Approximately 4.5 million dog bites take place every year in the United States, with around 800,000 of those bites requiring medical attention, according to one study. Whether it’s a natural reaction to fear, pain or feeling threatened, it’s important to realize that all dogs can bite, and that there are risks involved when they do. Thankfully, if your dog has biting issues, there are a number of ways you can help your pet.
Why your dog may bite
There are several reasons why your dog may bite — for example, if your pup is stressed or scared (such as by a loud noise), or even feels threatened by someone or something, he may bite as a reaction. He may also bite to protect something of his, such as food. Biting can also be due to an injury, illness or pain, and your pup may simply want to be left alone because of it. Additionally, your dog may try to bite or nip while playing, as he may get overly excited and not know any better.
If you discover that your pup has an issue with biting, it’s important to realize that there are risks involved. For instance, if your dog bites another person while out on a walk, you may be liable and find yourself in a situation where specialized dog bite lawyers may need to investigate the case. Additionally, a dog bite can potentially cause serious injury to yourself or others — or even other dogs — making it imperative that you take the proper precautions and help your dog in order to rid of the behavior.
How you can help
There are many ways you can help a pup that has a biting issue. In addition to a training program, exposing your dog at a young age regularly to environments that may be causing him to bite (like loud noises, busy environments, etc.) may help him get used to those environments as he grows older. Socializing your dog regularly with different people and other dogs may also help. However, it’s important that you do so carefully, and take the proper precautions, such as keeping your dog on a leash (as well as warning others who may want to interact with your dog) in order to ensure everyone’s safety. Carefully monitoring your dog is also a necessity — as it’s important to remove him from the situation if it becomes too much.
Dogs bite as a natural reaction to different situations, whether it be pain, fear or being over excited during playtime. With that in mind, it’s important to realize that dog bites can result in serious injury, and taking the right course of action is vital — whether it be a training course or carefully exposing your pup to different people or situations.
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