Dogs are friendly animals but can be very aggressive when triggered. Most dog owners do not like to think that their dogs have the capability of biting people. That is why most of them when asked whether their dogs bite, deny it even if the dog has ever bitten someone. Dog owners tend to be protective of their dogs. The fact is that every dog can bite. It is essential, to be honest about your dog’s temperament to prevent bites from happening. Each dog has different reasons that irritate them and lead them to bite people or even other dogs.
Reasons why dogs bite are;
Illness and Injury
Sickness and injury usually overwhelm dogs, and even the most tolerant dog ends up biting people when they are in pain. It is, therefore, to be cautious while handling your dog while injured or sick and also caution other people so that they may not agitate the dog and end up being bitten. If your dog shows sudden changes of unexplained aggression, it is good to visit the veterinarian before addressing the issue as misbehavior.
Fear
Most dogs, when they sense danger and feel they need to defend themselves, tend to exhibit aggressive behavior. Sometimes the dog might fear something or someone getting too close to them or invading their space and end up biting their object of fear. To prevent this, it is best to maintain a distance between the dog and its object of fear.
Frustration
Redirected aggression or barrier frustration occurs when a dog is frustrated for not managing to get something that it wants. The dog takes out its frustration by biting people or other dogs. Dogs that are usually restrained on a leash and tied up are the ones that experience this kind of aggression. It is therefore essential to let the dog free once in a while and take it for a walk.
Startled
Startling dogs in their sleep might be dangerous as many wake up startled and confused about their current environment. This confusion may lead them to react by biting the person that has startled them. The biting is usually unexpected and surprising for both the dog and the person involved. It is therefore vital to caution children from sneaking into dogs’ beds and waking the dogs who areasleep.
Possessiveness
Possession aggression happens when a dog is possessive of something, whether toys, food, or any other object that may be valuable to it. If anyone comes too close to its valuable item, the dog may growl at the person, and if the person takes the item, the dog might not hesitate to bite the intruder.
Play
Dogs play with each other and play with us humans too. The behavior dogs enjoy in play may not be attractive to us, but it is their natural habit. Dogs love light biting or mouthing while playing. It might be alarming watching dogs mouth or bite each other while playing, but it is normal and nothing to worry about.