Fewer people in city attacked by dogs

Dog-attack injury claims through ACC have dropped in the past year. Photo / File

The number of people injured by man's best friend in Rotorua dropped last year, ACC statistics reveal.

The data showed 364 claims were made in Rotorua for dog-related injuries in 2014, a decrease from the 377 recorded in 2013.

"Dog-related injuries" cover all claims for accidental injuries whenever a dog was involved. Rotorua Lakes Council animal control officers received 69 reports of dog attacks on people over the last full year.

Rotorua dog trainer Nadine Steele said aggression in dogs was mostly due to the dog being afraid.

"The biggest contributing factor is a lack of socialisation and, as a result, the dog develops fears which cause aggression," she said.

"The second contributing factor is both children and adults, and dog owners even, don't know the warning signals that dogs give before an attack and they can't read the dog's body language."

Ms Steele said there were a number of signals dogs gave off before attacking.

"There is avoidance where the dog will distance itself from people. They will then attack if people continually put themselves in the dog's space, triggering a fight-or-flight response.

"There is also cowering, or dogs showing the whites of their eyes and growling. Other scenarios occur when dogs are trying to protect someone or something, which can be harder to read."

Ms Steele said it was critical for dog owners to socialise their dogs early on.

"Introduce your puppies to all sorts of people, environments, things and other dogs so they have the opportunity to socialise and get used to different scenarios. This will teach them not to be afraid and they won't have such an issue with new things. Eight to 14 weeks old is a critical learning stage."

Nationally, there were 14,901 claims made for dog related injuries across New Zealand last year, 94 lower than in 2013.

ACC spokeswoman Stephanie Melville said most claims were for minor injuries.

"The three most common injuries are laceration, soft tissue injury and dental injury, for example, when Fido jumps up excitedly and hits your chin or mouth," she said.

Rotorua Lakes Council compliance solutions manager Neven Hill said many dog-related injuries could be prevented by good supervision, control and training.

"The council recognises good dog owners, who can apply for Selected Dog Owner Status, which will reward them with discounted registration fees.

"Owners granted this status will invariably have their dogs registered, their properties appropriately fenced, and they will be able to demonstrate that they have trained their dogs and understand their needs."

Mr Hill said the council also recognised the need for educating the public, especially young people, about dog behaviour and how to act when around dogs.