WHY DOGS BITE... AND HOW TO KEEP FROM BEING BITTEN

Over two million persons are bitten by dogs every year in the United States alone. That is either a lot of bad dogs or a lot of unlucky people. Our assessment would be that this situation is far more of a "people problem" than a "dog problem." Certainly there is no shortage of dogs poorly trained and/or socialized which might bite anyone, any time, any place... but these are still a distinct minority. Many bites are inflicted by pet dogs that have never bitten before and may never bite again... but just happened to have the wrong buttons pushed at the wrong time.

Any dog could potentially bite someone. No dog is absolutely, positively, one hundred percent bite-proof. All dogs have within them an "aggressive response" to certain conditions. And that's as it should be. These are, after all, the direct descendants of the wolf... and part of their lasting appeal to us humans is their wild heritage. And there could even come a time when we might wish that our affable little ragamuffin would exact retribution from the ankle of the burlgar making off with the stereo system. Still, when a pet dog bites it often comes as a complete shock to the pet's keeper. When this occurs, what has happened is simply that the dog's aggressive response has been triggered. It doesn't mean that the dog is bad, or perhaps even did anything wrong in its scheme of things... in fact, far more often it is human error that leads to dog bites.

A big chunk of this human error involves keepers placing their dogs in situations that could manifest the conditions to trigger the pet's aggressive response. Another big chunk involves humans placing themselves in situations where a dog's aggressive response could be triggered. Children are often involved in both of these scenarios. Of course, this will probably always be something of a problem -- kids being kids and dogs being dogs.

Consider a real-life story of a lovable Cocker Spaniel that could be cuddled and snuggled by the family children, but snapped at and nicked a neighbor kid who just reached out to touch it. A problem dog? A problem child? Neither, just an untenable situation between two creatures a bit strange to each other.

And how many times has a wayward ball or toy sailed over a fence into another yard, a kid clambors over to retrieve it, only to be nipped by the previously minding-his-own-business mutt in residence. The kid meant no harm, but very definitely intruded upon the dog's territory... an area millions of years of evolution have instructed this creature to defend.

The aspect of intruding upon a dog's territory is quite often part of a bite scenario. And it doesn't even have to be actually within the dog's terra firma. All dogs possess as well a "personal space" that extends beyond their skin and coat to varying distances... depending upon the "social rank" of the dog within its own "pack." Submissive or otherwise very docile dogs may only have a personal space of a few inches, and even this space can often be violated without dire consequences... but then there is always that one in a thousand instances where an otherwise gentle pet will cut loose on an encroaching human. Dominant or otherwise aggressive-prone dogs are far more volatile, having personal spaces that extend for many feet beyond their physical position. Anyone or any thing that penetrates this area is subject to immediate attack.

Dogs sometimes bite simply because they don't like someone. This may be hardly an acceptable excuse to the embarassed dog's keeper, but usually there is a very significant reason (perfectly obvious to the dog) why the pet does not want this person around. It could be a certain smell, or the dog's detection of some feeling or emotion on the part of the visitor. Dogs, like many animals, quickly pick up on human emotions of animosity, fear or otherwise unsociable attitudes. Indeed, the dog's capacity in this regard is virtually unbelievable. An illustration of this remarkable sensitivity is dramatically conveyed by the example of a man who could not understand why his Collie-mix always growled when a certain friend stopped by. This friend, a male, was the only individual among many visitors of both sexes for whom the dog held such clear disdain. Only years later did the friend confide that he was gay, and did once have "a crush" for the dog's keeper, a revelation that stunned the owner. The Collie-mix had apparently sensed all along that the gay man was an unwanted potential rival for the affections of its keeper.

So, taken all together, it is usually plain that dogs only bite for a reason... a good reason in their own minds. This reason most often involves protection... they are protecting their property, their family (pack members) or themselves. In resorting to biting, they are on the "defensive"... it is the human that was the "offensive" threat.

If we humans keep these dog "psychology" concepts in mind we will greatly lower our chances of being bitten. Of course, we must also keep an eye out for the idiot keepers who continually place their dogs in unstable situations. This includes a range of dimwits from the numbskull who trots his dominant-aggressive dog down a sidewalk crowded with children , to the elderly lady who fails to close off her toy breed when the Maytag repairman finally does have some work to do.

Beyond this awareness of dog and dog-keeper psychology, here are some other rules for lowering your chances of being bitten by a dog.

• Don't rush up to strange dogs, gleefully presuming they will all be ecstatic to be fondled by you. Many absolutely will not be. And especially do not allow children to do this.
  
• If you must connect with a strange dog, approach very slowly, deliberately, and extend your hand (palm up) so that the dog can sniff you and make sure you are a good human.
  
• If you encounter a growling dog or one that appears potentially aggressive, slowly back away until you are out of the dog's territory or "personal space." As you back away, don't turn your back, do not threaten, scream or shout, avoid eye contact, and DO NOT RUN.
  
• If you harbor an inner disdain, resentment, fear or anger toward dogs, don't go near any until you successfully deal with this personal problem.
  

With two million bites annually, there are ample reasons for everyone to be aware and perceptive regarding the potential of any dog to bite. For those who are bitten or mauled by dogs, even one bite is one too many. Yet we must also keep the big picture in mind. Since there are over 40 million dogs in this country, obviously most canines are not to be feared. Indeed, no dog should be feared, but all should be respected. Considering the dagger teeth and snarling potential of each and every dog, the most striking point of all is how wonderfully, how peaceably, the vast majority adapt to the crazy swirl of human culture. For over 10,000 years these members of the wolf clan have amply demonstrated their marvelous capacity for training and trust. If only humans were as good at serving their "best friends" this would be a better world for both people and pets.