Risk factors for dog bites to owners in a general veterinary caseload

In order to determine risk factors for biting behaviour by dogs in a househ old setting, a detailed telephone survey of dog owners was undertaken using individuals selected from a cross-sectional population of veterinary clien tele in the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Ed ward Island. Interviews were successfully completed with 515 of 640 individ uals selected from a study population of 3226 dogs by a formal random proce ss. For the purpose of risk factor analysis, 227 biting and 126 non-biting dogs were selected according to strict criteria to evaluate the association of potential risk factors with biting behaviour. Biting behaviour was care fully defined in the telephone interview to avoid including activity associ ated with playful mouthing by the dog. All dogs were at least 6 months of a -e. Both the mean weight and age of biting dogs were significantly lower (P < 0.05) than that of non-biting dogs. Significant risk factors for an outc ome of biting were: the dog being female (particularly if small), the prese nce of one or more teenage children in the home, a history of a pruritic or malodorous skin disorder which had received veterinary treatment, aggressi on over food in the first 2 months of ownership, the dog having slept on so meone's bed in the first 2 months of ownership, and the dog having been giv en a significantly higher ranking for excitability based on its behaviour i n the first 2 months of ownership. Small dogs were also determined to be at a higher risk of having bitten than large dogs when exposed to certain lif estyle and health factors, suggesting a relationship between body size and reactivity, or possibly greater owner tolerance of aggression in smaller do gs. Biting dogs were more likely to have exhibited fear of children, men, a nd strangers. The risk factors identified provide a useful focus for the ve terinarian in general practice when counselling owners in the prevention of canine aggression. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.