Most family dogs are so welcoming, you can have anyone around and they’d not mind them at home. However, if your family dog suddenly transits into an angry being you can be frustrated off the limits. Similarly, my dog bit someone for the first time right in front of me. What did I do? How did I manage his behavior?
You’d be surprised by the fact I am about to state but I am pretty sure most of you are an eyewitness to a dog biting incident. According to Keneth Philips, an expert on dealing with dog bites 61% of accidents take place in a home or similar place. What does this mean? Your loyal canine is betraying you and well the question is, how to trust the furry baby again?
Some people may find it funny and others would panic, the reaction can differ for owners. In either case, it’s very important to notice the behavior and take prompt action for your dog as well as the victim. Staying calm is the key when your dog bites someone for the first time. Moreover, if the injury is serious, call for emergency help. Meanwhile, for minor bite marks, please make a sincere apology.
Also, another important factor is to make sure YOUR DOG IS FULLY VACCINATED.
Some states have a One bite rule, where the dog is excused from any legal charges if it’s the first known case of his aggressive behavior. In other words, if my dog bites someone for the first time, will I be charged? The answer is NO.
Levels of Dog Bites
Before you take any action, knowing the severity of the injury is necessary. Bites have been categorized at various levels.
Level 1: Snapping. In other words air bite or warning bite. No skin contact was maintained.
Level 2: Involves skin contact but doesn’t break the skin. (take this situation as a warning sign and show concern about your dog’s behavior)
Level 3: A dog bites with at least 1 to 4 punctures into the skin, they are smaller than the length of the dog’s teeth.
Level 4: four punctures that exceed the depth of teeth. There may be visible tearing of the skin. The dog bit and shook his head.
Level 5: Many bites with deep wounds. Multiple bite accidents.
Level 6: A bite that results in consumed flesh and even death.
For levels 1 and 2, use antiseptic and clean the wound immediately. However, it is a worrisome situation if the dog reaches Level 3 or above, seeking professional help is essential.
Why did my dog bite someone for the first time?
Biting is normal for dogs, it may be strange in the human world, but the dog world approves of it. Will the dog bite again? Why did it bite in the first place? To resolve the issue by core you must have a look at reasons.
Surprise
Humans like surprises but dogs don’t. If someone approaches or pets your dog all of a sudden without him knowing, he may not like it and bite in response.
This is more often for a stranger or new face. Remember dogs take surprises as danger signs.
Moreover, some houses are generally very quiet with fewer family members. If new people arrive, make noise, and disturb dogs they’ll naturally react. As a result, you may see a dog bite someone for the very first time.
Self Defence
In most cases, a dog snaps back when he feels threatened. And he’s not wrong here, it’s his right to protect himself.
If someone is crossing a dog’s boundaries by touching him or his favorite things, this can trigger such an alarming response.
Moreover, A female dog who has puppies will never allow you to come near them.
Guarding
Some species of dogs guard more than others. They consider the house, owner, people, and everything around as their territory. If they find a delivery man crossing boundaries or a guest around their favorite dog, resource guarding gets into action. The dog may bite someone and it may be the first time you come to notice.
Moreover, In the canine world hugging is not normal, it’s taken as a sign of conflict. So you never know, your dog is trying to protect you.
In the Dog world, they’re just protecting whoever is trying to invade their territory.
Aggressive
You never know but some dogs get aggressive while training. Others just have that in their nature.
If you rescued a dog there is a chance he is reminded of some previous episode that triggered him and he bit in defense. On the other hand, having a new dog doesn’t mean he’s all trained and you know everything about it.
Mistrained dogs
Some dogs have not been trained right, aggressive techniques have been used to train them. What does this include? Spraying water on a dog’s face, hitting him with sticks, and more. That’s not how you train dogs, not even the aggressive ones.
Such training can result in your dog opting for negative behavior change.
Jealous
Did a pet or child enter the house? Are you treating the guests with love by petting or embracing them? The dog is jealous! He doesn’t like your sudden love for the new dog or guest and shows his reaction by biting.
Someone tell my doggo nobody replaces him, guests will go away!
Illness
Is your dog having a physical illness? Has he been unwell for a while? Was he on meds recently?
If your dog bit someone for the first time during his illness, it’s most probably related to his health. They may not like being touched in one place or another and show a reaction. Once he’s back to his healthy self chances are things would only be history.
These are some of the reasons why a dog behaves differently.
Signs before Dog biting
If the dog bit you or someone else for the first time, it’s important you never let them repeat it. What to look for? How to judge if it will bite again?
- They crouch down in fear
- Their tail is tucked inside
- Ears drooped
- Very long eye contact
- Shaking
- Growling
If you notice any of these signs, slowly take a few steps backward and approach a safe corner.
How to deal with my dog if he bites someone?
It may be hard to deal with the recent surprise and the person who is hurt at the same time but you need to gather all the strength. What to do if my dog bit someone for the first time?
- Apologize and let the victim know you’ll help them
- Remain calm and focused. Analyze the level of injury, if it’s an emergency call an ambulance right away. I repeat a bite that is at level 3 or above that needs medical attention.
- Put your dog in a safe space away from all of it. Naturally, no one is going to treat him gently. Lock him in a crate, car, or pet carrier.
- Wash the wound with an antiseptic and water to prevent the entry of any organism.
- If the bite is above level 3, seek professional help.
- Exchange information with the victim and keep a check on them.
- Make a copy of your dog’s medical records and hand them over to the victim. This would make him worry less about his health.
- If things look serious, call your attorney and insurance company before things get out of hand. They’ll let you know about all the possible legislation and what can you do about it.
Just a single label of dog biting someone can change his identity from being friendly to dangerous. What can you do to remove it? Things to do in the long term so that your dog doesn’t bite anyone in the future.
- Do not leave pets unsupervised
- Use leashes in open spaces or crowded places
- Muzzle training might look cruel but it’s important to avoid future accidents.
- Fence your property
- Take the dog to a behaviorist to eliminate the behavioral issues. No strangers should be allowed in the house during this time.
- Has your dog’s physical health been declining? Get his blood reports and a full checkup to rule that out.
This might scare you but if you take the dog to a vet, it’s his duty to inform the health department about the incident. This means your dog will have to be quarantined for 10 days because of Rabies risk.
Conclusion
Thus, if my dog bit someone for the first time I will make sure it never happens again. I will help the victim in every possible way alongside getting my dog some professional help. After all, nobody wants trouble again. Right?
