The most important thing to remember about dog bite attacks is that a dog will almost always bite a person when feeling threatened. This is a completely natural instinct, one we still see in the domesticated dogs. It is thus very important when interacting with dogs to realize aggressive behavior is usually provoked by humans. Dog attacks might happen when:
- The dog feels he has to defend himself or his territory.
- The dog protects his puppies.
- The dog is startled by something unexpected.
- The dog bites as he thinks you are playing and it is all a part of the fun.
- The dog is in a situation in which he is afraid of something.
- The dog is ill or injured.
Stopping Dog Bites
One of the most important things is to understand the body language of your dog. There are almost always warning signs that appear before a bite happens. The dog might growl, snap at you, show raised fur, have a rigid posture, or might wag the tail rapidly. Basically, the easiest way to prevent dog bites is to figure out when it is about to happen.
Besides that, you need to understand how to safely interact with dogs. Some very important things to remember are:
- Do not touch or approach dogs you do not know without permission from the owner. When the owner of the dog is not there, simply avoid the animal.
- Simply avoid all dogs who are sleeping, taking care of their puppies, or eating. In such cases, there is a much higher possibility the dogs will be scared or will want to protect themselves.
- Do not touch, move, or approach injured dogs when you do not have the training to do so. The thing you should do in such cases is to get in touch with animal control or veterinary professionals.
- Do not leave children alone with dogs, regardless of the reason.
- Whenever you get in touch with a dog that is unknown, let him come to you instead of you going to him. It is a very good idea to first crouch down and then turn to the side a little. Give your dog the hand to sniff before petting. If the dog shows signs of discomfort, do not initiate physical contact.
What To Do When Bitten
The first thing you have to do is to go get medical treatment. It is important for your wound to not get infected. Then, you might want to get in touch with an attorney to help you file an injury claim. If you were to get in a car accident, you would contact a car accident lawyer Wilkes-Barre, PA. In a similar way, when you are the victim of a dog bite or dog attack, you have to get in touch with a dog bite attorney. This is because the negligence of someone else might be the reason why you got injured in the first place. With dogs, their actions fall under the responsibility of their owners, unless you provoke the animal, of course.