Prevent a run-in with Rex

This is National Dog Bite Prevention Week, and no group welcomes its arrival more than the men and women of the United States Postal Service.

According to postal officials, 3,249 letter carriers were on the losing end of run-ins with dogs along their routes last year.

So, rather than hound us about this matter all year long, the Postal Service has chosen this week to issue a tipsheet we all can sink our teeth into. To avoid a bite:

¢ Do not run past dogs because their natural instinct is to pursue you.

¢ If a dog becomes threatening, avoid screaming or making eye contact and do not move until the dog leaves.

¢ Do not approach strange dogs.

¢ Always let a dog see and sniff you before attempting to pet it (and ask the owner first).

¢ If a dog attacks, try to put an object (a chair, a backpack, a bicycle) between you and the animal.

For dog owners:

¢ Consider obedience training for your pet.

¢ Keep your dog inside and away from the door when a letter carrier comes to your home.

¢ Do not let children take mail from letter carriers when a dog is present; the dog’s instinct is to protect the child.

¢ Spaying or neutering a dog will make the dog less likely to bite.

¢ Spend time with your dog. Dogs that get little attention and are not properly socialized are more likely to become dogs that bite people.