by Sadie Davis

Created on: February 25, 2009

Dogs bite for various reasons. A loving family pet would really have to be pushed to the limit to make them bite. A dog that is used for guarding or fighting has a propensity to bite. Each dog attack should be seen as an individual act and judged that way. We can't lump all attacks together because they are not at all the same.

Dogs are animals. They can't communicate the way humans do. They can't say "stop it, that hurts". If someone kicks a dog, pulls on his tail or ears and hurts him, biting is the only way the dog can defend himself from the pain. He may not want to bite, but it's a normal reaction to pain. We, as humans, have the right to defend ourselves against an attacker, shouldn't dogs have that same right? I've been in dog rescue for many years. I've seen dogs bite for different reasons. If they're in pain, if they're startled by being woken abruptly, if they're afraid, if you get too close while they're eating and several other reasons. These reasons don't warrant the dog being put down. As a human, we may have the very same reactions to the same stimuli. We need to recognize WHY the dog bit and work on that behavior so it doesn't happen again.

There is one more thing I'd like to add to the above. If a dog is trained and kept as a guard dog and it attacks a burglar, the dog should not be put down. He is doing exactly the job he's there for and has been trained to do. Police dogs are trained to track down and bite criminals who are running from officers. They are not put down. A guard dog of a home or business falls under the same category. They're working dogs. They're doing their jobs and should not be euthanized for it.

On the other side of this coin, we have the dogs that are kept as fighting dogs and dogs that have a bad tempermant. These dogs should never be allowed loose to bite a human. Unfortunately there a too many bad owners out there who don't feel they need to keep these dogs contained or controlled. If this type of dog gets loose, they're bound to bite someone or another animal. Due to bad ownership, this tragedy is bound to happen again and again. In this case, I think it's better for the dog to be put down.

The question of whether a dog should be put down for an attack is a very tough one. In all fairness to both dog and victim, the entire situation has to be thoroughly reviewed before this decision is made.

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