About 86,000 people a year suffer injuries because pets cause their owners to fall. Only about one seventh of the accidents involve cats, while most of the rest involve dogs.

A lot of the accidents involve children and people around middle-age, but severe injuries happen to the elderly. This only amounts to about one percent of the total falling accidents that occur, but people who own pets should still be aware of the risk.

Your pets are walking tripwires. Most of them a small, low to the ground, and love being around your feet. It would be easy to see that you’re about to step on your pet, then lose your balance and crack your head open on the side of a table. It sounds gruesome, but it does happen.

Some of the falling accidents occur on walks while your dog is on a leash. These falling accidents can be prevented as long as your dog is well trained. Don’t let your dog pull you around. If you’re in control, it’ll be easier to keep your balance and make sure you’re safe.

As long as you take precautions, there won’t be a big chance that you’ll trip over your pet. While pets can cause you to fall, if you’re aware of your surroundings, it would be tough for one to sneak under you. Combine that with proper leash training, and you shouldn’t have much to worry about.

Also, if your dog is massive, make sure he doens’t try to jump on you or give you his paw while you’re in a chair. This can cause serious injury as you fly back and smack your head on the floor. It’s a dangerous situation, and may be comical to onlookers.