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Dr. Kim Mulvihill ReportingA new study makes a stunning recommendation for would-be pet owners -- don't bring a dog into the family until your children are at least five-years old.
The research was conducted in Austria. Researchers reviewed medical charts of children 17 and under who were treated for dog bites between 1993 and 2004. They looked for trends in age of the victim, breed of the dog, and location of the wound. They found that one-year-olds are more likely than any other group to be bitten by dogs, most often by dogs they know.
They also found that half the wounds were to the face, head or neck, and that there were five times more attacks from Dobermans or German Shepherds than from Labradors or cross-breed dogs.
Based on their research, they consider children younger than 10 in a high risk group for dog attacks. They also say it is important for parents to teach children how to act near a dog. And they recommend that parents not buy a dog until their children are in school.
