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“Living with animals can be a wonderful experience, especially if we choose to learn the valuable lessons animals teach through their natural enthusiasm, grace, resourcefulness, affection and forgiveness.” — Dr. Richard H. Pitcairn, Veterinarian.
As your newest veterinarian at Fort Leavenworth, I wrote this article to introduce myself and also to address a safety issue that we have encountered at the clinic recently.
First, the introduction: I was raised in the arid Great Basin regions of Utah and Idaho, and as such, have a great appreciation for the lush green grass and trees we had in the warmer weather. Although blue heelers and Australian shepherds were the only official “pets” I had while growing up, my family also had horses, cattle, pigs, sheep and rabbits. I graduated with my doctor of veterinary medicine at Kansas State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. I enjoy the environment we live in, (most of) the weather, and I love serving you and your pets at the Veterinary Treatment Facility.
I would also like to address a safety issue for all pet owners. There have been a few bite incidents lately involving dogs and children. I empathize with the families of the children who were injured. Fortunately, the dogs were current on their rabies vaccinations, and the victims were able to receive treatment.
Considering the close contact pets have with our families, we will all do well to keep pet safety in mind. The first thing you should consider when evaluating your pet or one you are considering adopting is the pet’s temperament. Does the dog growl or snap when eating, playing with toys, or if disturbed? Does the pet portray any aggression toward other animals or people if their territory is encroached or if a toy is taken away? Is the animal annoyed with people touching its ears, head or tail? Even animals that are normally docile can be aroused to aggression if pushed too far.
Pets do not innately know how to interact with humans. Because children are often unfamiliar with the proper way to handle animals and easily become excited about furry friends, they are at a higher risk of offending an animal. Most behaviors animals exhibit are merely reactions to human cues and body language.
Dogs respond best to positive reinforcement techniques — especially consistent, repetitive use of cues and body language to show praise for good behavior. If the goal is to get a dog less aggressive or used to the idea of new children in the home, the family should act very happy and freely praise the animal for all appropriate behaviors. This will help the dog associate the presence of children and visitors as a pleasant experience. On the other hand, if the dog is banished or punished when a visitor or child is in the room, they come to associate the presence of an unfamiliar human with negative consequences. If we try to adjust the dog’s behavior solely by focusing on what was done wrong, the animal never learns what behavior is acceptable.
Children do not know how to interact with pets, so parents and other adults must teach this skill by example. If adults are seen physically punishing, abusing or teasing an animal, the child will naturally feel that this interaction is acceptable. We can show children that petting a dog’s body while avoiding the head, ears and eyes is a more acceptable way to greet most dogs. Even familiar dogs should be approached with the hand held low, with the palm down, in a non-aggressive stance. Hugging and getting face-to-face with an animal is not well tolerated by some animals and should be avoided.
Children must also adhere to basic rules about “petiquette.” Children should never touch a pet or offer it food without asking the owner’s permission, even if the child has interacted with the pet in the past. Dogs on a leash, near food or toys, sleeping, acting sick, tied down or running loose should never be approached. All family members must also follow these rules for them to work. Remember, children are imitators.
You must also teach children to avoid a pet that is exhibiting potentially dangerous behavior. Aggressive behavior is fairly obvious to most children, but few children know that fearful animals can be as dangerous as aggressive animals. Discuss aggressive postures — growling, loud barking, hair standing on end — and fearful behaviors — trembling, crouching, ears down, tail tucked — and teach the child to avoid animals exhibiting those behaviors.
If the child is approached by a dog that is acting aggressive, he or she should stand very still like a tree, say nothing, hold the arms against the body and avoid eye contact with the dog. If the child is on the ground or knocked down, he should curl into a tight ball, cover his ears with his fists, and remain still and quiet until the animal moves far away.
Obviously, the necessary responses are contrary to what most children will do when threatened, so it is very important that you actually spend time practicing with them. You should also instruct your children about what to do if a bite occurs. They should try to remember where the bite occurred, what the dog looked like, where it went following the bite, and to report the bite to an adult immediately.
As an Army veterinarian, I can’t pass up this chance to inform Soldiers about public health and zoonotic disease prevention. Zoonotic diseases are those diseases that are capable of being spread from animals to humans. It is rare for a dog to spread disease to humans, but it can occur. The No. 1 health risk is from aggression, so bite prevention and safety is the overriding concern. By following some simple guidelines, most other health problems can be prevented:
“Living with animals can be a wonderful experience, especially if we choose to learn the valuable lessons animals teach through their natural enthusiasm, grace, resourcefulness, affection and forgiveness.” — Dr. Richard H. Pitcairn, Veterinarian.
As your newest veterinarian at Fort Leavenworth, I wrote this article to introduce myself and also to address a safety issue that we have encountered at the clinic recently.
First, the introduction: I was raised in the arid Great Basin regions of Utah and Idaho, and as such, have a great appreciation for the lush green grass and trees we had in the warmer weather. Although blue heelers and Australian shepherds were the only official “pets” I had while growing up, my family also had horses, cattle, pigs, sheep and rabbits. I graduated with my doctor of veterinary medicine at Kansas State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. I enjoy the environment we live in, (most of) the weather, and I love serving you and your pets at the Veterinary Treatment Facility.
I would also like to address a safety issue for all pet owners. There have been a few bite incidents lately involving dogs and children. I empathize with the families of the children who were injured. Fortunately, the dogs were current on their rabies vaccinations, and the victims were able to receive treatment.
Considering the close contact pets have with our families, we will all do well to keep pet safety in mind. The first thing you should consider when evaluating your pet or one you are considering adopting is the pet’s temperament. Does the dog growl or snap when eating, playing with toys, or if disturbed? Does the pet portray any aggression toward other animals or people if their territory is encroached or if a toy is taken away? Is the animal annoyed with people touching its ears, head or tail? Even animals that are normally docile can be aroused to aggression if pushed too far.
Pets do not innately know how to interact with humans. Because children are often unfamiliar with the proper way to handle animals and easily become excited about furry friends, they are at a higher risk of offending an animal. Most behaviors animals exhibit are merely reactions to human cues and body language.
Dogs respond best to positive reinforcement techniques — especially consistent, repetitive use of cues and body language to show praise for good behavior. If the goal is to get a dog less aggressive or used to the idea of new children in the home, the family should act very happy and freely praise the animal for all appropriate behaviors. This will help the dog associate the presence of children and visitors as a pleasant experience. On the other hand, if the dog is banished or punished when a visitor or child is in the room, they come to associate the presence of an unfamiliar human with negative consequences. If we try to adjust the dog’s behavior solely by focusing on what was done wrong, the animal never learns what behavior is acceptable.
Children do not know how to interact with pets, so parents and other adults must teach this skill by example. If adults are seen physically punishing, abusing or teasing an animal, the child will naturally feel that this interaction is acceptable. We can show children that petting a dog’s body while avoiding the head, ears and eyes is a more acceptable way to greet most dogs. Even familiar dogs should be approached with the hand held low, with the palm down, in a non-aggressive stance. Hugging and getting face-to-face with an animal is not well tolerated by some animals and should be avoided.
Children must also adhere to basic rules about “petiquette.” Children should never touch a pet or offer it food without asking the owner’s permission, even if the child has interacted with the pet in the past. Dogs on a leash, near food or toys, sleeping, acting sick, tied down or running loose should never be approached. All family members must also follow these rules for them to work. Remember, children are imitators.
You must also teach children to avoid a pet that is exhibiting potentially dangerous behavior. Aggressive behavior is fairly obvious to most children, but few children know that fearful animals can be as dangerous as aggressive animals. Discuss aggressive postures — growling, loud barking, hair standing on end — and fearful behaviors — trembling, crouching, ears down, tail tucked — and teach the child to avoid animals exhibiting those behaviors.
If the child is approached by a dog that is acting aggressive, he or she should stand very still like a tree, say nothing, hold the arms against the body and avoid eye contact with the dog. If the child is on the ground or knocked down, he should curl into a tight ball, cover his ears with his fists, and remain still and quiet until the animal moves far away.
Obviously, the necessary responses are contrary to what most children will do when threatened, so it is very important that you actually spend time practicing with them. You should also instruct your children about what to do if a bite occurs. They should try to remember where the bite occurred, what the dog looked like, where it went following the bite, and to report the bite to an adult immediately.
As an Army veterinarian, I can’t pass up this chance to inform Soldiers about public health and zoonotic disease prevention. Zoonotic diseases are those diseases that are capable of being spread from animals to humans. It is rare for a dog to spread disease to humans, but it can occur. The No. 1 health risk is from aggression, so bite prevention and safety is the overriding concern. By following some simple guidelines, most other health problems can be prevented:
- Have your pet examined and vaccinated at least once a year.
- Have a stool sample checked for parasites once or twice a year, and clean all stools from the yard immediately. Ensure that all family members wash hands after cleaning the yard, playing in the yard or playing with the dog.
- Have your pet examined immediately if it has any skin conditions or gastrointestinal conditions, because fungal infections like ringworm, parasites such as mites and fleas, and some intestinal bacteria can be contagious to people. Similarly, if there are skin conditions or gastrointestinal conditions among family members, have the pet checked.
- It is also advisable to avoid allowing the dog to lick the face of children, especially around the mouth or eyes, and to teach the children to wash thoroughly after playing with the dog.
- Any bite or scratch should be thoroughly cleaned with soap and water, and wounds that break the skin or appear to become infected should be reported to a medical authority.
In summary, there are a few simple steps we can take to protect our families from unpleasant experiences with animals. Prepare animals to experience a variety of people, including young children. Anticipate problems and work on their prevention well before they become a safety concern. Always supervise pet-child interactions. Avoid punishing the pet, banishing it from the room, or ignoring the pet when a child or new person is present. Teach children how to act around their pets, around other animals, and what to do if threatened.
I know that most of us are not destined to become the next “Dog Whisperer,” but hopefully these few tips will help us to safely enjoy the time we spend with our pets and understand what their body language is saying to us. As mentioned, “Living with animals can be a wonderful experience, especially if we choose to learn the valuable lessons animals teach.”
