A Bit More About Dog Bites

I know we've talked before about dog bites, but that was with specific reference to kids and dog bites.  I think it's important to look at dog bites and how they affect anyone who has been bitten, regardless of age.  I also believe that it bears diving a little deeper into who is doing the biting.  That is, are biting dogs more often unneutered? Male?  A specific breed?  A certain age? There seems to be a great deal of misinformation out there about dogs that bite, particularly with regard to breeds.  This kind of misinformation leads to knee jerk reactions such as breed discrimination which puts responsible dog owners who have those dogs as family members at great risk for keeping their dogs.

Here are the statistics as provided by the CDC, Center for Disease Control:

• the top ten breeds for dog bites are Chihuahuas, Bulldogs, Pitbulls, German Shepherds, Australian Shepherds, Lhasa Apsos, Jack Russell Terriers, Cocker Spaniels, Bull Terriers, and Pekingese
• 4.5 million dog bites occur each year and of those 81% cause no injury or only minor injuries not requiring medical attention
• there are more than 30 breeds of dogs and dog mixes incorrectly identified as Pit Bulls, thus leading to an unfair over-representation of this breed in bite statistics
• popularity of a particular breed as evidenced by AKC registration can lead to a breed being labeled as a "fad breed" leading to over-breeding and then over-representation in bite statistics

A few years ago, a very interesting study was published in the "Journal of Applied Animal Behavior Science" that really turned the "knee-jerk, big-dogs bite more often, etc." school of thought on its ear. This study found that the most aggressive dog breed was the Dachshund where one dog in five has tried to bite or has bitten a stranger and one in twelve has bitten or tried to bite their owner.  Chihuahuas were the second most aggressive in this study, followed by Jack Russell Terriers.  Not a German Shepherd, Pit Bull, or Rottweiler in the bunch. Why is that? Well, these researchers think that the reason bigger dogs are thought to be more aggressive is that most research just looks at bite statistics, and most dog bites go unreported, particularly those delivered by smaller dogs. 

I think the bottom line in all of this is that ANY dog can bite.  Understanding WHY a dog might bite is critical to prevention.  Dogs may bite when they are scared, stressed out, not feeling well, needing to protect themselves or their family members, etc. While bites toward people do seem to occur more frequently by young, unneutered male dogs, both male and female dogs of all ages are equally likely to bite if they are protecting a possession or food. 

The conclusion in all of the studies I reviewed seems to be that breed alone is a very poor predictor of aggression and bite risk.  My own experiences over the last almost 30 years in practice certainly backs this up.  My worst bite? A Golden Retriever that bit me three times in the chest.  Biggest scar? A bite and hold from a rare breed Terrier. Most frequent breed that has bitten me? Dachshund.  I've been bitten by two.  Most annoying bite? The Chihuahua who tried to bite my ankle three times, but only got a mouthful of leather boot. And I've certainly seen and treated my fair share of Pit Bulls, German Shepherds, and Rottweilers over the years, but as of this writing, never received a bite from one.   I respect all dogs, regardless of breed. I don't approach or pet dogs that I don't know.  When I go into homes with fearful, aggressive, anxious dogs, I ignore them for the most part as I've found that not paying attention to them takes the pressure off of the situation.  I don't put myself at risk. And when owners tell me that their dog has bitten someone before, I heed that information and advise them accordingly.

Those of you who know me know that I've spent the last year working weekly with a lovely female Rottweiler.  Her owners have spent a great deal of time and effort socializing her, training her, and challenging her to be the ideal companion and guardian of their home. She is sweet and friendly meeting new people, loves to sit on laps, and walks nicely on a leash. She is a favorite with other dogs and their owners at the local dog park.  Would I advise stepping onto her owners' property uninvited? Absolutely not.  However, if you are an invited guest, you are in for a treat.  There's nothing like a 70 lb lap dog showing off her tricks and giving you a tour of her yard. A well-trained dog, regardless of breed, is a wonderful thing to behold.