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Many cities and states are enforcing rules against dangerous dogs, but when is a dog really considered dangerous? At what point has a dog’s behavior gone too far?
Too often, a dog is considered dangerous after it bites someone. But really, a dog is dangerous long before he reaches that point. So many dog bites and attacks could be prevented by acting on the warning signs. For example, a dog left chained in a yard his whole life is going to be bored and unsocialized. This boredom will lead to anxiousness and frustration. Of course the dog is going to lunge and bark at someone approaching his yard. It’s what he’s learned to do. He’s even encouraged by his owner to “protect” the yard. It’s no surprise then, when the dog later bites an approaching child. But at this point, it’s too late.
What about dogs that attack other dogs but would “never” hurt a person? Once a dog bites another dog, should it be considered dangerous? Stories pop up every year of a person walking his or her dog only to be attacked by a stray dog. These attacks often begin when the stray dog first bites the person’s dog and then the person.
And it’s not just the big dogs that bite. What about the thousands of small dogs that bite people every year? For example, the fearful yorkie that growls at everyone but “Mommy,” the chihuahua that bites when you try to pick up his food bowl or the bichon that growls and has to be muzzled when she goes to the groomer. Sometimes we even encourage aggressive behavior in small dogs, because we think it’s cute.
Well, it only takes one nip at the right time to require stitches or to bring on a lawsuit.
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March 6th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
Personally, I think we should punish the owners and not the dogs. Every example you listed could be “fixed” with some simple training. One that you didn’t mention is a fear biter. People always tell me that the dog was abused before they got it but fear biting is usually from a lack of socialization and it can be overcome with training. Great post as always!
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