Dogs bite more on very hot days and high pollution levels
A study published Thursday in Scientific Reports has revealed that dogs bite more frequently (up to 11 percent more) on hotter days. and sunny days, and when air pollution levels are higher.
Previous research had documented that warmer weather and higher levels of air pollution can be associated with an increase in the aggressiveness in humans, rhesus monkeys, rats and mice.
However, it is unclear whether dog aggression against humans also follows this trend, and, following this study, the authors warn that more data and research are needed to confirm this conclusion.
The study was led by Clas Linnman, a researcher in the Neuroimaging Laboratory at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
To conduct the research, Linnman and team. examined dog bite data between 2009 and 2018. in eight U.S. cities-Dallas, Houston, Baltimore, Baton Rouge, Chicago, Louisville, Los Angeles, and New York.
According to public data, provided by animal control authorities, 69,525 dog bites were reported in that period.about three a day for ten years.
The authors examined the relationship between dog bite rates and. daily levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), ozone, and temperature.as well as ultraviolet (UV) radiation levels and precipitation.
Dog bites increase with heat.
The study reveals that the incidence of dog bites increased by 11 percent on days with higher UV levels, four percent on days with higher temperatures, and three percent on days with higher ozone levels.
In contrast, the incidence of dog bites decreased slightly (by 1%) on days with higher precipitation levels.
The authors note that the dog bite records did not include information on other factors that may affect the level of dog aggressiveness such as breed, sex, or whether the animal is spayed or neutered.
In addition, they also did not have information on. previous interactions between the dog and the bite victim.such as whether the individual was familiar with the dog.
Thus, although the authors argue that these results appear to reinforce the association between high temperatures and pollution with dog aggression, they insist that further research is needed to confirm and explore this relationship.
