The news that our dog has bitten someone can be incredibly overwhelming for us to deal with. There are a lot of questions that we would want to ask. When we’ve heard that our dog has intentionally hurt someone, what do we need to think about?
What Was the Situation Surrounding It?
When our dog has hurt someone else, we must make sure that we get an understanding of the situation. This is partly to protect us. If your dog has bitten another child, there could be a call for a personal injury lawyer to sue you, which is why you need to have an understanding of the entire situation. If your child was out with the dog, and a bit someone else, it’s important to get as much detail as possible, because if it was a situation where the dog was off the lead, but also the dog was being baited or not treated right, this can shed more light on the situation. However, if the dog was already aggressive, then there are a lot more questions we need to ask ourselves.
What Have We Done To Make the Dog Aggressive?
The fact is that we should all understand the basics of disciplining a dog, but there are many variables that we need to take into account. The breed of the dog, the environments that we place the dog in, and if we actually give the dog enough attention. A dog would bite someone for many reasons. Sometimes dogs bite because they are scared or startled, but they can also do it because they are playing. It’s crucial to remember that when our dog has bitten someone, we’ve got to understand if there’s anything that’s directly the root cause of it directly from our home environment. If we expose our dogs to lots of stress, this could result in them feeling overwhelmed, resulting in biting.
Making the Right Decision
The toughest thing after your dog bites someone is knowing what to do next. If you are trying to get to the root cause of this behavior, and they are biting because they are being aggressive, the temptation could be to punish them. However, if you are punishing them because they have been overwhelmed or they don’t like a situation, this is very likely going to result in more bites in the future. One of the best things you can do here is to work with a positive reinforcement trainer.
It can be incredibly stressful if your dog has done this out of the blue, and if they have hurt someone, but it is crucial that you think methodically through the situation, especially if you are considering having the dog put down. It can be a very stressful thing for the entire family to go through, which is why you need to look after yourself and make sure that you are doing everything for the right reasons. Dealing with a dog bite is going to throw up a huge variety of emotions and questions, which is why you need to make sure that you are focused and make the right decision.