Running into a dog is almost unavoidable. They are just about everywhere, so making sure you can stop dog attacks is essential. While some dogs may be nice, everyday they are capable of biting a person. When a dog is hurt or terrified, even the sweetest dog might bite.
Everyone, including children, should know how to be safe while in the presence of a dog. However, it’s the owner’s responsibility for the dog’s conduct. Luckily, there’s measures dog owners can take to ensure they have taken the appropriate precautions to prevent their dog from biting.
The main priorities to keeping people safe are being a responsible dog owner and to know your education.
What Makes Dogs Bite?
The common reason why dogs attack are because they feel that a person is threatening them in some manner. This is part of a dog’s natural instinct when they are presented with danger, even if they are tamed. For this reason, it’s vital for all people who come into contact with a dog to know what can trigger a violent reaction.
– To protect itself, defend its territory, or another member of the pack (its family), a dog could bite. When it comes to a new mother, the mom will ferociously guard her pups.
– If you surprise a dog by coming up from behind it, they may bite.
– Even if you are playing with your dog, running from the dog can result in a bite. When you run from a dog, it can cause herding behavior or enact a predator chase by certain dog breeds. Or, the dog may simply believe it is part of the game.
– When a dog is afraid, it could bite someone that comes near it. A dog may be afraid because of circumstances like abandonment or they are mistreated.
– Another common reason could be that they are hurt or sick. At times like this, a dog may not like when someone interacts with them or tries to touch them.
How to Prevent a Dog Bite
When you own a dog, it is your responsibility to train them and maintain control of them all the time. You are the first thing that can stop a dog bite. After all, you are accountable for your dog’s conduct. When other people are in the presence of your dog, you need to do everything you can to avoid someone getting bitten.
The following are some of the best steps you can take to prevent your dog from biting another person.
– At the absolute least, make sure your dog completes some dog basic training, but don’t stop there. Continue to maintain your dog’s training regimen throughout its lifetime to strengthen the skills it has learned.
– Make sure your dog is socialized. A dog should interact with a variety of individuals, from kids to the elderly during peaceful, pleasant environments.
– Regularly subject your dog to a range of scenarios that can scare them, so they aren’t caught off guard when they take place. Being around loud sounds, bikes, other dogs or anything similar, they will not react aggressively to the same things under normal circumstances.
– Always be aware that your dog is becoming hostile. If you are unable to manage the situation with your dog, it may be a good idea to remove it from the situation before it gets out of control.
– Being violent or using physical punishment on a dog is not the best course of action. Always try positive alternatives to training your dog, using praise and/or dog treats. Dogs want to please their master, so if you reward them for good behavior, this is significantly more successful.
– Keep your dog on a leash whenever they are outside their gated yard. Before allowing your dog off the leash, you should know them very well. And no matter how behaved a dog is, you should always keep an eye on them.
– Warn people if you feel your dog is scared or can be aggressive. Your dog should never approach people they don’t know without your supervision. A muzzle can be used to avoid any potential bites.
– Your dog’s vaccines should be up to date, particularly the rabies vaccine.
What Do You Do If Your Dog Does Bite Someone?
Of course, the first thing you want to do is remove your dog from the situation. Second, make sure the person is okay. Once those two things are taken care of, a good lawyer is suggested. You do not want to be caught off guard by a legal action against you, so being prepared with a lawyer can aid you in your defense. Your representation should be a dog bite lawyer in NYC, a dog bite lawyer in Paterson, New Jersey, or where you specifically live. As laws can be different across the country, you should ensure that your lawyer is knowledgeable about the case they are handling.
