Bern, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Switzerland registered 2,567 cases of dogs biting humans in 2008, a number that was very close to that for 2007, records published 15 October show. More than 200 varieties of dogs were involved in the incidents. Children are more frequently targets than adults and have the most serious injuries because dogs tend to bite them on the head and neck. CHildren were attacked in the dog’s home in 43 percent of cases and in public areas in 51 percent of cases. Doctors, veterinarians and cantonal officials have been obliged to report dog biting incidents since 2006.

Two-thirds of the time the dog is known to the victim and in one-quarter of the cases the victim is the dog’s owner. One-quarter of the dogs attacking are small dogs and authorities note that owners of small dogs need to be particularly on the alert for their animals’ aggressive behaviour. Overall, the types of dogs attacking corresponds more or less to the percentage of these dogs in the population: shepherd dogs such as German shepherds account for the highest number of incidents, but they are also the largest  group of dogs in the country. The statistics are published by the cantons’ veterinary association, which urges caution when looking at the number of dog bits in relation to types of dogs. The statistics are, nevertheless, used to help study the problem of dangerous dogs in Switzerland, with stricter controls put in place since 2007 by several cantons following a number of serious incidents.

In addition to biting humans, dogs were reported for biting other dogs 1,663 times.

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