But 95 children under 10 years old were killed by dogs over the eight years. The fatality rate from dog attacks on children under age 4 was twice as high as for people over age 65, and four times higher than that of other age groups.

“Children under 4 are at substantial risk,” said the lead author, Dr. Jared A. Forrester, a surgical resident at Stanford University. “And it’s usually family dogs or dogs known to the children who are doing the killing. It’s up to public health professionals and parents to prevent these interactions.”

Over all, about 72 percent of the victims were men, and most were between 35 and 64 years old. The Southeast had the highest number of deaths and the highest death rate, while the Northeast had the lowest.

The data has some limitations. It does not include fatalities from car crashes with deer and other animals. According to the C.D.C., that results in about 200 deaths a year. And causes of death may have been misclassified because of the limitations of information provided by death certificates.