In a new study, researchers have found dog breeds and physical traits that pose the highest risk of biting with severe injury.
They want parents of young children to use this information when deciding which dog to own.
The research was conducted by a team from Ohio State University.
It is estimated that there are 83 million owned dogs in the United States and that number continues to increase.
Moreover, 4.7 million people in the United State are bitten by dogs annually, and 1 in 5 of these victims require medical care for their injuries.
In the study, the team examined the risks of dog bite injuries to the face in children and bite severity.
They reviewed 15 years of dog-related facial trauma cases from Nationwide Children’s Hospital and the University of Virginia Health System.
They found pit bulls and mixed breed dogs have the highest risk of biting and cause the most damage.
In addition, dogs with wide and short heads weighing between 66 and 100 pounds could cause severe injuries.
The new finding provides families with data to help them determine the risk to their children and tell them what types of dogs could do well in households with kids.
The researchers suggest that parents need to be a model for their children and avoid any confrontational or risky interactions that might trigger a fear or fear-aggression response in dogs.
The lead author of the study is Dr. Garth Essig, an otolaryngologist at Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center.
The study is published in the International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology.