What would you do if your dog bit you?

Question

Under what circumstances would you allow your dog to get away with biting you? What would you do if it did?

I didnt say puppy I said DOG
I didnt say play I said BIT
Aggression in any form. What would you do?

Answer 1

I am biting my lip on this one for the last few minutes, but, I have to say something here. First of all, great question. Second of all, if it was NOT an accident but a real bite, he is done, stick the thermometer in him, he is cooked. He would be GONE in a matter of seconds, and not at the pound either where he could end up becoming someone else's problem. I have ZERO tolerance for any dog biting a human, unless that dog is trained to bite and TOLD to do it. But to bite it's owner, OMG, that is an unforgivable sin. And, no, he is not allowed to bite if he is hurt either, he should know that I am not trying to hurt him and I am trying to help him, it's called trust. I have NEVER bitten anyone for trying to help me. Now, I have been bitten by my dog while playing with the ball and the dog is in such high drive that he ACCIDENTALY got my hand instead, that was my fault, but, to bite me on purpose? NO. I have a 7 year old EXTREMELY dominant malinois that will bite without a second thought when TOLD to bite. Him and I have had our problems and our forehead to forehead discussions early on when he first started to exhibit his dominance issues. I KNEW that he had them and I accepted the responsibitity of owning such a dog, however, in his wildest dreams he would never consider putting his teeth on me because he KNOWS in the deepest parts of his soul that it would be the end. People think that it's funny when their dog bites them as a puppy and do nothing to correct it, it is only later when the bites become real that they realize they have a problem. I am still in schock by some of the answers here that say that they would ever do anything to the dog, other then TALK to him. Are you people for real?

Answer 2

I have never had this problem. From the day I bring a puppy into my home, they learn that I am the alpha in the house. If a dog owner is well established as the pack leader, a biting situation should NEVER arise.

The only time I have ever let a bite slide is if it was an accident, i.e. got my hand in the wrong position on the tug toy, because that really would be my fault for not paying better attention in the first place.

Answer 3

I can't answer this question based on how you asked it.

There's a huge amount of information that you left out. Is the dog injured or sick? A dog may snap or bite if he is hurt. For instance, while you are clipping nails and you clip to closely. That's not a normal behavior and the dog is not aggressive.

Are you playing roughly with the dog?

I love my dogs dearly and I would go to any length to correct this behavior. I'd consult a good trainer or behaviorist if the biting was something that couldn't be explained by injury, fear, illness or rough play.

Most aggression can be corrected with work on your part. You just have to be consistent and work hard. Don't listen to people who say, kill the dog or take the dog to the pound. Did your parents dump you when you did something wrong? They worked to teach you right from wrong.

It's your job as your dog's owner to teach him not to bite. You can do it. There's lots of help out there. Don't give up.

Good luck.

Answer 4

All of this crap about putting the dog down immediately is NONSENSE. Some of you morons have NO clue about dogs and should NOT be answering these questions.

You did not give us enough information. Was it a play-bite? A real bite? Was the dog scared? Do you have children who are tormenting the dog? Is ANYONE abusing this dog at all? Is this a new dog that has been adopted? If so, there could be issues that you need to work on. Has the dog been trained? Maybe obedience classes are what you need.

But do NOT listen to these morons who are telling you to immediately put the dog down. You need to find out why the dog bit, and again, you did not tell us the whole story, so how can anyone be sure anyway? I am sure there is a reasonable explanation, you need to look into that and then decide what to do about your dog.

Answer 5

I have small grandchildren. I would never own a dog that bites. I had a chow mix once that growled and tried to bite me after owning it for 5 years, it was euthanized the same day. My dogs know who the pack leader is, ME. I have trained them that way. I know some of you will think I am mean for doing that, but my grandchildren are more important than a dog. I was not going to take the chance that that dog was not going to bite them.
I have been in a business where I have seen children that were bitten by family dogs. Most are in the face and its not pretty.

Answer 6

I was bit by a dog about two months ago. the woman who owns the dog is completely clueless. her dog had also bit my brother about a year before that.

i made the woman take me to the doctor to have my wound treated and made her pay for that. also i filled the attack with the city's animal bite unit. that turned out to be a complete waste becuase all they did was send her a letter hat stated she needed to watch the dog for signs of rabies and to contact them if there were any problems with the dog. needless to say she never responded to them. they sent her two letters.

she claimed she would put a muzzle on the dog when it first bit my brother, another bite later and guess what...still no muzzle.

the manner in which the dog attacked me was unprovoked and vicious. had i been a child the dog would have bitten me in the face and i would have been on the ground. luckily it was my arm.

i am thinking about taking legal actions since this woman has no regards for anyone else's safety. im not really sure what else to do.

dog owners like that don't deserve to have pets.

Answer 7

There an no excuses and under NO circumstances will any of our dog be allowed to get away with biting.

Are you referring to a puppy or dog that just suddenly jumped up and bit? or a puppy playing with a chew toy a little too close to your feet?

Answer 8

If my adult dog bit me seriously, not in play or herding behavior, even if it was accidentally provoked, I would have her put down. If my dog seriously bit a stranger, family member, or friend, I would have her put down.

I euthanize seriously aggressive dogs. Aggressive dogs are a menace. But in the first place, everyone should take proper steps to prevent aggression. Selecting the right dog, socializing it from puppyhood, and being a consistent leader through training are the top ways of preventing an aggressive dog.

Answer 9

FIrst, I'd think, "what did I do to provoke my dog." Usually, people do something stupid that causes a dog to bite (they have abused it in the past, and the dog is now sensitive to certain body movements and more likely to bite). Next, I would consider age, health problems/conditions, etc. I know my dogs very well, and I would be highly surprised if I was bitten. I would likely take him/her to the vet to rule out any hidden medical problems. If my dog bit me, I would back off and give him some space. I would watch for body language to get an idea of what my dog was trying to convey to me.
If aggression was a consistent problem, I would have him prescribed Clomicalm or prozac, and work with him in an effort to overcome his cause of aggression.
Note: A dog will only be put down as a LAST resort. That means my dog will not be put down unless he is posing a severe threat to my family or the community....he would have to bite me more than once, and he would have to show frequent growling. I would contact several specialists, even if they are on the other side of the US. If he starts growling at and trying to bite every stranger he sees, and behavioral training PLUS medication over a certain period of time has not been proven effective, then I would have to make a rough decision about putting him down.
Remember, aggressive dogs can be trained to channel their aggression appropriately. There are many professionals that train police dogs and will also train other dogs that are showing aggression. However, in some cases, the dog has a neurological imbalance (just like humans can get), which can cause aggressive behaviors. This requires medication PLUS behavioral training.

Answer 10

I agree with Sylvia, My dog has only bitten me once, and it was 1/2 my fault. I had my thumb along the side of a stick, and she was really excited to be playing. I stopped the game immediately and told her no bitting, then we dealt with the small cut and went for a walk instead.

I would never have her put down for an accident, but if she didn't seem to have a reason and wasn't foaming at the mouth (rabis) I would have to let my baby go. Aggression is not allowed, under any circumstance, and should be dealt with immediately. But don't try to cure violence with violence, usually you just need to get their attention again like on Dog Whisperer (Discovery Channel) , then redirect and take control of the situation again. Make sure you are the Pack Leader. Read all the books you can, and watch any video's you can get your hands on, and read up on wild dogs (that helped my understanding) and read up on your breed. My baby's 1/2 Roddie 1/2 Lab, water play and running and fetch are her favorite things. Like Cesar says, dogs will be well balanced if they are played out, and don't have to be the pack leader for a human. Find out what your dog finds fun, then play till they are played out and panting. Your dog will be happier.