How to proceed in case your Dog Bites You
Did your dog just bit you or another person in your family? There are many reasons that your dog may bite you.
You can start dog training some thing, however, you should think about taking your dog towards the vet to make certain that there is nothing medically wrong with your dog that could be causing them to lash out.
Behavioral training may be easily done at your house, or find a professional dog trainer to assist. Below you’ll determine what to do if your dog bites you.
Why Do Dogs Bite People?
There are lots of reasons that the dog may bite you.
Sometimes there is a medical issue that may be causing your dog to bite.
Sometimes it’s a behavioral issue.
And it sometimes can simply be because your dog hasn’t had the proper training yet.
Your Dog is Afraid
Some dogs who're in times where they’re afraid may bite whoever approaches them or is near them. This case may be something as severe as being abandoned or abused, or it may be toward something that they perceive as abnormal such as a loud noise from fireworks or thunderstorms.
Your Dog May not Like Children
Some dogs will only attack small children. They may have were built with a traumatic experience with a child previously, or they don’t know why this person is really loud and active.
Some children have not been properly trained regarding how to gently approach your dog and also to be easy when petting them. In case your dog isn't keen on kids and has bitten them previously, keep your dog away when any youngsters are around and unsupervised.
Your Dog Has Been Startled
If your dog continues to be startled or suddenly woken up from the deep sleep, they might bite. As dogs start getting older, they might not be able to hear you approach them, and when you go to wake them, you startle them, plus they bite you.
Your Dog Has Food Aggression
Some dogs don't like to talk about their food. These dogs could get very aggressive as well as bite you or any other dog when they believe that you’re going to place their food from them.
It’s best to start training your dog at a young age that it's okay for individuals to achieve to their food bowl and take food from their store while they’re eating.
Your Dog Is in Pain
If your pet recently had any sort of accident and is hurt, they may bite you. For instance, if your dog is hit by a car and it has a damaged leg or bruising because of this accident, they'll bite when you touch this area. This is their method of telling you that something hurts and to stop touching that area.
Dogs can also bite if they have an upset stomach, GI pain, or lower back pain. They will usually bite when you touch their stomach or get them.
Usually gently touching your dog you are able to figure out where they are experiencing pain. If this pain doesn't go away after a few days, it might be best to call at your vet. They can determine what the problem is and start your pet on medication to lower the pain if required.
Your Dog Is Sick
If your pet is sick, they may lash out by biting you.
Some diseases modify the endocrine and nervous system making them act aggressively towards people who they normally love. If the aggressive behavior has suddenly started, it would be best to a minimum of enable your vet look at your dog out and run blood try to make sure that there's nothing medically wrong with your dog.
Diseases for example diabetes and Cushing's disease can cause your dog to feel below par and attack a person with no warning.
Your Dog Has Territorial Instincts
Some dogs are extremely territorial and will bite individuals who enter into their property. Dogs who stay home all day long may bite new people who come into their house because they do not feel that they should be there.
Most dogs possess a pack mentality and will battle to defend their den or another person in their loved ones. Mother dogs will also bite to safeguard their puppies too.
Your Dog Includes a Strong Prey Drive
Some dogs possess a strong prey drive and therefore are easily provoked to attack.
Your dog may be planning to attack one of their toys and miss and bite you instead. This can be an accidental bite that your dog did not mean. If this happens a lot, it is best to change activities to something they aren't able to bite at you. Instead of playing tug of war with the rope toy, play fetch instead.
This can help fulfill your canine's prey drive while decreasing the accidental bite of people out of the way. You can also combine this with training. Help make your dog sit and wait for you to toss the toy before letting them go get it.
If your pet provides extensive energy and easily gets distracted and acts aggressively due to their prey drive, it may be best to think about professional canine training or agility. This can help decrease the extra energy and provides them something to concentrate their drive toward. Agility is a superb sport for a lot of from the herding breeds but can be carried out by any breed of dog.
Your Dog Is extremely Possessive
Some dogs may be very possessive on the certain toy. When you try to take it from them, they may bite you. This is not an accident or perhaps a spontaneous reaction, but it is your dog responding to you with defensiveness and dominance. This is one sort of possessive behavior.
If not corrected in early stages, it may become aggression. You should always be able to take away any toy or treat out of your dog without them attacking you.
What to Do if Your Dog Bites You: Steps to consider After Your Dog Bites You or Someone Else
- Remain calm: The main thing to do is simply to remain calm and not do something you would regret, like retaliating upon your dog.
- Isolate your pet: Place your dog in their crate or another room. This will give your pet a chance to relax and for you to treat the bite wound. Following a dog bite your adrenaline will also be high. By giving your dog time from additionally, you will allow your adrenaline level to return to normal and you may think more clearly.
- Clean and treat the wound: Clean the bite wound with water and soap. Dog's mouths can carry lots of bacteria that can be transferred into the wound. After it's clean, apply triple antibiotic cream or other medicated ointment towards the wound to help prevent infection.
- See your physician: When the wound is deep or very large, you may need to see your doctor for stitches and antibiotics to assist prevent infection.
- Check rabies status: Ensure your dog is up to date on his rabies vaccine. In case your dog has a bitten a person, they may have to be in quarantine for rabies observation for approximately 14 days. This would all rely on the local laws.
- Share contact details: In case your dog bit another person, share your contact details with this part of case they have to contact you in regards to the dog bite. Many times, whenever your dog bites someone else, a police report has to be filled.
- Start training: In case your dog has bitten you, it would be better to begin to figure out what triggered these attacks. Once you have identified a cause, you can start behavioral training so that these attacks do not keep happening.
Dog Training to avoid Future Biting
There are lots of things that you can do to train your dog to not bite. At first, you have to figure out what is causing your pet to bite and teach them that this is not acceptable behavior.
Socialize Your Dog
When your pet is really a puppy, it is best to start socializing your dog around different people and in another setting. This will help get them accustomed to various kinds of people entering their house and reduce the possibility that they may bite you or someone else.
Spay or Neuter Your Dog
Intact male and female dogs tend to be more aggressive. These dogs could be more protective of the house, food, and family. This could make sure they are lash out and attack you or another person.
Removing their testicles and ovaries decrease the hormones circulating in their body. This usually makes them a calmer dog. In case your dog includes a good reputation for being aggressive, speak to your vet about having them spayed or neutered.
Work on Obedience Training
It’s best to start dog obedience training when your dog is young. However, you may still teach a mature dog to obey. You'll need more patience and more time to teach a mature dog.
Once they have learned to obey your commands, it is simple to have them from biting you or any other people.
Use Positive Reinforcement
All dogs love treats. When teaching your dog, use positive reinforcement. This will help you easily deescalate any situation if they start to occur.
Pay Attention to Your Dog’s Body Language
Most dogs will give you an indication indicating that they’re going to bite you. These dogs may crouch lower to the ground, or their head of hair on their back will stand up to indicate that they're going to bite.
Do Not Stop your dog from Growling
Growing is your dog's method of telling you they don't like your work. This is usually the pre-warning before the bite.
It’s best to not scold your dog for growing. Dogs who do not give this warning are more dangerous and harder to predict that they’re going to bite than dogs that growl before biting. Use their growling as a sign to help you figure out what is causing these to be upset and bite you or someone else.
Seek Professional Help
Sometimes, regardless of how much training you allow your pet, they still continues to bite you and also others. If your dog training is not working, it may be best to find help from an expert dog trainer.
You can begin together with your vet. They are able to make sure that there is nothing medically wrong together with your dog and give you some basic training tips. If this doesn't help, you may need to look for a veterinary behaviorist or perhaps a professional dog trainer.
What To avoid In case your Dog Bites You
If your pet has bitten you, do not get angry and lash out at the dog. This can simply make the problem worse. Remain calm, after you and your dog have taken time away from one another, you'll be able to address the situation.
Dog Biting Could be Improved
In many cases, dog biting can be improved. After some training, your pet can easily learn that biting behaviors ought to be avoided.
By understanding what provokes your dog to bite will also help you avoid these situations. While focusing on dog training to not bite, make sure to not leave your pet alone having a person who doesn’t know the indications that the dog shows when they’re about to bite.
What to Do if a Dog Doesn't React to Training
In serious installments of your dog biting, it may be necessary that you rehome your pet or, in very extreme cases, your pet may even have to be euthanatized. Usually, everyone attempts to avoid this situation and can you must do everything easy to exhaust all options before relying on this. Some dogs, no matter what, cannot be trained to not attack people.
Discuss your thoughts and feelings with your vet and find out what their recommendations are for the dog.
Final Thoughts
If your pet has bitten you, there are many training tips and tricks that you can do to assist reduce the chances they bite you or someone else again. Training may take quite a long time and a lot of patience.
If you begin your pet off with training when they are very young, this helps decrease the likelihood that they'll bite. Using a dog that is easy to predict will help decrease and stop them from biting you or someone else.
Hopefully this provides you a wise decision as to what to complete in case your dog bites you. If it’s a recurring problem, talk to your veterinarian or a professional trainer.