Feel free to use these quotes in your stories. Any further comments will be posted here. If you would like to speak to an expert, please don’t hesitate to contact us on (08) 8207 7415 or by email.

————————————————————-

Dr Mark Lawrie is President of the Australian Veterinary Association

On dog bites:

“Research shows that around 80 per cent of dog bites happen at homes or in friend’s homes and the dog is known to the injured person, so it’s essential to take precautions with any dog.

There’s no room for complacency – children should never be left alone or unsupervised around a dog, no matter how well-behaved the dog is normally. Children under five years are especially unpredictable, and any dog will react if it feels frightened or threatened.

Owners also need to take responsibility so that their dog receives proper training and learns social skills. More importantly people need to make sure they read a dog’s negative body language, such as raised hackles, growling and lifting of the lips and move away from the animal.”

On banning certain dog breeds:

“We don’t support the banning of particular dog breeds because research shows this simply doesn’t work. Any dog can be dangerous especially if they feel threatened or frightened. Dogs are not little people! It is important to recognise this and to understand they respond as a dog will.

Statistics for aggressive dog types will vary from state to state and country to country depending on the popularity of particular breeds. Australians have a high incidence of dog ownership and most people manage their dogs very well.

We believe education is the answer. Teaching kids about interacting with pets, choosing the right animal for your family situation, and never leaving young children unsupervised around dogs – these are the basic rules when owning any dog.”

————————————————————-

Assoc. Professor Paul McGreevy is a specialist in veterinary behavioural medicine and is Associate Dean for Learning and Teaching in the Faculty of Veterinary Science at Sydney University. He is author of the book Handle with Care.

“All dogs are potentially dangerous, so parents must never leave children and dogs together unattended. It is possible that, as an urban culture, we are losing some of our commonsense with animals. Fearful responses by children, such as running and screaming, can act as triggers for predatory aggression in dogs. So, there is great merit in coaching children on how to behave around dogs and, indeed, all domestic species.