A study of dog bites on the Navajo reservation

Reservation-wide dog-bite statistics indicate a bite rate on the Navajo Reservation that is comparable to that of a large city. Detailed analysis of 772 bite reports was made to determine the characteristics of biters and their victims. This included an assessment of the behavioral antecedents leading up to the bite incident; 98.4 percent of all cases for which a possible cause could be ascertained were provoked in some way. Both dog control and public education measures need to be taken to reduce the frequency of dog bites.