Pound Dog Rescue

According to the national Centers for Disease Control (CDC), every year in America over 4.7 million people are bitten by dogs. 800,000 of those bites require medical attention, and over 350,000 dog bite victims end up in the emergency room. In rare cases, dog attacks even cause fatalities. Furthermore, the CDC states that the odds of a dog bite victim being a child are 3.2 to 1, meaning it is more important than ever that parents educate their kids about dog safety.

As a dog lover, it is tempting for me to say that dogs who bite only do so after giving plenty of warning, and that dog bite victims are often more to blame than the dogs themselves. Of course, this isn’t always true, but more often than not dog bites occur because of human negligence. Dog owners need to take responsibility for their animals, and potential dog bite victims (that’s all of us) need to be aware of how we interact with dogs.

I can speak from both sides of the dog bite issue as the owner of a dog and the victim of a nasty dog bite. Hopefully my story can help everyone understand that, while any dog can bite, there is a lot we humans can do to keep it from happening.

My Story

When I was about 8 years old, I was mauled badly by a neighborhood dog. I required over 60 stitches in my face and hand as well as additional plastic surgery over the next two years. I was walking to a friend’s house to play when I noticed the dog, a scruffy Chow Chow mix, sitting at the end of his driveway. I was raised in a home with dogs and felt a great benevolence towards all animals, especially this particular dog because it was often teased by the neighborhood children. The dog was normally chained up in the front yard, but I could see that it was loose. I’m not sure now if I intended to chain it back up or just try and make friends, but I approached the dog slowly with my hand stretched out and my eyes down. The dog met my gaze, lowered his ears, and whimpered. I took the dog’s body language as signs of friendliness and drew closer. Before I knew what was happening, I was on the ground. The next thing I remember is scrambling across the street and staring in shock as blood dripped on the sidewalk. My family later learned that the dog had been sprayed by a skunk the night before and was especially agitated.

Fortunately for me, I suffered no lasting physical or mental consequences of my dog bite except for a few facial scars. While I was fearful of dogs for a time, my love of animals was stronger than my fear and, unlike most dog bite victims, I was able to become confident around dogs again. It’s likely that my dog bite could have been prevented by simple actions from me and the dog’s owner.

My Mistakes

My first mistake was to approach a strange dog, especially one that I knew had been tormented by neighborhood children my same age. The most vital thing a parent can do to prevent their children from being bitten by a dog is educate them about dog safety. No doubt my mother and father had told me not to pet strange dogs, but obviously I hadn’t heard it enough. Teach your children how to handle loose or unfamiliar dogs as part of a family activity and make sure to refresh their memories every spring. The CDC reports that most dog bites happen in the warm summer months when kids and dogs are more likely to be outside. Teach children never to approach a stray or loose dog, and to always ask permission before approaching or petting a dog on a leash.

Another mistake I made was to cross the into the dog’s territory. The dog that bit me had already had one unpleasant visitor to his yard by way of the skunk that sprayed him. I was not bitten until I crossed the invisible boundary line into what the dog considered his turf, nor did the dog follow me once I fled from his yard. Dog bites most commonly happen at or near a dog’s home. Show respect for a dog’s territory and never invade it unless invited to do so by the dog’s owner.

My desire to help the dog that bit me was founded in a true sense of concern for the animal, but the dog couldn’t know that. My body language while approaching the dog was submissive, so the dog gave me every possible warning before biting. If I had known more about dog body language, I might have avoided my dog bite. Plenty of websites and books offer guides to interpreting dog body language. Take time to study them. The old standby, “a dog that is wagging its tail is friendly,” is completely false. Dogs wag their tails when they are nervous, frightened, or excited as well as when they are happy and relaxed. Looking back now, I realize that the dog that bit me wasn’t showing signs of submission. Rather, he was desperately trying to tell me that he was uncomfortable and didn’t want me to come any closer.

The Dog Owner’s Mistakes

I accept my responsibility in getting bitten by the Chow Chow mix, but the dog’s owner has some blame in the matter too. The first mistake the dog owner made was to leave his dog chained up in the front yard. Chaining or tying a dog out in the yard is dangerous to the dog and others. Dogs that are tied up tend to become bored and, over time, the lack of exercise can make these dogs destructive and aggressive. Dogs that are chained outside are left to the mercy of the elements, and in the case of the dog that bit me, to cruel children as well. If you must keep your dog outside, create a fenced dog run or kennel. This option is much safer and offers your dog some protection as well as a “den” to hide in when he feels overwhelmed. Of course, the best option is to let your dog live in the house as part of the family.

The Chow Chow mix that bit me was known throughout the neighborhood as an aggressive dog. Part of the reason this dog was unfriendly was because of a lack of proper socialization. If the dog’s owner had exposed it as a puppy to a variety of people, places, and situations, the dog wouldn’t have felt threatened by the presence of a small, cautious child. It was wrong of me to try and pet the dog, but at least I did so slowly and with the right body language. Most well-socialized dogs would have seen my overture for what it was: an offering of friendship.

Perhaps the biggest mistake the dog owner made was in not realizing his dog would be agitated after its encounter with the skunk. The least the dog owner could have done was give his dog some comfort by moving it to another part of the yard. Dog owners should be aware of their dog’s condition day by day. If a dog has recently undergone a large amount of stress, the dog is more likely to bite. It is the owner’s responsibility to make sure that his dog is not in a position that feels threatening, especially when the dog is already dealing with other problems.

The Aftermath

About ten years after I was bitten by the Chow Chow mix, I ran into the dog’s owner unexpectedly. Ironically, I was walking my neighbor’s dog out of pure sympathy for the animal because it spent its entire life chained in the backyard (of course, I had my neighbor’s permission this time). After greeting me, the Chow Chow mix’s owner finally said, “You don’t remember me, do you? But, I will never forget you. My dog bit you when you were little, and it ruined my life.”

The dog owner proceeded to tell me about the horrible aftermath of the dog bite, beginning with the seizure and euthanization of his dog by county animal control. The dog owner’s insurance company dropped him, and he couldn’t find any other company willing to take him as a client. The dog owner’s family suffered financial hardship because of the large legal settlement that followed the dog bite. It seemed like disaster after disaster befell the dog owner and his family, all because of the dog who bit me. I expressed my regret to the dog owner and offered him what assurance I could. I left the encounter marveling over how much suffering was caused by a few simple mistakes on both our parts.

I sometimes imagine what would be different for me and the dog owner if the Chow Chow mix hadn’t mauled my face all those years ago. Personally, I feel I have grown from the experience, and I hope that many more dog bites are prevented by the dog safety program my Great Dane Argos and I give to elementary school kids. Ultimately, the dog bite would have been so simple to avoid. If only people who interacted with dogs, from dog owners to neighborhood kids, were a little more careful—a little more responsible—dog bites could become a thing of the past.

Copyright © 2007 Pound Dog Rescue.
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