The risk of being bitten by a dog does not depend on its breed, but on a multitude of factors, indicates Monday, February 8, ANSES, which reminds to never leave a child alone with a dog and recommends better awareness of risks.
In France, some dog breeds are considered
"dangerous"
: attack dogs (American Staffordshire terrier or pit bull; Mastiff, Tosa) and guard and defense dogs (American Staffordshire terrier, Rottweiler, Tosa, similar to Rottweilers).
Their owners must have a detention permit.
At the request of the Ministry of Agriculture, the health agency Anses sought to determine
"the dangerousness of dogs"
, according to a statement.
To read also: Dog bites: the vagueness of the statistics
The figures available show 10,000 bites per year but
"this figure is certainly below reality"
, notes Matthieu Schuler, Deputy Director General of the science center of ANSES.
"There are a very large number of conditions that lead to a bite: some depend on the dog, its development, its well-being ... other factors are linked to people, their age, the place where it takes place, whether or not they are paying attention to the dog's signals
,
”
he continues.
The ANSES study shows that male dogs are more aggressive, as are adult dogs.
Too early weaning, too late in contact with humans, the animal's living conditions, education and health also play a role.
On the other hand,
“there is no breed more dangerous than the other”
, says Julie Chiron, coordinator of the expertise.
Stress signals
Not all humans are exposed the same.
“Young children, men and professions in frequent contact with dogs, and people using special function, guard and defense dogs, are more at risk than others
”, according to ANSES.
"Children detect stress signals emitted by a dog less well than adults,"
explains Julie Chiron, who specifies that boys under the age of fifteen are particularly concerned.
These stress signals can be
"nose licking, repetitive yawning, looking away, etc."
, indicates ANSES.
Read also: Pilarski affair: new elements overwhelm the Curtis dog
The agency recommends
“creating an observatory”
for bites to have more data,
“strengthening the behavioral assessment”
made in the event of a bite, at the request of the mayor or the prefect or for certain breeds, and
“increasing the number of vets who can give it, ”
says Matthieu Schuler.
She also insists on the need to raise awareness of the needs of dogs.
