*Sigh*
There is so much *CRAP* on this ABC "special" on dog bites that it's hard for me to even list the inconsistencies and just plain crap that was shown. <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

First off, their facts and figures were off. They quoted $165 million in yearly damages to dog bites, the figures I read were over a billion a year if I remember correctly.
And of course they had to add the sensationalized interviews with the small children having been bit. Great media tool, but not very good for educating the public for prevention.

And finally they have a GSD biting a sleeve as an example of what not to do if you're attacked by a dog ( they say don't fight the dog ) yet while the helper is gently slapping the dog on the sleeve...the dog let's go! Twice! ( guys...was that the best dog ya'll had to show bite work? Kinda sad <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> )
And then when they show another tape of what the correct thing to do when confronted by an aggressive dog, they say "don't make eye contact with the dog ( of course the decoy is totally locked eye-to-eye with the dog, or else the dog would have wandered off. Once again....c'mon guys, use a better dog, ok? <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> )

Half-baked shows like this is why the big three news shows on ABC, NBC, and CBS have lost 60% of their viewers to cable.
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Health/story?id=2088426&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312

You got that right. They also tend to omit the circumstances surrounding the bite and the severity. There is a difference between having your ear ripped by a playful pup and being bitten by a dog meaning to do harm. Of course, the stats don't say anything there. I would like to see research comparing the number of bites where the incident was either accidental or initiated by a careless/ignorant person versus the number of bites which were intentional or due to agression. My guess is the "vicious dog epidemic" is far smaller than the media would have us believe. Not that it is anything new there. <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

Leah, I was thinking that exact thing when the reporter mentioned about the French woman that was "mauled" by her dog and had half her face eaten off - of course the truth of the matter was that the woman hadn't bothered to feed the dog for a *week* and that the dog started chewing on her when she was passed out in a drunken stupor, which was a daily occurence for her. Another case of outstanding dog ownership, to be sure.
Sounds different when you get the facts versus media hype, of course..... <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />