Reasons Why Dogs Bite And How To Prevent It
Dogs can be our closest companions. But sometimes they will bite. Even the cuddliest, sweetest pet can bite if provoked. There are several possible reasons why a dog may bite you. Note that dogs never just bite for no reason. They bite as a reaction to something. For example, if the dog finds himself in a stressful situation, he may bite to defend himself or his territory. He can bite because he is confused or scared, not necessarily with the intent to harm, but as a defensive behaviour. Most of the time, a bite is due to some type of provocation.
Since dogs cannot communicate easily with humans, they can only perform by doing some actions to put their point. Thus, it is very necessary to know their body language and the common reasons why they may bite. Finding out the cause of the aggression is the most important steps in dealing with dog aggression.
Possession aggression occurs when a dog gets possessive of food, a toy, a bed, territory or even a human being. The degree of aggression can vary from dog to dog. You can start training early to minimize this kind of possessive behaviour. If you want to avoid toy agression in dogs, you can teach him the “leave it” command, while food aggression can be avoided by teaching him to wait while you put his food down. Teach him to sit or lie down and then remove his food and then put it back. You can approach the food bowl and occasionally add treats to the food so he understand that someone approaching his bowl is not a bad thing.
Fear is another reason a dog might display aggression. If a dog feels he is in danger and needs to defend himself, he will exhibit aggressive behaviour. Fear biting is commonly maneuvered towards strangers. So never approach an unfamiliar dog and teach your children to do the same.
3.Dog Pain Or Illness
There are a number of illnesses that cause dogs to become aggressive and pain may cause the friendliest dog to bite. Utmost physical discomfort will make your dog pet attack on you. If your dog has hip dysplasia, severe otitis or any chronic injury, teach your children to stay away from the dog and be gentle handling him too.
A dog can become a biter when she has puppies. The mother don’t like others to disturb her puppies, so be aware of the material instincts and teach your children not to approach a young puppy around the mother. Be sure the mother and puppies have a place where they can feel safe with minimal distraction too.
Read more: How to Train Your Dog Not to Bite
Prevention: Know Dog Body Language
There are always warning signs before a bite occurs. And knowing the basics of a dog’s body language is important if you want to prevent dog bites.
One thing that makes most dogs uncomfortable is direct eye contact. If a dog seems to be aggressive, you should try to look away and keep your distance. Note that a nervous dog might turn his head away, lick his face, flick his tongue, yawn or display other signs that he is uncomfortable.
Dogs have some actions or behavior which can indicate you that they are going to bite you. Be alert when their ears are typically pinned back, the fur along their back may stand up and you may be able to see the whites of their eyes. Yawning is an attempt by the dog to show off his teeth and should be considered a warning sign as well.
Prevention: Respect A Dog’s Personal Space And Property
Start by being polite and respecting the dog’s personal space if you want to avoid getting bit by a dog. Give him space if he shows you warning prior to a bite such as growling, lip-licking, avoiding eye contact, snarling or is moving away. And we should never approach and pet an unfamiliar dog. Although humans tend to express their affection in hugs and kisses, but some dogs do not enjoy being hugged or kissed on the face. This is because they may feel restrained or “trapped”. If dogs do not enjoy being kissed, they may bite to get away from us. So never ignore your dog body language – dogs have already told us to back off via their body language such as ears pulled back, avoiding eye contact and pulling away.
If you try to take a valuable item away from your dog, he may bite you too. The item may be a toy, food or your sock. Keep in mind that most dogs are worried when they are eating that someone will take away their food. For this reason, we should never interfering with a dog while he is eating.
Read more: What To Do If You Are Bitten By A Dog