Several statistical studies studying the bites inflicted by dogs to humans demonstrate that no dog breed is more dangerous than another, both in the frequency of bites and in the severity of the bites: Any dog, Whatever his race, is likely to bite.
What are the different causes of bite?
A Cocker, a Labrador or a "Pitt bull" are just as likely to bite in their lifetime.
Long before belonging to a breed, the dangerousness of a dog and the possibility that it does not bite depend on its development, its mode of education or its state of health.
Developmental disorders
Some dogs did not remain sufficiently in contact with their mother during their first months of life. As a result, she has not been able to teach them all the learning, including control in the game, which they usually acquire at the beginning of life. These dogs defined as "hyperactive" are unable to calm down and control their bites in the phases of play:
They are very brutal, nibble at the slightest stimulation and catch as much the hand of the owner as the stick that it holds to play. The wounds are large and painful because the dog is unable to "hold" his bite.
Other dogs, raised in a particularly hypostimulating environment (dog from a kennel, raised in the countryside with very little contact with the human being ...) become abnormally fearful and show reactions of fear in the face of all that " They did not encounter in their previous environment (fear of men, children, sounds of cars ...)
They attack in situations of stress (eg if a child wants to approach the dog and blocks it in the corner of a room, making it impossible to escape)
The injuries inflicted by these dogs are especially disastrous because the dog "panicked" does not hold his bite and does not growl before biting.
Hierarchical Disorders
Communication disorders can occur between the dog and its owners, particularly with regard to the hierarchical status of the dog: some errors of education can be committed unintentionally by the adoption family of the animal and let the dog think He occupies the place of the dominant within his new "pack".
Bites will then be inflicted by a dog that seeks to retain its dominant status.
They will intervene in 3 types of situations:
- Territorial aggression: the dog considers that it must defend its pack and protect its territory against any intrusion (bite of the factor)
- Hierarchical attacks: the dog assaults any person in the family who flouts his authority (a dog who refuses to let his master pick up an object or to lie down in the bed where the dog has already taken place ...)
- Aggression by irritation: Bites then take place in situations of constraints, unwanted contact by the animal (dog who refuses to let oneself be brushed, to let himself put on a collar, even to be petted ...)
Physical Disorders
Finally, certain diseases can be at the origin of behaviors of aggressions:
An aging dog become deaf or blind can bite, surprised by a person he has not seen or heard coming near him.
Various physical conditions can also cause bites due to the pain they generate at each contact. For example, osteoarticular disorders (osteoarthritis, cervical pain, herniated disc) or severe skin conditions (skin "live", otitis very painful ...)
Many bites could be avoided, not by being more suspicious of certain breeds but by learning to approach a dog carefully, regardless of race, category ...
It is right to:
- Never intervene in conflict between two dogs.
- Teach children not to approach an unknown dog suddenly and always leave him a possibility of escape if he does not want the contact (never "block" him in a corner ...)
- handle with great caution an aging animal or suffering from a painful condition.
All biting dogs must undergo a behavioral assessment by an authorized veterinarian in order to understand the circumstances of the attack and to assess the risk that the animal will bite again.
Finally, long before a bite occurs, do not hesitate to discuss with your veterinarian, for example during the first two vaccination consultations, any disorder you may have observed in your young animal (frequent reactions of fear, Dog that is never "calm", dog that grunts easily ...). A consultation in the age of puberty is also very interesting to control the absence of disorders of the hierarchy. If any abnormalities are found, your veterinarian can recommend dog training courses and give you many tips to help you restore good communication between you and your pet. If the anomalies seem to him more important, he can refer you to a colleague specialized in the treatment of behavioral disorders. (In general, the longer the behavioral disorders are detected and treated, the more satisfactory the results obtained)
