Adopting a dog would be one of the happiest moments in the life of every pet lover. However, this joy comes with certain responsibilities as well. Note that the number of dog bites in the United States is increasing with every passing year. According to some studies, around 4.5 million people are being bitten by dogs every year. Of course, you are likely to be amazed by this statistic. Anyhow, you can take certain measures to ensure that your dog does not donate to this frightening dog bite statistic.
It is to be noted that dogs are wild by nature and hence, they are likely to snap or bite under certain circumstances. In most cases, dogs tend to attack or bite people out of protectiveness or fear. Needless to mention, you are entitled to provide a fair dog bite settlement amount to the victims in such cases. However, you can trim down the compensation amount with the help of a credible dog lawyer.
Fortunately, you can train your dogs to behave properly and avoid such unfortunate incidents by keeping the above-mentioned factors in mind. Some of the major steps that you can take in order to train your furry friends or avoid dog bite accidents are listed below.
Socialize your Domestic Canine
This step will be easier with a puppy since this is the best time to train or shape the character of your furry friend. To socialize your pup, introduce it to as many people, places, and situations as possible. Try to put your pup through various situations so that it can overcome its fears eventually. Note that a well-socialized canine is unlikely to be fearful even under worse circumstances reducing the likelihood of your four-legged friend attacking or biting others out of fear. In case you are adopting a grown-up dog, you can still socialize it. However, this process may take more time.
Never Make Assumptions
One of the major causes of dog bites is the wrong assumptions of the victims. In most cases, people tend to approach dogs assuming that it won’t bite. It is worth noting that any dog can bite when triggered and assuming things based on a dog’s bite history, breed, or size can go terribly wrong at times. Hence, always approach dogs in the presence of their caretakers or trainers to prevent such incidents.
Obedience Training
Needless to mention, it will be way easier for a dog owner to control an obedient dog. Hence, make sure to put your domestic canine under obedience training. This way, you can train your dog to listen to you or keep focusing on your commands even when it turns aggressive or uncomfortable. This type of training will not only reduce dog bite accidents to a great extent but also helps to boost the confidence of your furry pet.
Positive Reinforcement
People tend to train their pets using either positive or negative reinforcement methods. Without any doubt, the former will be way effective and fruitful when compared to the latter. When it comes to positive reinforcement methods, it mostly involves rewarding your furry friend for its bravery, obedience, and other good characteristics. You may consider options such as extra playtime, petting, treats, verbal encouragement, activities that your furry friend loves the most, etc., to nail this type of training.
On the other hand, masters tend to punish their pets for their inappropriate behavior when it comes to negative reinforcement. In this case, some of the common punishment methods adopted by dog owners include alpha rollovers, leash corrections, hitting, etc. While the objective of both the methods is the same, dogs that are trained using negative reinforcement methods are more likely to be aggressive when compared to positively reinforced canines.
Assess Their Body Language
Another way to avoid dog bites is by checking your canine friend’s body language before approaching it. Keep in mind that dogs often try to communicate through their body language. Usually, dogs that are scared or shy are likely to bite when you try to touch or pamper it.
You can understand their scared or aggressive state of mind through their characteristics including a lowered head, bared tooth, raised hackles, flat-lying ears against head, etc. If your dog exhibits such traits, give it some space and notify your guests about the same. Furthermore, try to remove your four-legged friend from that particular situation as soon as you find it safe to go near your dog.
Never Train your Dogs to Stop Growling
Some dog owners tend to train their dogs to stop growling since they find the noise annoying or inappropriate. However, growling is a way of your dog to express its aggression, anger, or when it is uncomfortable. Usually, this happens under the following situations
- When someone tries to corner a dog or its master
- When someone approaches the dog’s food bowl
- When someone runs past the dog
So, you can use the growling sound as a warning sign that your dog may bite and can take the necessary steps to avoid it. If you teach your dog not to growl, you will lose your chance to understand the warning sign and act accordingly.
The above listed tips and suggestions can help you prevent your dog from biting or attacking someone. Even if you take all the necessary precautions, your canine friend might attack someone and you may need to seek help of an injury lawyer. If you are in such a situation, click to know more on injury lawyer in Los Angeles.
