May is National Bite Prevention Month. Experts say the focus is even on the pets inside our own home. Ryan Loyd has this Safe Family report.

Our four-legged friends often times mean the world to us. They are there to comfort us, love us, and even hear us out when we've had a bad day.

But animals are animals, and pet experts say it's important to understand that dogs don't think like we do.

"We’re primates. We hug and kiss. Dogs are not primates. It's a foreign behavior to them," pet expert and author Amy Shojai says.

May is National Bite Prevention Month to help people recognize how to stay safe from pet bites. Amy Shojai says even our own pets can bite, even if they are trained properly.

"The best animal can still bite. It's a natural reflex. It's just like kids rough housing."

But you can help cut down on potential serious injury. If you have a young animal, socialize him or her around other animals and people.

And animals do have their own language. We just have to learn what they're saying.

"They speak clearly. Their hair will stand up, ears back. A tail wag is not necessarily an invitation to be pet."

Shojai says if you happen to come across an aggressive animal, just ‘be a tree’.

"Stand still until the dog goes away."

With the proper training on both our part, and our animals' part, we can prevent dangerous situations, but it takes plenty of care, understanding, and time.

"The only way they say keep your distance is to growl and show signs. If you don't pay attention, they'll bite, and sometimes it's our fault."

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