As we've been telling you, dog attacks have caused a lot of pain among friends and families here in Michiana.

About 550 dog bites have been reported in Elkhart and St. Joe counties. Both humane societies say a majority of the time children are involved.

To prevent potential attacks, they say you should ask yourself an important question: are you an animal person, one who is a responsible owner who treats the animal like you would treat your young child? Or are you a person with an animal who only attends to the animal at your leisure?

We introduce you to a family who learned about the huge responsibility of becoming an animal owner.

She already has three kids of her own and Nancy Cain is deciding if she wants to call a little beagle, Rachel, a fourth Cain child.

She says, “ When you bring a new animal into the house it's like bringing a baby in. It completely changes your life.”

Eric Durcinka, Executive Director at the Elkhart County Humane Society says he can already tell by a meet and greet that the Cains' are animal people, ready to welcome a new family member.

Durcinka says, “You're going to have to monitor them and it's going be constant.”

He is talking about both your dogs and your kids.

He says, “I think far too many families just jump into purchasing dogs as an item.”

Durcinka says this is the main reason numbers show on average about one to two bites are happening each day in Elkhart County alone. It is not just pit bulls, it is all types of dogs

Durcinka says, “It seems like there are a predominant amount of animals housed outside and chained up and are accounting for the majority of dog bites. The majority are always provoked by children.”

He says that means adults are looking at a toxic situation if they do not take the time to properly socialize these dogs into the family.

Nancy Cain says she is prepared to take on the responsibility of having her three-year-old son George and their new dog living in the same house.

She says, “He is to the point where I still have to correct him at doing things, but when I tell him don't do something he understands.”

Here is what two dog experts we talked to had to say:

We asked Dr. Carol Ecker at the St. Joe County Humane Society, “What's an appropriate age for a child to be around dogs?” She said, “I would say a girl 6-10 and a boy,10-12. When they learn the responsibility level of having an animal in the house.”

Durcinka says, “There is no reason why a family with a three year-old shouldn't have a dog but there has to be a high volume of responsibility going into the acquisition of animal. It also depends on the maturity level and temperament of the child and what kind of breed you're bringing home with your kids."

In this case, he says the beagle was a good choice for first-time dog owners like the Cain family who have a little one at home. But, beagle, boxer, or pitbull, one rule stands.

He says, “The responsibility of the owner is to ensure that the animal receives proper training to be a proper animal in a house with children."

Other dogs Durcinka recommends for first-time owners who have toddlers are boxers, labs, and golden retrievers.

He says families like the Cain's should stay away from akitas, chows., and of course pitbulls and even a little dog like the pommeranian.

Thursday--on the lookout for loose dogs...we'll tell you about the problem here in Michiana and the fines dog owners could be paying.