Dog Bite Progression

This is immediately after the incident. I work with dogs, and I don't often get bit, but it happens sometimes. This dog had been to schutzhund training and bite training, but... well, his owner is not exactly big on follow-through with training. I was holding a mop that he wanted to play with, and he snapped on my leg quickly to let me know he wanted me to give it to him. Initially it didn't look too bad.

Later that night. It was through jeans, so it wasn't as bad as it would have been if he had bit my arm or bare leg. He also was not truly aiming to hurt me, he just wanted me to let go of the mop so he could play with it. Still... Better trained dogs know there are other ways to ask for what you want.

The next morning.

Yesterday.

Today.

I genuinely believe he didn't want to hurt me. However, he has been taught how to bite. And without proper continued training, he never got the message of WHEN to bite. He now knows he has another tool in his belt for solving his various problems in the world, but doesn't know he should only use it at certain times. So, if this had happened to a child instead of me, it might have resulted in a death sentence for him.

Please, properly train your dogs. Give them space and toys and entertainment enough to keep them stimulated, engaged, happy, and loved. Teach them protection, if you want, but teach them temperance as well. Protection training is exciting and fun, but when you don't do the follow-up work, you end up with a warm blooded weapon with the safety off. He was happy and wagging his tail when he got me, and his owner wasn't even in the room for him to protect. He just wanted the thing in my hand that I wasn't giving him, and he used what he knew to get it.