The study, by researchers from the University of Liverpool, included 694 people in 385 households in Cheshire West.
They’re known as ‘man’s best friend’, but for many people, dogs are something to be feared.
Now, a new study has shown that people who are anxious around dogs are more likely to get bitten.
The study, by researchers from the University of Liverpool, included 694 people in 385 households in Cheshire West.
Participants completed a survey that included questions on whether they’d been bitten by a dog, and also their emotional stability.
Results showed that one in four respondents had been bitten before, with men almost twice as likely to have been bitten as women.
There also seemed to be a link between personality traits and the risk of being bitten.
The survey revealed that the more emotionally stable and less neurotic an individual was, the lower was their risk of being bitten by a dog.
The researchers, led by Dr Carri Westgarth, said: “Dog bite prevention schemes may also need to target particular behaviours around dogs by different victim personality types.”
