What makes a dog bite?

[buttercup132]

I wasnt trying to claim I know everything I was being sarcastic
Obviously I dont know everything, there are things I know nothing about like genetics and bloodlines.

There are 2 people in the past little while I've snapped at and it's because their accusations were in my eyes crazy.

[My Peanuts]

My chihuahua, Walter is insane. He will literally kiss me one minute and full on bite me the next. He is a puppy mill rescue and has mental issues from it. I know it's bad, but I don't do much about it. After the mill, we had several teeth removed and even if he gets you it's not that bad. Anyone that handles him, knows his ways and at 7 lbs, he's not too much of a threat.

So to answer your question about why they bite, I clearly have no clue!

Personally, I wouldn't let Walter get that close to a stanger if I thought he'd nip.

[My Peanuts]

Oh and BTW, I'm not about to send my severely abused 7 lb puppy mill rescue that was SO abused I taught him how to use his back legs at 6 years old because the cage he lived in was so small that had burns on his feet/body from laying in urine to the rainbow bridge for biting. And yes, he completely full on bites me at times.

This isn't a flame, but that is just ridiculous!

[Pawsitive Thinking]

Personally, I wouldn't let Walter get that close to a stanger if I thought he'd nip

That is the sentence that matters here IMO. You know your dog and wouldn't put him or others in a potential biting situation. How you deal with him in your own home is entirely up to you

[pomtzu]

Buttercup, wow. You always have something to say about other people's posts, don't you? You are extremely harsh in a lot of your posts.

Cataholic is right. ALL dogs have the potential to bite. Doesn't mean they will, but they can.

I've never been one to get involved in conflicts, ever. But you need to do some research on how to communicate with other people without being rude. And I KNOW other people will agree with me.

Oh yes - agreed 100%. You probably remember a thread of mine about the psycho dog running loose - well I finally had to delete it because of the totally uncalled for comments being made by this 19 year old know-it-all - the one who has been there and done that and knows all about that - no matter what the subject matter.

[buttercup132]

Oh yes - agreed 100%. You probably remember a thread of mine about the psycho dog running loose - well I finally had to delete it because of the totally uncalled for comments being made by this 19 year old know-it-all - the one who has been there and done that and knows all about that - no matter what the subject matter.

Mmm no only when it comes to dogs..

[Shelteez2]

Lacy bit a friend of ours 3 times in the stomach last year,It was my husbands birthday,Rob grabbed me threw me over his shoulders to throw me in the pool.Lacy was not having it,She retaliated.Her mind im sure was thinking she was protecting me,Which i want her to do.I was unsure how to react to the hole situation i was upset what she did,But how was i to scold her.She was doing what she thought was the right thing.Our friend has been over many times since then and she is sweet ol Lacy.When it comes to Me she is very protective as they say Australian Shepherds are very loyal.


Maggy has bit this friend 3 times,more of a nip she never drew blood like lacy did.And other peoples dogs have bit this friend too..I find it suspicious,I dont know if there intimidated by him he stands 6"5 and is a big guy,Maggy just nipped him last week and she does every time he is over.She has never did that to anyone before.

Maggy is a border collie,with very strong herding instincts.Kids cannot run around her they are guaranteed to be rounded up.But Maggy agressive it's not the way she is.I will fight tooth and nail for the girls,Im all they have to protect them.And if it means that this friend no longer comes over so be it.

I'm sorry, but I find a few things wrong with your statements. First of all your dog should not be deciding who it needs to protect you from. It is not up to the dog. Otherwise your dog may judge that you are in danger when you are not (as happened) and act inappropriately. If you feel like you need a dog for protection then you should be sure to train it accordingly. Protection dogs don't just fly off the handle, they are under the control of their owners.

Also, while you do need to protect your dogs, friends should feel like they can come to your house without the risk of being bit. Unless of course the "friend" is provoking the bite in which case who needs a "friend" like that.

Mmm no only when it comes to dogs..

No one can ever know everything about dogs. Or anything for that matter. There's always more to discover. Once someone thinks they know it all, they close themselves off to learning.

[king2005]

Oh yes - agreed 100%. You probably remember a thread of mine about the psycho dog running loose - well I finally had to delete it because of the totally uncalled for comments being made by this 19 year old know-it-all - the one who has been there and done that and knows all about that - no matter what the subject matter.

Pomtzu, PM me an update. I was wondering what happened & couldn't find the thread. Hope all is well, it WAS an important thread.

Do what I do.. Ignore her, tell her you don't want to converse with her. Works for me (so far). If she continues, block her.. if you can't see what she types, then she can't bother you

***warning, non-popular opinion***If you comment on it, keep it CIVIL***
I know people aren't going to like my opinion on this dog (not talking about puppies) bitting matter, so please bear with me & don't hate/flame me too much. If a dog will bite randomly like that, its a dead dog. I have no tolerance for random bitting dogs. If there was a reason, then that is a totally different story. I also don't care what size the dog is, big or small.. Random bitting is random bitting, & random bitting = a trip to the rainbow bridge.
***warning, non-popular opinion***If you comment on it, keep it CIVIL***

[Lori Jordan]

Pomtzu, PM me an update. I was wondering what happened & couldn't find the thread. Hope all is well, it WAS an important thread.

Do what I do.. Ignore her, tell her you don't want to converse with her. Works for me (so far). If she continues, block her.. if you can't see what she types, then she can't bother you

***warning, non-popular opinion***If you comment on it, keep it CIVIL***
I know people aren't going to like my opinion on this dog (not talking about puppies) bitting matter, so please bear with me & don't hate/flame me too much. If a dog will bite randomly like that, its a dead dog. I have no tolerance for random bitting dogs. If there was a reason, then that is a totally different story. I also don't care what size the dog is, big or small.. Random bitting is random bitting, & random bitting = a trip to the rainbow bridge.
***warning, non-popular opinion***If you comment on it, keep it CIVIL***

I strongly disagree with your statement.A random bite does not mean the dog is doomed,There is so many options before you would ever have to come to a decision like that!Every animal deserves a chance,It makes me sick to my stomach when a dog is given up on too easily,Which you have done in the past.Maybe not put them down but you have given up animals for no reason.

I don't know if that comment was towarded to me,Lacy and Maggy will not be put down because they nipped.I strongly believe Maggy was provoked,Maggy acts in no such manner anyother time.And she was not around when Lacy bit this friend,she was in the vet getting cared for.And for that matter Molly stood there when Lacy freaked out,and has not acted on it.

I have a behaviorlist that i have been dealing with since Lacy and Molly used to have there fights,And even she believes there has to be something about this friend.So we work with them to figure out what the problem is,looking for signs.By no means have they been given a lable.

[buttercup132]

Pomtzu, PM me an update. I was wondering what happened & couldn't find the thread. Hope all is well, it WAS an important thread.

Do what I do.. Ignore her, tell her you don't want to converse with her. Works for me (so far). If she continues, block her.. if you can't see what she types, then she can't bother you

***warning, non-popular opinion***If you comment on it, keep it CIVIL***
I know people aren't going to like my opinion on this dog (not talking about puppies) bitting matter, so please bear with me & don't hate/flame me too much. If a dog will bite randomly like that, its a dead dog. I have no tolerance for random bitting dogs. If there was a reason, then that is a totally different story. I also don't care what size the dog is, big or small.. Random bitting is random bitting, & random bitting = a trip to the rainbow bridge.
***warning, non-popular opinion***If you comment on it, keep it CIVIL***

I actually agree with this, I dont care what breed but if a dog bites maliciously for no reason it's done. I wont put up with a dog biting.
I would do a blood test first though.

[bckrazy]

***warning, non-popular opinion***If you comment on it, keep it CIVIL***
I know people aren't going to like my opinion on this dog (not talking about puppies) bitting matter, so please bear with me & don't hate/flame me too much. If a dog will bite randomly like that, its a dead dog. I have no tolerance for random bitting dogs. If there was a reason, then that is a totally different story. I also don't care what size the dog is, big or small.. Random bitting is random bitting, & random bitting = a trip to the rainbow bridge.
***warning, non-popular opinion***If you comment on it, keep it CIVIL***

What do you classify as a "random bitting dog"? The Collie that nipped a stranger? There could be a number of factors contributing to that situation, making it FAR FROM a "random bitting". Take into account that people herding is a very common issue with herding dogs. Also, that these dogs tend to be aloof if not fearful toward strangers. He could be a perfectly nice dog... who is definitely being poorly handled (if the girl even allowed him room to touch a stranger period), who might have been spooked by a stranger standing in between a car door.

The thing that really stands out to me is the fact that the dog didn't flip out, bark, growl, snarl, or lunge for the OP's face. He quietly nipped the back of her knee. That is classic herding behavior. That is totally unfair to the OP... and I completely feel for her. But to say a dog like that deserves to die? Many herding dogs cope with their stress/fear issues by herding. Gonzo does it. He hasn't made anyone bleed or left a mark, but if a stranger scares him and is moving irradically, he will nip at their feet. It's terrible that the OP bled, but to me a dog who will nip cowardicely is not even comparable to a dog who will take a chunk out of some one. ALL this dog really needs is to be properly controlled and desensitized to people walking by him, if he has the issues that it sounds like he has. I think it's arrogant and just plain inhuman to sentence a dog to death for being afraid and irresponsibly handled.

My point is, what may seem completely random to you, probably does have a good reason behind it and probably did come with a warning. There are a few dogs out there who aren't wired right, and a lot of dogs who are either badly bred or badly handled and trained or a combination of the two. I agree that a dog who bites unprovoked is dangerous; however, it sounds like this wasn't the first time he's done this, and that he's a fearful dog whose owners deal with it by muzzling him and don't even stop to check if the people he bites are ok. To me, this is an owner issue, not a dog issue.

As for what makes dogs bite... for me, it's about being as calm, predictable and non-threatening as possible. I work at a dog daycare and I have never been bitten. Everyone else has, even if it's just nips from herding dogs, who do that ALL THE TIME, perfectly friendly dogs who have trouble controlling their instinct. There's this one BC mix who has nipped everyone's butt repeatedly except for mine - everyone who steps into a playroom with her. I think I've just adjusted myself to moving in a non-livestock-like manner or something, with Gonzo. Gonzo has never herded me either. You can tell a lot from a dog's eyes. If they are staring at you like you're prey, or livestock, you need to do something to snap them out of it and/or be a completely unexciting statue. Body language is also huge. If a dog is tensing up, something needs to break that tension. I tend to "Shhh" (not in a Cesar Millan way), crouch down and turn my body sideways to a really stressed out dog. It calms them right down.

[Cataholic]

Your theory is bull , why not do some research on dogs and dog psychology.

There could be a lot of reasons as to why you were bit but without knowing the dog and being there no one will be able to answer your question.
It could have been something you did that you were totally oblivious to but set the dog off.

LOL, I didn't even see your response until just now. Thanks to my pals for sticking up for me.

The irony of it is- you completely support my theory, "all dogs bite, it is just a matter of when" when you say,

There could be a lot of reasons as to why you were bit but without knowing the dog and being there no one will be able to answer your question.
It could have been something you did that you were totally oblivious to but set the dog off.

That is exactly my point! We are humans, they are dogs, we speak different languages, and we do not know- often times- what sets them off and causes a reaction, like biting.

Read, think, breathe, and read again before you spout off.

[buttercup132]

LOL, I didn't even see your response until just now. Thanks to my pals for sticking up for me.

The irony of it is- you completely support my theory, "all dogs bite, it is just a matter of when" when you say,



That is exactly my point! We are humans, they are dogs, we speak different languages, and we do not know- often times- what sets them off and causes a reaction, like biting.

Read, think, breathe, and read again before you spout off.

Maybe I should have explained better then, not every dog has things that set them off. Dog with traumatic past, poor breeding etc are the ones who you dont know what could set them off, usually still you have some idea that your dog is like that. It's not your dog is happy and healthy half its life then bites because it saw someone dressed in black.
Also dogs who have no structure in their life (which is A LOT of dogs now a days) will bite to defend themselves because their owner is under them and they cant trust their owner.

[My Peanuts]

QUOTE=buttercup132;2263550]
Also dogs who have no structure in their life (which is A LOT of dogs now a days) will bite to defend themselves because their owner is under them and they cant trust their owner.[/QUOTE]

I don't think this was aimed at me but I wanted to comment. Walter has structure, but we aren't very strict with him. He is 7lbs and the cage he lived in for 6 straight years was so tiny that his legs never devolped correctly. HOW SMALL WAS THAT CAGE! I don't want to know.

If that was me, I would have mental issues for sure. Walter gets away with more than the other dogs for sure, but it's not like I let him run wild.

(also, just wanted to comment-next time anyone is thinking about buying a dog from a pet shop, please think about Walter and all he lived through. The parents of that puppy are more than likely in a tiny cage, with burns on their feet, eating garbage)

In case you want to put a face to a name, Walter is the black guy in the middle. The other 2 are 2 of his 3 brothers. Billy is the brown Min Pin and Willy is the black and white Fox Terrier.

[buttercup132]

QUOTE=buttercup132;2263550]
Also dogs who have no structure in their life (which is A LOT of dogs now a days) will bite to defend themselves because their owner is under them and they cant trust their owner.

I don't think this was aimed at me but I wanted to comment. Walter has structure, but we aren't very strict with him. He is 7lbs and the cage he lived in for 6 straight years was so tiny that his legs never devolped correctly. HOW SMALL WAS THAT CAGE! I don't want to know.

If that was me, I would have mental issues for sure. Walter gets away with more than the other dogs for sure, but it's not like I let him run wild.

(also, just wanted to comment-next time anyone is thinking about buying a dog from a pet shop, please think about Walter and all he lived through. The parents of that puppy are more than likely in a tiny cage, with burns on their feet, eating garbage)

In case you want to put a face to a name, Walter is the black guy in the middle. The other 2 are 2 of his 3 brothers. Billy is the brown Min Pin and Willy is the black and white Fox Terrier.

[/QUOTE]
You just said he gets away with a lot so no he doesn't have structure.
If he had teeth that would be a mess to each your own but just because he has no teeth doesnt mean it's right.

Erica there is no point, you know how she is from years ago there is no getting through to her. She put you on her ignore list or say she wishes to not answer that