Why Dogs Bite People

animal pet safety

There are strong reasons why dogs bite people, including children. And in some worst case scenarios, the attacks had also led to fatality. Training the dogs will prove useful to minimize any risks of getting bitten, but it will be better if we understand the reasons why people get nipped or bitten by friendly dogs, especially at home:

• The dog is protecting something valuable or in its possessions, for example food, water dish, toy, territory or resting place, puppies (maternal instinct in this case), or even a person. Not only in guard dogs and herding breeds, such behaviors can clearly be seen in any dogs. It is a behavior that many humans really do not appreciate but is actually very normal for dogs.
• The dog is afraid of strangers, for example postal workers, technician or any other unfamiliar visitors. Bites driven by fear can also occur when the dog is startled at home. 
• The dog is injured or sick. The pain can drive any dogs to bite. Scheduling an appointment with a veterinarian could prove useful if injury or sickness is the real reason of why the dog bites people.
• The dog is provoked by someone running or cycling near him/her position, resulting in a chase. Avoiding to cross path with a wandering dog on a street is a wise thing to do. But if the dog chases you, do not run. Stand still and avoid eye contact as this can be seen as a challenge— hopefully the dog will lose interest and sniffs at you and then walks away to find a new target. And in the worst case, if the dog chases and knocks you down, you have protect your heads, necks, and hands.

However, several other possible reasons of why dog bite people can be added if a child is bitten by the dog as below:

• The child has provoked or frightened the dog, for example cuddling it, moving into its territory, stepping over it, taking something it. A provoked or frightened dog may pose some risks to the child.
• The child has hurt the dog by stepping on it, poking it, or pulling its fur, tail, or ears. If not hurting, it can be startling the dog and provoking it to bite.
• The dog is overly excited when both the child and the dog are enganging in a play. A playful dog can pose significant risks to the child. Even if the dog has no intention of harming the child, it may get caught up in the excitement of the chase and nip at children or knock them down.
• The dog is of a herding breed and nips while trying to “herd” children. It is a normal and natural instinct, and not necessarily a learned behavior, especially for a herding breed. And the more people react to being herded by running, yelling, or else, the more likely the dog will be thinking of it as a fun and entertaining game.
• Children are generally not very good at reading signals that a dog is trying to guard his possessions, for example placing its paw on top of the items and growling before the dog bites. As we know, most of them give clear warning before the dogs bite people.

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Why Dogs Bite People

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Unknown Monday, October 19, 2015 1 Komentar