Why Dog Bites Happen?

Understanding Dog Bites - Most Common Triggers That Lead To Dog Bites

According to reports during 1980s and 1990s the fatalities caused by dog bites had been reckoned to be around 17 per year, while in the 2000s the number rose to 26 yearly. Records have shown that over 70% of dog bite incidences occur from the pets – either within the family or friends' pets. Kids have always been the major victims of dog bites and the most common reasons behind it is lack of awareness about why dogs bite. Here are a few most important reasons of dog bites:

Territoriality and Possessiveness: Territoriality and possessiveness are most undesirable behavior in dogs and owners need to check before such behaviors turn out to be an irreparable problem. Dogs are naturally territorial and possessive about their pack (the family they live with). Territoriality turns out to be a real challenge for a owner if the dog selects a specific corner of the house he/she live.
Possessive, on the other hand, can be a nightmare if the dog is not trained to release objects. Dogs that are raised separately from the family are more prone to develop such behaviors. It is important to effectively obedience train a dog from the very early age, and such behaviors should be discouraged from the beginning. Make the dog feel that there’s no personal corner in the house for him. While offering food teach him to stay cool when someone touches his bowl.

Fear of Dogs (Cynophobia): Fear of dogs makes people behave irrationally when they come across a dog – especially the stray or unleashed dogs. The strange behavior that most cynophobic persons exhibit and their screams due to the aversion to the animals often makes even the most cool dogs irritated, which then launch an unexpected attack.

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 Dog’s fear towards human: Fear directed towards strangers and even some known persons at times like vets or gardeners often generates aggression (fear based aggression) in a dog. Even the friendliest dog may attack unexpectedly due to fear towards certain people or type of people. Proper socialization is of utmost importance to prevent a dog from developing such tendencies. Fear bites are often developed by dogs that exhibits avoidance behavior to certain people, type of people or any people under specific situation(s) at an early age. Once you notice such behavior in your puppy, it is mandatory to address the problem immediately and go in for proper socialization session.

Physical Irritation: Physical irritation such as pain or illness can cause dog bites. Pain and uneasiness can cause even the most docile dog to bite unexpectedly. If you notice a sudden drop of activeness with noticeable impudence in behavior in your dog for no apparent reason it is advisable to immediately give a call to your vet, considering that your dog is in pain or health issues.

Maternal instincts: Even the most obedient and well trained dog can bite when she has pups. All dogs are naturally protective, but the Protective Instinct, especially in a female dog gets magnified several times when she has puppies. There’s no way you can help it except teaching your kids not to handle puppies and the mother unsupervised.

Redirected Aggression Bites: Bites due to redirected aggression at times becomes highly unpredictable, yet quite common. Redirected aggression are aggression in which the effects are being discharged on you although aggression was actually on something else. This means, the dog’s aggression is redirected from the triggering source to the one who disturbs him or comes in between. The incidence of bites from redirected aggression commonly occurs when you pushes or try to set apart the fighting dogs. Another situation when a dog bites another dog in the same pack due to redirected aggression is when both the dogs are turning aggressive over something else but fails to attack it.

Bite Caused by Dominance Aggression: Dominance is a major problem. It is important to set correct set of rules and boundaries for your dog and strike a proper balance between love and limitations. Any kind of dominating behavior should be discouraged from the very beginning. Establishing and retaining the your Alpha membership in the pack is of utmost importance in order to prevent dominance aggression.

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An awareness about the most common triggers causing dog bites will help you avoid such situations. In most cases dog bites are followed by behavioral signs that should be understood. The most effective of all techniques for preventing dog bites is proper training and correct socialization at the early stage. Training and socialization are actually ongoing processes and should be continued throughout your dog’s life. All you need is to be a keen observer and should be able to understand your dog’s every behavior and distinguish goods from undesirable ones.