Did Your Dog Just Have a Bite Incident? How to access.
After your dog bites someone, it can make you think twice about whether or not it’s a good idea to keep them as a pet. Testing your dogs temperament with a professional trainer, will help you answer the questions to get your dog back on track. Here are the four key areas that can help you assess the danger of your dog’s future behavior and whether they can safely stay in your home or not.
Predictability
Dog Temperament Good signs
Your dog has a few known triggers for aggressive behavior
Your dog provides a significant warning before biting
Your dog acts consistently in each situation
You have time to recognize warning signs and make
the situation safe
Bad signs
Triggers are unknown
Your dog has a history of giving no warning before biting
Tip: If the triggers for bite behavior are unknown, assume the dog could be aggressive at any time.
Potential to Cause Damage
Dog Temperament Good signs
Your dog bit when a person violated its personal space
Your dog—regardless of size—has bitten a variety of
people in a variety of situations many times and has
caused nothing more than light contusions
Bad signs
Your dog—regardless of size—is unable to inhibit the force of its bite and, even if it has only bitten a few times, has caused serious injuries such as deep tears or broken bones
Your dog has bitten a victim multiple times in a single incident
Your dog has pursued a victim after biting
Family Variables
Dog Temperament Good signs
Every family member is aware of the problem and takes steps to prevent triggers for aggressive behavior
Bad signs
Some family members think the dog isn’t dangerous and allow dangerous interactions with people or animals
Some family members are too young or immature for good decision-making
The Overall Complexity of the Situation
Good sign
Your dog is aggressive under one or a few clearly defined circumstances
You still feel like you can trust your dog
Bad signs
Dog displays many types of aggression (fear, territorial, etc.), and a wide variety of stimuli trigger aggressive behavior
You no longer feel like you can trust your dog
The Verdict
More good signs than bad:
If triggers are known and can be managed by diligent owners and the history of injury is mild to moderate, you can likely keep your dog and start exploring training/treatment options.
More bad signs than good:
If several factors are at play—a large dog that bites children unpredictably without bite inhibition AND a home with many small children AND a low commitment to supervision by family members—then there is an extremely high risk for a serious injury. Euthanasia may be necessary, although rehoming may be an option. We would recommend having your dog assessed by a certified dog trainer or veterinary behaviorist if you need help determining the severity of your dog’s bite incident.
Precaution:
The above are merely guidelines for assessing danger and helping explain the amount of danger inherent in the current situation. They should not be used as a guarantee that your pet is safe. The only 100 percent guarantee that a pet will not bite again will be to either remove the pet from the home, never allow it to have contact with people or animals outside the family, or euthanize it. Aggression problems are often very complex, and, whenever possible, you should seek the help of a qualified dog trainer and behavior consultant.
