Even though your dog is your best friend, and you have a close bond, it’s important to remember that they are still animals and they can still bite. People tend to assume that it is only stray dogs or poorly trained dogs that bite but that is not the case. In fact, most people are bitten by a dog that they know, and a dog bite can be very serious. This article will give you all of the information you need to know about why dogs bite, how to treat the injuries and how to stop a dog from biting.
Why Do Dogs Bite?
There are many reasons why a dog might bite somebody, but it rarely happens for no reason. In most cases, a dog attack happens because the dog feels threatened for some reason. Biting is a defense mechanism that dogs use to protect themselves or their territory. If they are startled, for example, they will bite to protect themselves because they feel that they are in danger. Sometimes, dogs bite to protect their food bowl or a favourite toy if they feel that somebody is trying to take it.
Dogs may also bite if they feel unwell. Illness and injury cause a lot of stress for dogs and they may want to be left alone, so they will act more aggressively than normal.
There are a lot of reasons why a dog may bite but the important thing to remember is that a dog attack doesn’t come out of the blue and if your dog bites, you need to consider the behaviour of other dogs and people in the area to work out why.
Treating A Dog Bite Injury
If you or somebody around you is the victim of a dog attack, it’s very important that you seek the right dog bite treatment. A dog bite infection can get very nasty and, in some cases, there is a high risk of dog bite tetanus.
You can administer basic dog bite treatments on your own at home. Make sure to clean the wound carefully with soap and water and keep the injured area elevated if possible. Apply a sterile bandage to protect the wound and use an antibiotic ointment on it every day to prevent dog bite infection.
Once you have administered this treatment at home, it is still important to see a doctor, especially if you are bitten by a dog that you don’t know, or the bite is continuously bleeding and you can’t get it to stop. When you see the doctor, they will ask you a number of questions about whether you know the dog and whether it has had its vaccinations. They will also ask whether the dog was provoked or not.
How To Stop A Dog From Biting?
The best way to stop a dog from biting is to avoid provoking it. Young children can sometimes get too rough with dogs and this causes them to feel threatened, so always supervise children when playing with dogs. You should also be careful around unfamiliar dogs while out walking, especially if they appear aggressive.
Socialisation is also key to preventing a dog attack. If you introduce your dog to lots of other dogs, as well as people, in a wide variety of situations when they are a puppy, this helps them feel at ease and makes them far less likely to bite.
It’s important to remember that all dogs are capable of biting but if you take steps to prevent it, you can avoid a dog attack in the future.