caroling, party hopping, visiting the relatives! But also a time to be extra careful about dog bites. Nothing is worse than spending Christmas Eve in the emergency room. Or if you are a dog owner, looking forward to a New Year and a lawsuit.
The high holidays unfortunately put dogs on high alert. The sights and sounds of Christmas, the strangers who invade the house, and the unusually active behavior of children who are expecting presents can make a dog anxious and afraid. Because they cannot talk, they nip, bite, and knock people down. Especially little people and elderly people.
You have to deal with this if you are a parent or a dog owner. Because all that eggnog can make you groggy at critical moments, check out these quick tips to keep you safe and lawsuit-free during the holidays.
If You Are a Parent
Here is a six-point dog attack danger scale. The presence of any one risk factor means your children may get bitten. Two or more risk factors means that you need to either separate your kids from the dog, or watch over them very carefully.
- A dog in its own yard, and no master present.
- A pit bull, Rottweiler, Akita or Chow.
- More than one dog.
- A dog that is tethered on a chain or rope.
- A male dog.
- A new dog.
If You Are a Dog Owner
Your dog might get injured over the holidays, or it might injure a person. To keep a dog from getting injured, supervise it when it is around children and other dogs that it does not know. To prevent it from hurting somebody, follow these yule rules:
- Separate it from troublesome people but do not chain it or tether it.
- Keep its face away from the faces of children.
- Feel free to shout "No!" "Sit!" or "Stay!" to a boisterous kid.
- Don't let people get near its food or place of rest.
- Supervise all introductions of strangers to your dog.
Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Learn more at Teach Your Kids How to Avoid Dog Bites and if you own a dog then read For Dog Owners on dogbitelaw.com.
