FAQs - How many bites is too many?

Of course, the answer is, it depends! All nips aren’t necessarily the end of the road and understanding why your dog has resorted to using his teeth is really important before deciding what to do next. 

Many dogs bite because they feel that this is their only way of making their feelings known, I can help you identify subtle behaviours or body language so that you can advocate for your dog when he is worried by something, before it escalates. This may be allowing him to hide behind you or even being assertive with strangers and asking them politely not to touch your dog. There are many different jackets, bandanas and lead sleeves which can give people a clue that your dog is nervous and needs space. It’s also important not to over face your pup and keep him out of environments that he finds challenging. He might appear to cope with a trip to the shops or even lie quietly in the pub but subtly different behaviour can tell us this is just a sign of being overwhelmed, which may explode in aggression at a later time.

As a behaviourist I hate giving up on a dog, but I am also a realist who will admit that some dogs will always be a bite risk no matter what we do, and these are often the dogs who don’t just warn or “nip” but who will cause injury, damage and draw blood when they bite. I firmly believe that no one should be afraid in their own home, whether that is your child afraid of what the family pet might do to them or even the actual owner knowing that under certain circumstances their own dog will bite them. And we absolutely must not put visitors at risk when they enter our homes. The Dangerous Dogs Act states that it is illegal to allow a dog to be dangerously out of control in any place, including public places, private property and the owner’s home. It may be possible to manage the situation with your dog using a muzzle in public and being careful where you walk your dog and what you do when you have visitors. But it is definitely a very stressful way to live and not something to be taken on lightly.

When I meet clients with a dog that has bitten, I support them by talking through the implications, all of the training options, and management practices that may be appropriate. And as a last resort can discuss what would happen if euthanasia was the only possible outcome and how they want to manage the decision. Once people have all the information they need, they can make an informed decision which is the best option for them, their dog and their family.

Many years ago I was at an APBC (Association of Pet Behaviour Consultants) conference and was chatting to John Fisher, renowned behaviourist, lecturer, vet consultant and author. It turned out that, like me, John also had a rescue dog that was a bite risk. My own collie had a history of biting and John had a Jack Russell with a similar history and we got to discussing this and philosophically how many times a dog could bite before you considered the unthinkable one way trip to the vet. John’s book “Think Dog” is a good start in understanding your dog’s behaviour and he also wrote “Why does my dog?” If you are interested in learning more. Sometimes, though there is no substitute for booking a 1:1 and talking the whole situation through. Finding out what you might have to do to retrain your dog’s behaviour and if you feel you have the time, resources and circumstances to do this and realising you are not alone and there is help and support available for you and your dog.

The Dunbar Dog bite scale is a good reference to give you an idea of how a bite is assessed. It gives 5 levels of severity of bite, at each level there are different strategies for dealing with the behaviour.