Is it appropriate to answer a question with a question? No? Maybe? Well, here goes:
I was punched in the face by a bully, people say I shouldn’t run him over with my car, why is this?
Iran captured some British sailors, people say Iran shouldn’t be nuked into the stone age, why is this?
I guess I am trying to say that… in spite of the irrefutable badness of the initial offense… the suggested response seems totally out of proportion.
You got bitten? Big freaking deal! Bite him back! A large percentage of children have bitten someone. No-one (I hope) is suggesting they be put down.
A small percentage of all dogs are vicious and dangerous and may need to be euthanized if nobody can rehabilitate them (and I consider this to be a terrible tragedy that should not be undertaken lightly… “We are responsible for those we tame”)
But a huge number of bites are neither vicious nor dangerous. First, the majority of bites come from small dogs which - even if blood is drawn - represent no real danger. Nobody dies from an ankle bite!.
Second, the majority of bites in my experience are not vicious. Fear, self defense, protection of territory or human companion… or even play are the most common causes. You have to remember that a dog’s primary interface with the world is his mouth. Have you ever seen dogs playing? Carrying things? Very few forms of healthy dog activity do not involve chomping!
Every time I get home, my dog greets me by clamping down on my wrist for a few minutes. No blood, but definite pain. And it is nothing more than his way of saying “I’ve missed you!”
Get off your high horse @InnerCircle I have not suggested killing my dog even though he is aggressive. This is not the first time he has bitten me or others, including children, and I didn’t kill him those times either. Who the Hell do you think you are?!
Settle down. You asked for opinions and you got one.
To address the question, it depends on how they would classify the bite — provoked or unprovoked? This may be a “provoked” bite in that the dog was defending something. Still not good behaviour, but not quite the same as if the dog just came over and bit for no reason.
In most places, the first bite is not enough to require that the dog be put down. Laws vary, but the dangerous dog statutes usually would require some controls put in place after one bite.
Yes, medical personnel are supposed to report dog bites when treating the patient, that would depend on where you are, the local laws etc.
If the dog has a history of nipping — you need to work to train him not to do this. It is not cute when a small dog does this. Behaviourists are good at helping you work with this.
He doesn’t nip. He bites with all his might and draws blood. I have multiple bleeding puncture wounds on my face. My husband watched the whole thing and says it was completely unprovoked. We never thought his biting was cute. We’ve tried working with him on it. Right now we are just not allowing him to jump in our laps. We are talking to a rescue for advice on what to do next.
What kind of dog is he? I worked with two breed-specific rescues, and neither would accept biters (with the exception of Aussie rescue who would take in dogs that were nipping-not hard biting- to try to herd as this can be instinctive).
He’s a mix. We got our other dog from the rescue. Barkley, the biter, followed us home one day. We found no evidence of anyone looking for him. We put out ads about finding him. We checked if he was microchipped. He wasn’t. He was in really bad shape when we found him. We just kept him.
You need to see our cat in action. She can open pretty much everything but a tin of cat food, and I’m betting that may not always be the case. The darn thing is TOO smart.
I sure hope not. Maybe this is a case where re-homing to a home where it could be the only dog and where things are calmer and less excitable may correct the behavior? Definitely talk to the vet, but I hate to see any animal destroyed if it can be avoided.
@anon82948922. I agree. We don’t want to put him down. He’s bitten a lot of adults and kids so we have to do something. I’m thinking maybe a no kill rescue. We could warn them that he’s a biter. Maybe they’d be more equipped for handling him and knowing what to do. We’ve had him for 8 years. It will be hard to let him go.
@Wave I wasn’t thinking shelter. I know of a rescue that has foster homes for dogs and they’re really good at training them. That’s what I’m thinking at this moment. I can’t afford a dog behaviorist.
@anon84157300. I have another dog that is sweet and never bites. I think what you just said is really rude. I’ve had other dogs too, and they never bit.
I think as well the fact he bit because he felt he wasn’t getting attention is worrying. Specifically if he is around babies. People give babies all their attention and imagine if he lashed out at the baby.
Well like I said so long as no one has reported him, he doesn’t HAVE to be put down. I would try a professional trainer first before considering something so drastic and sad. Unfortunately sometimes for the safety of the community and family if training fails then I could understand the decision. Definitely not an easy one to make.
