Covid-19 lockdowns may have a part to play in the number of dog attacks over the last year, one dog behaviourist says.
More than 1000 claims were filed from July 2022 to June 2023, costing ACC more than $15 million.
Dan Abdelnoor, also known as "Doggy Dan", said Covid-19 lockdowns may have a part to play in the number of attacks.
"A lot of people got puppies, and those puppies were locked down. They didn’t get the socialisation that they needed," he told Seven Sharp.
Abdelnoor said it could also have something to do with stress levels and how busy pet owners are.
"When people get busy, the dogs don’t get the exercise they need."
Abdelnoor also advised people to ignore free-roaming dogs.
"Even if the dog is watching you or following you or maybe does a little woof, you don’t want to antagonise the dog or create a drama."
Abdelnoor said prolonged eye contact, loud noises or making shooing motions will "create far more problems than if you simply stay confident, keep walking and ignore the dog".
He said it's also not a good idea to run away from a dog.
"Dogs love running and if they see that they’ve got you on the run, they’re gonna chase you, and then you're gonna probably scream – if you're like most people – and the dog's gonna get excited and it’s gonna get worse and worse and worse."
Staying upright and appearing confident will appear non-threatening to the dog and "they'll ignore you", he said.
Last month, 78-year-old Elizabeth Whittaker was killed by a free-roaming dog in her backyard in Moerewa, in Northland.
It's understood the attack only stopped when a neighbour shot the animal.
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