The incidents of dog bites and dog attacks are increasing worldwide. With all the information out there, so to speak, the number of incidents would decrease but they are not. Although children are high on the list for getting bitten, there are plenty of adults who get bitten as well. What is happening here? Why are we having so many problems?
Dog owners should stand up and protect their dogs and not worry about the possibility of hurting someone. Whenever someone is offended, it is your problem, not theirs. Take time to read to the following.
The advent of urbanisation has bought about more people and more dogs living in close proximity to each other. Although there are probably a lot of dog owners/lovers out there, there are many more children and adults who have little or no experience when it comes to dog interaction. This alone can increase the risk of someone being bit or attacked.
In our modern world, dogs are happiest when they have consistently regular rules, boundaries and consistency in their lives, as are humans. Unfortunately, today many breeds of dogs have lost the jobs they were bred and created to do, so they may be bored, frustrated and stressed to the point that their lives must be enriched in other ways. The same can be said for people – with the advent of the technology industry and employment opportunities that were nearly 20-30 years ago no longer exist today in most cases.
Complacent attitude and a “she will be right attitude” have a big role to play in the increase in dog bites and attacks. Dog ownership should be instilled in every single person, whether they are a dog owner or not, child or adult, as does the dog control act. Dogs are dogs, not people – substitutes, all too often they are put in situations (whether it be in house or away ) that we would not put ourselves in if the roles were reversed, and yet we expect them to behave and be good dogs. They don’t have a voice like you and me, though they do talk to us if we choose to watch and listen.
Dogs need you to do the right thing by them and stop putting them in situations and positions they can’t handle or feel uncomfortable with. Too often, people say the bite came out of nowhere… What they do not say is what happened before the dog bit.
Here are some ways to get bitten by a dog:
- People (children and adults) who insist on charging a dog, leashed or unarmed, whether they are or not pet owners (dog owners should know better) and then leaning forward to pat the dog on the head or better yet cup the dog in their hands. It doesn’t make dogs tick! That’s a great way to shave your face off or at least lose some fingers and is always guaranteed to be a bloody mess. As for the poor dog, most likely it’s a one-way trip to the vet.
- Lack of surveillance. You often hear that when you are in the company of another adult or child you must supervise your dog. What does it mean? There’s a simple way to see what is going on around for many these days while doing something else. Such as talking or texting on the phone, having a family gathering or party, having a coffee or talking with friends, walking or running your off-leash dog without being aware of where it is or what it is doing, the list is endless.
- Hugging a dog. Another easy way to get your face removed, dogs don’t really like to be hugged – it might even take their own dog but someone else may not. If a dog feels stressed or anxious and can’t get away it will bite. Don’t be fooled by films and televisions portraying the ‘good family dog’. They are often misleading. The dogs you see at these shows are well trained and also have trainers with them on set.
- Teasing or startling a dog, People don’t like to be teased, and so do dogs. Being startled can cause us to jump – in some cases, we can shout or shout out or be truly scared. Dogs are no different in this regard but with them, they are more likely to bite, the bite is a reflex action and not their fault. You can say the same about teasing: who likes to be teased? I personally know no one who does it: So why is it okay for some to tease a dog? Teasing is unfortunately not just a child’s pastime – plenty of adults do it as well. A dog can become stressed and distressed by constant teasing and you wonder why its behavior changes and it lashes out; the same can happen and does with people.
- A dog will send us warning signals if we choose to listen and observe them. People must learn and understand what they are trying to tell us, whether you are a dog owner or not, so they can teach others how to act and behave because like people, they can only take so much before they snap.
