Free consultation and order
warencorb My Cart 0 item(s) - £0.00
Your shopping cart is empty!

Dog bites: possible causes and tips for affected owners

When a dog bites, it is of course a serious matter. After all, especially larger breeds with their powerful bite can easily cause serious injuries. It is therefore essential that you as an owner deal with the causes promptly and do something about them.


Why dogs bite and how you can get your four-legged friend's behaviour under control is explained below.

Are some dogs naturally bitey?

Unfortunately, we read time and again about dogs that bite and inflict sometimes very serious injuries on their victims. So-called list dogs are often the focus of public attention. Listed dogs are breeds of dogs that are considered particularly dangerous and whose keeping is subject to special conditions. 


Each federal state has its own breed list, so the same dogs are not affected by these restrictions everywhere in Germany. Regardless of this, some breeds have a very bad reputation and many people think that these dogs are particularly aggressive and therefore bite very often. 


However, this is only partly true. There are dogs whose training requires a little more work and experience. In principle, however, no four-legged dog tends to be aggressive on its own. A pit bull, for example, can be a lovable family dog and a supposedly peaceful Labrador can suddenly snap. When dogs bite, there is always a reason and it is almost always the owner's fault. 

Why dogs bite

When a dog bites, it can be due to very different causes. To get your dog's aggressive behaviour under control, you must first determine the exact trigger.

When dogs bite, the following are some of the possible causes:

  • Fear
  • Stress
  • Pain
  • Bad experiences
  • Territoriality
  • Prey aggression

When fearful dogs bite

Some dogs are naturally more insecure and fearful than their fellow dogs. This can sometimes lead to the four-legged friends not knowing how to help themselves and snapping out of fright or fear.

Hund beißt

Stress can result in dog bites

If a dog is constantly exposed to great stress, this can also increase the likelihood that the animal will bite at some point. Possible stress factors are, for example, frequent and long periods of being alone or a lack of exercise.

Pain as a cause of dog bites

As a rule, dogs do not show it when something hurts them. However, the pain of the four-legged friend can sometimes manifest itself through aggressive behaviour. In the worst case, a dog may even bite a fellow dog or a human being.

Bad experiences in the past

Unfortunately, not every dog has a loving owner who takes good care of it. Many a four-legged friend has had bad experiences with people in the past. If a dog feels reminded of this in a certain situation, it may suddenly bite.

Biting as part of the territorial behaviour of dogs

Dogs see their home as their territory and normally do not want to share their food. If these innate instincts are not directed in the right direction from an early age, dogs with strong territorial behaviour can sometimes bite, for example, to chase away a supposed intruder from the house.

Prey aggression in dogs

As you probably know, most dog breeds were originally bred for a specific purpose. Many classic hunting dogs therefore still have a strong hunting instinct. This can sometimes become noticeable in actually peaceful family dogs through so-called prey aggression, in which the animal suddenly bites due to a certain stimulus.

Dog bites: What to do?

When dogs bite, it is not something that can simply be ignored. Aggression towards animals and people is an absolute taboo. As an owner, it is up to you to ensure that your four-legged friend does not pose a danger. What you have to do for this depends on the exact situation as well as the trigger of the aggression. 


If, for example, you suspect that your dog is in pain, a timely visit to the vet is of course highly recommended. If the vet succeeds in relieving the dog's pain and there is no fundamental behavioural problem, possible aggression should normally also disappear.


If, on the other hand, your dog may have bitten out of fear or due to bad experiences, for example, you must work on the four-legged friend's behaviour with targeted training. This also applies to dogs with excessive territorial behaviour or strong prey aggression.

A dog trainer can help

If a dog is prone to aggression and has already bitten in the past, it often makes sense to ask an experienced dog trainer for help. Because unless the cause of the dog bite was pain, you can assume that you have already done a lot wrong in the training and keeping of the four-legged friend.


A professional trainer can help you avoid mistakes in handling the animal in the future and get behavioural problems such as aggression under control.

Prevent dog bites with a muzzle

As long as you are not sure that your four-legged friend is no longer a danger, protecting his environment is your most important task. Until you have your dog's aggression under control, it may be advisable to temporarily put a muzzle on your four-legged friend during walks. 


After all, you certainly don't want your dog to bite other dogs or even people, possibly causing serious injury.

Dog bites - our conclusion

As you can see, there can be many reasons why a dog bites. Regardless of this, you as the owner must be aware that you bear the responsibility for your four-legged friend. This includes not only providing food and regular walks but also good training and exercise that meets your dog's needs so that they do not pose a danger to their environment.


Was this page helpful?

Write a review

Bad
Good
Dietician
My data
normal

Ribs can be felt beneath low fat cover, visible waist from above, visible elevation of the abdominal line in front of the pelvis from the side.

My weight
My activity
Dog food should not contain the following
VEGETABLES AND CEREALS
MEAT AND FISH
OTHER
Health problems
Special needs of your dog
watsapp-button-icon
bellfore motive