Why does my dog bite me?

2022-08-04



I. Why does my dog bite me


Dogs are loyal companions to humans, and many pet owners will treat their dogs like family. Many dogs also behave like human children full of warmth and interaction, making their owners love them. However, if a dog owner is asked the question, "Has your dog ever bitten you?" Probably many people will give a positive answer. There is a foreign statistic: about one-fifth to one-sixth of dog owners have been attacked by their pet dog, the extreme even appears dog owners were bitten to death by the dog. This is very strange, since the relationship between the dog owner and the dog is so cordial, why the dog has to bite their master?

In-depth analysis: why my dog will bite me
Some people will say: that is because the dog has been raised for a short time, and the owner is not yet familiar with it. But statistics show that in many of the incidents in which dogs hurt people, many dogs are raised by their owners since childhood. In 2017, a 22-year-old woman in Virginia, USA was found dead in the woods not far from home, and the two dogs she grew up with were the murderers, and according to her family, she and the dogs were still very affectionate with each other. Others will say: that dogs are animals, of wild nature, so they will bite people. Many people agree with this statement, but for the heart to feed the pet dog owners say this statement is not acceptable, after all, the dog is usually so well behaved and lovely, and humane, why would it suddenly betray me? Why would it bite me? So today we will explore in-depth: why pet dogs will bite their masters!

Why will dogs attack their masters?
This question is more complex. Strictly speaking, dogs rarely attack their owners for no reason. Before we explore this topic, we need to understand what kind of animal a dog is and what kind of thoughts it has.

Why does my dog bite me?



1. Dogs are instinct-driven animals
Dogs do not think like people do. Many of a dog's behaviors are instinctive, whereas humans rely overwhelmingly on reason. Although dogs are also very intelligent, they do not think and calculate as humans do. There are no right or wrong ideas in a dog's world. Overwhelmingly, a dog's response is instinctive and a product of cause and effect.
It's like the way dogs are trained: go through the required actions and get a reward or treat. The purpose of training dogs is for them to learn to obey so that they can get food. And their reflexive thinking after such long-term training achievements leads them to do those things that chase small animals (for example birds, chickens, ducks or squirrels, rabbits, etc.).

2. Dogs are also packed animals, and there is a hierarchy in their world
The ancestry of dogs originated from wolves, and just like wolves, dogs' instincts will make them act aggressively, even in the face of the leader of the pack: their own master. It is these strong instincts that lead dogs to behave aggressively, especially when attacking their owners.

Reasons why dogs attack their owners?
Why do dogs attack their owners? This question should be answered by breaking it down into different reasons.
There are many different reasons why dogs attack their owners and all of them can happen suddenly. It is important to distinguish this because knowing why a dog attacks its owner is the key to avoiding getting into this danger. Almost all attacks can be considered incidental. While a dog may intentionally attack its owner, this reasoning is usually wrong and taken for granted by humans.

1. Prey-driven
Prey drive is a major reason why some dogs end up attacking their owners. Dogs are very intelligent, but they are still highly instinctive animals. Prey drive is part of that, especially those breeds bred specifically for hunting. The vast majority of modern people are not hunters, so this also means that they have no outlet for such dogs to vent, and this can lead to tragic events.
For example, the length dog. This is a breed that was bred for hunting. They will chase all kinds of small animals or moving objects, something they carry in their genes. However, if someone tries to stop their chase it can lead to an accident.

Suppose a scenario like this.
A lurcher is chasing a small chicken or a moving object in a grassy field, and it is in a highly charged state of hunting. At this point, its owner appears and stiffly brings it back into the room to force it to calm down. When the owner comes to grab its collar, the dog's instinctive response to hunting is at its peak, at which point instinct drives it to turn and bite its owner's hand.
This dog is not angry with its owner, nor is it punishing its owner in this way. This is just the hunting gene in its brain that instinctively drives it to react.

2, to protect the territory or resources
Another reason for dogs to attack their owners is: to protect territory or resources.
Dogs are highly territorial animals. Although some dogs love to be close to strangers, most dogs are only close to their owners. When a strange person or animal comes into the dog's home, the dog may feel that his territory and the property within his territory are threatened. This is when its instinctive sense of protection will reach a high state of tension. When a dog is in such a state, the slightest movement may bring the dog to instinctively bite.
Suppose again the following situation.
Your dog is guarding a bone or its toy, and you reach over to pick it up, even if you just move it, you will find that the dog will immediately show its teeth to you or even bite directly.

This situation will increase the probability of occurrence when there are strangers or animals in the room.

3銆丼tress
Dogs bite because the culprit is stress, whether it is a stranger, another animal or the owner are the same.
Dogs are very adaptable to habitual life, behavior, or action, which is one of the reasons why training dogs is very effective. However, when this habit is broken, it can cause a lot of stress for the dog, and when this stress reaches its limit, the dog will bite because of a breakdown. When the dog thinks he is in a situation where there is no escape, then all that is left is to fight!
The situations that can cause stress in dogs are briefly summarized as follows.
Strange overnight guests
Large crowds at festivals or family gatherings
Fireworks
Bad weather

4. Pain
Physical pain can also lead to instinctive biting behavior in dogs.
For the dog, when the body feels pain, its instinct tells it to stay away from the painful part of the body. What to do? By biting off, of course. So something as simple and small as you accidentally stepping on its tail may result in a bite back, which is an instinctive response. If your dog is in chronic pain, or if a part of its body is injured and causes severe pain, this is the time to bite.

5, mental illness
Ever thought of it? Dogs can also suffer from mental illness, just like people.

The resulting attack may not have any warning. In many cases, it is the result of poor breeding or inbreeding. Mental illnesses in dogs include obsessive-compulsive disorder, separation anxiety, excessive fear, etc., which can cause a dog to bite anything or anyone, including its owner.

All of these mental illnesses can put a dog in a heightened state of fear, compulsion, or aggression. In this case, it is as if firewood poured with gasoline meets a small flame, and any small intrusive movement of the owner's hand or foot can lead to the beginning of an attack.

Mental illness in dogs can manifest itself in several ways.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder: typical symptoms include incessant tail chasing, excessive licking of one or certain parts of the body, chasing shadows, or reflexive actions.
Separation anxiety: typical symptoms include excessive barking, destructive behavior, soiling the house, and incessant pacing.
Excessive fear: Typical symptoms include hiding, avoidance behaviors, trembling, drooling, panting, loss of appetite, aggression, and self-harming behaviors.
In-depth analysis: Why does my dog bite me
Why does a dog attack its owner? The answer is the solution
In summary, we have learned a few of the most important reasons why dogs attack their owners. Now that we know the reasons, the answer is also out.

As a dog owner, try to avoid making those behaviors that can easily prompt the dog to fall into a state of instinctive aggression so that you can maximize the elimination of the occurrence of dog injuries. Although fur children are cute, scientific feeding can make the owner and the dog live together healthily and harmoniously.
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  • Release Date:2022-08-04 11:37:38
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