Most Dog Bite Incidents are the Fault of the “Victim”

I apologize for my weekend absence I have been allowing an injury to heal and truthfully have spent the time in bed surrounded by my beloved dogs. Of course we won’t mention the fact that it was one of my beloved dogs that caused the injury in the first place. We will blame it on the fact that I decided not to use the halti (a.k.a -gentle leader, or head collar)on a dog I am well aware believes she is pulling a wagon train every time you clip a leash to her collar. She gave my right arm a good wrenching and now it is very painful to move, and of course I am right handed! It appears that the shoulder muscle has been strained, so typing, driving, cooking etc. are all proving to be a little difficult. However, I do not blame the dog, the injury is my fault not hers, I should not have been lazy and should have used the proper equipment.

Notice how I am not blaming the dog for being a dog? Instead I take full responsibility for the injury which I could have prevented by the use of a halti to stop the dog from pulling. That got me thinking about dog bite incidents and who is truly at fault when someone gets bitten.

I can tell you right now it is NEVER the dog’s fault. It is ALWAYS the fault of the human. Dogs DO NOT attack without provocation, yet how many times have you heard a bite victim say, “the dog just attacked me! I didn’t do anything wrong.” This is almost NEVER true, usually there is something the victim is not even aware of doing which has challenged the animal and put it on the defensive.

In most cases, the animal in question is responding to the body language of the “victim” If that person approaches an unknown animal without caution, they are already causing friction between themselves and the dog in question. The dog will pick up on their fear or aggression and will become anxious. THAT is what will cause the dog to go on the defensive, THAT is what will cause the dog to bite.

People always expect dogs to be well behaved when out in public, they think nothing of approaching a strange dog and getting right in their face. They allow their children to approach any dog on the street without the caution that should be used when confronting a strange animal. They do not teach their children that it is best to stop and ask permission before touching or getting too close to a dog they do not know, they themselves approach strange dogs without as much as a “by your leave” to the owner. Then when they or their child gets bit, they blame the dog. No mention is made of the fact that said child approached said dog at a full tilt run and invaded the animals personal space, or that the victim was two inches off the nose of the animal in question when they got bit. Instead they blame the dog, saying it attacked unprovoked.

People have respect for the personal space of others most of the time. We would never dream of approaching someone and sticking our noses into their personal space. How is it then that we constantly invade the comfort zone of dogs without giving it a second thought? Do you honestly think the dog enjoys having their personal space invaded any more than we do? You would not walk up to a person you had never met and lay hands on them, so why do you feel it is alright to allow your children to approach a strange animal and lay hands on it? What’s more, how can you expect that animal to put up with being handled by strangers without a reaction?

The bottom line here folks is this, you should not be approaching strange animals without caution, and you need to teach your children respect for personal space and caution when approaching animals. BSL won’t stop dog bite incidents no matter what the government says. The only thing that keeps us and our children safe from being bitten is proper respect for animals, and their space, and a healthy respect for the damage a dog COULD do if YOU provoke such a reaction. Caution and respect is key when dealing with strange animals.

Until Tomorrow Remember
BE THE CHANGE YOU SEEK!
Janette