Why Does A Dog Bite?

There are a lot of scary stories about dogs attacking people these days. But the reality is that dog bites are a lot more common than you might think - it’s just the serious, terrible, and disastrous incidents we hear or read about in the news. In fact, there are over 4.5 million dog bites that occur every year, most of which are mild accidents - and almost all of them can be avoided.


The key to understanding how not to get bitten is to learn why dogs bite. Having covered what to do to avoid and deal with a bite from a dog, we thought it was time to explore the reasons why it happens so much. Let’s take a closer look.

Pic via pexels

Why do dogs bite?

The first thing to understand is that any dog can bite. Sure, there are aggressive strains and personalities out there in the world, but even a timid dog will snap at you in fear if you close off their escape route. Big, small, male, female, young, old, cuddly, scary: any dog will try to protect themselves the best way they know how when they find themselves in a stressful situation.

‘Stressful’ is the key word to understand, here. Almost every dog bite will occur as a reaction to something - they don’t just do it for the sake of it. It could be to protect something, or to ward you off from its territory. It might be because they feel threatened - or even that someone or something is threatening you. They can even bite when they feel unwell and just want to be left alone. But the key thing to remember is that in almost every scenario, it’s because your dog is stressed.

Understanding the issue

The trouble is that too few owners understand the signs that their dog is stressed. And unless you learn those signs yourself - as a dog owner or otherwise - it could spell trouble. For example, if you have a small child who loves pooches and sees one on the street, can you be sure that the dog they go up to and try and stroke isn’t afraid? And can you guarantee they will not bite? Educating yourself and your kids on how to approach - or not - any animal is wise.

That said, if you do ever receive a bite from someone else’s dog, it is the owner’s fault. Contact a lawyer to file a claim for canine bites and make sure you get the relevant medical attention - every owner has a responsibility to look after their animals. And if you know your dog is stressed, make sure you have full control over them and let the approaching party know to keep a good distance away.

 
What about play?

In their natural environment, dogs will play with other dogs - and they tend to nip at each other for fun. The trouble is that they nip and bite during play with humans, too. And while it’s fun for them, it’s dangerous for you - and especially for your kids.

You can avoid getting bitten by not wrestling with them, or playing tug-of-war. Ultimately, these are games that will overexcited your dog and accidents are more likely to occur.

Understanding Your Dogs Protective Instinct

File

We all know that dogs have a protective instinct. It’s an instinct that has been nurtured over thousands of years of evolution; a desire to protect the people they care about, the humans that they see as their family. For many people, the protective instinct is one of the foremost reasons to getting a dog, and this is all the more true if you’re thinking of disaster-preparation.

To truly get the most of your dog’s protective instinct in the event of a disaster, you first need to understand that instinct. How does it work? How can you utilize it to your benefits? Is that instinct transferable to different people or properties? Read on to find out all the answers you need…

What Exactly Are Dogs Protecting?

Given that many people use dogs to guard their home, it’s easy to think that dogs are protecting the actual building. This is a concern if you’re disaster-prepping. You may wonder if your dog will offer protection if you have had to bug-out and transfer to another location.

Here’s the good news: dogs don’t protect buildings with any particular vigor. Sure, they will bark if someone they don’t like gets too close, but for the most part the building isn’t really the concern. Dogs aren’t territorial in the same way that cats are. You can see this in action in the way we live with our pets; cats are allowed to wander around the neighborhood, as they will always find their way back to their territory. Dogs… won’t; if your dog gets out, there’s a high likelihood you’ll have to go and retrieve them rather than them coming back of their own accord.

So What Do Dogs Protect?

People. The only reason your dog is particularly concerned about your home is because you’re in it. Dogs can also be protective of items they consider to be “theirs”, such as blankets and bowls, but for the most part their focus is primarily on people. This is why having a dog from https://scottsk9.com/ is an ideal way to protect yourself and your family; these dogs will look after you specifically, no matter where you are or where you live.

You can see this effect in action if you take your dog to pet-friendly vacation rentals; they will be just as protective of your temporary home as they are of your actual home-- because you’re there. This is well worth remembering if you’re concerned about losing your dog’s inbuilt protective instinct if you, for any reason, need to abandon your home. If you’re there, then your dog is going to continue to be just as protective as they would be at your home address.

Can The Protective Instinct Be Controlled?

File

You can’t stop the urge of the protective instinct, but you can train your dog so they don’t react to it unless you command. Basic “sit” and “stay” commands are your best methods here, so you can be sure that the protective instinct doesn’t go too far. Your dog is, after all, primarily a pet, so you’re going to want to know you’re safe to take them for a walk without aggression issues materializing.

In the event of a disaster, your dog’s protective instinct might just be your best friend. Nurture this instinct correctly, train your dog to control it, and then you can be reassured all is well-- wherever you are in the world.

Here's a great place to visit online for pet articles SimplyPets

The Dangers Of A Dog That Loves You Too Much

It’s not something that a lot of dog-owners consider a major problem. If anything, more people are concerned that a stoic pooch might not love them as much as they would like. But the opposite extreme can be just as much a problem. A dog that’s overly attached to its owner can develop dangerous behaviors as a response. They can become territorially aggressive over their owners, or they can even develop separation anxiety. Both will play a role in making them harder to command and to take control of a situation, which is especially unhelpful if you’re training them to be a useful partner, not just a pet. So, what do you do about it?

Link

Assert some discipline

One of the reasons that a dog’s affection of you might get out-of-bounds is that they may not necessarily see you as their pack leader. Rather, they may very well consider you lower in the chain of command than them and, in response, will treat you more like a member of their pack or a possession. They think that you are theirs and act accordingly. Alongside signs of territorial aggression, this will often show as overt disobedience. Make sure that training is complete and ongoing with them and that you can tell the difference between them being disobedient or just reacting with excitement to certain stimuli.

Socialize them

If they are well trained and listen to your commands, then it’s about finding the stimuli that set them off. For many dogs, those stimuli may be strangers and other dogs. If they’re too protective of their own, they might react to these situations with a high-tension response, which can make them difficult to keep control of. All dogs can be socialized. Even when they’re full adults, it’s not too late for them to learn new behavior patterns, though it’s certainly easier when they’re younger. Take them on walks and introduce them to other dogs. Many fear a negative response from their dog and will pull on their leash or shout if they worry about them becoming too excitable or aggressive. This often has the opposite effect, however. Be calm, in control of the situation, and touch your dog to reassure them they’re okay. Just be sure to use a muzzle if your dog has growled or barked at other dogs in the past. Remove the risk from the situation.

Greetings and farewells

You may very well be the stimuli, yourself. There are two big emotional high points that a lot of owners have trouble with. That’s saying goodbye and saying farewell to your dog. Pet your dog, and say your greetings or your farewells, but don’t let it escalate. Acting overly excitable creates a rush for them that keeps them in a high-tension state. It might be all fun and games when you’re there, but it translates into separation anxiety when you’re not there, as Psychology Today states.

Link

Calming on cue

It might seem like it’s too good to be true, but you can command your dog to be calm. Alongside “heel”, the “settle” command is one of the most useful tools a dog owner can use. Start by using the command indoors on their leash, when their attention is already on you. When they successfully come to a stop, give them a treat. As time goes on, give them distractions to deal with and, eventually, start the training outside. Before too long, you will have them able to “settle” without any treats at all.

Spread the love

Getting them used to other people is just as important, too. Having more than one authority figure in a dog’s life is an important way of ensuring they know that even that they’re beneath you in the hierarchy, that doesn’t mean that they’re above all other humans. Using a dog walking service can be a great way to teach that. However, this is only true if you’re using a real professional. Whistle has a list of great questions to sort out the people who are truly equipped to handling and showing authority to a stranger’s dog, and not just someone making money off a hobby.  In particular, make sure you ask how they might handle any behavioral issues that might come up. If they have no examples of how they’ve dealt with a dog that’s territorial or disobedient, they might not be the right person for this lesson.

Make sure they’re well cared for when you’re not around

Being cared for and treated well when you’re not the one with them is just as important as making sure they can act disciplined with other humans as well. Boarding a dog with separation anxiety or territorial behavior is a big step, but if you do, then places like Fon Jon Pet Care are usually the right solution. Make sure that any dog boarding services you use have experience with training dogs and know that if your dog isn’t yet fit to be socialized that they shouldn’t be.

Link

Check yourself

Much like with greetings and goodbyes, you should endeavor to keep a closer eye on your own behavior with the dog. Owners might very well often say that they have a deep emotional connection to their dog, and that’s not untrue. Dogs react off the energy of their own. If you approach a situation with a calm and a sense of control, your dog will feel safer in that situation. If you react to every display of anxiety or aggression in them with an escalation, they will continue to do the same. That’s because they’re reading your cues and believing there really is something to be so tense about. Obsessive affection can spread much the same way. Dogs learn from their owners, so make sure you’re a good teacher.

You don’t have to be entirely strict and unemotional with your dog. They need emotional fulfillment just as much as humans do and work better to their task when they have it. Just be cautious of the signs that they’re getting too territorial when you’re there or anxious when you’re not.