If all dog owners could have the "Dog Whisperer," Cesar Millan, work with them and teach them how to be the pack leader, I think very few dogs would have to be put down.

But let's talk about real life with ordinary dog owners. Once a dog bites, you have a serious problem on your hands. Most owners are so afraid of law suits, the dog goes to the vet for "disposal" quicker than you can say, "Maybe I should take him to a trainer."

Many dog bites are due to human ignorance, lack of proper training, allowing children to tease the dog, and not playing the role of "pack leader" with the strong breeds that require control, etc.

A major concern is Fear: never knowing if it will happen again. Not understanding why it happened and having no idea how to prevent it from happening again, people panic and get rid of the dog.

Many dogs today are improperly-socialized dogs, stray dogs, or ill-bred pure breeds that are prone to biting.

After seeing 8 newspaper ads for cocker spaniels, free to good homes, I asked my vet about it. She said that cockers, once America's favorite dog breed, had been ruined by over-breeding; in general, they had become a snappy breed.

Many dogs today are improperly socialized dogs, stray dogs, or ill-bred pure breeds that are prone to biting.

If someone turns a dog over to the Humane Society, it will be tested for aggression. Many people lie about why they are relinquishing their dogs, thinking some unsuspecting person will give their dog another chance. Not good thinking, but common. If the dog fails the aggression test at the Society, it is put down, and the owner avoids knowing the outcome, which could have been due to his negligence.

I did dog rescue for 4 years. Dogs were given up due to allergies, moving to apartments that didn't allow pets, divorce situations, etc. Some reasons were real; others probably weren't.

One young couple turned over a cocker spaniel because they had a new baby and didn't have time to train the dog to accept the baby as part of her pack. In a short time, the dog bit 3 people and had to be euthanized.

One case was a 180-pound St. Bernard that a family rescued from a home that could not keep the dog. I placed him with a dog trainer and had her work with socialization and obedience skills.

The excited, new, adoptive family thought they could handle the dog on their own, without further training or even keeping up with the training they learned. The dog bit, twice, and had to be put down.

Once a dog bites,

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