Don’t Buy-In To These Common New Haven Dog Bite Misconceptions

Many people among us have been pet owners and a lot of pet owners have specifically had dogs. That’s why there is a lot of “expertise” around how to safely interact with dogs and what certain motions and movements mean when you’re approaching a dog. Some of these misconceptions can be dangerous and if followed can lead to a New Haven dog bite injury which could leave you or a loved one significantly hurt and in need of long-term care.

While everyone who gives advice on how to stay safe around dogs generally means well and often the information that they are sharing has been passed down to them to others who are “familiar” with the behaviors of dogs, this is advice is often riddled with inconsistencies that could put you at risk. Even if you have been a dog lover and even a dog owner for your whole life there are going to be some things that you have heard or experienced that won’t always add up to safe advice for everyone who is interacting with dogs.

It’s important to also keep in mind that every dog is different. There are no 100% factual pieces of dog safety that you can count on all the time. Like humans, dogs can have different personalities and one approach may work with one dog while it sends another dog into a tailspin which could leave the animal in a defensive posture. If you are interacting with a dog who is there with her/his owner, it can be important to engage the owner before you engage the dog to get an understanding of the animal’s temperament and comfort level with human interaction.

With all of this said there are some misconceptions that you really should understand are false and can be dangerous if taken at face value;

Myth #1: Dogs bite out of malice. There is no evidence to suggest that a dog will bite a human when it has not been provoked in some way. Most dogs bite out of a sense of fear or of being threatened. If a dog is well trained she/he will have socialized and this risk will be reduced.

Myth #2: Tail-wagging always indicates a friendly dog. Sure there is something about a dog wagging its tail that seems friendly and cute, but that is not always what a dog wagging its tail means. A wagging tail may sometimes express happiness, but it can also express other feelings that may not be as positive like fear or confusion. To avoid getting into an altercation with a dog you should focus on the dog’s body language as a whole and not just on whether or not the tail is wagging.

Myth #3: Children should be taught to pet a dog’s head. Dogs sometimes look at being pet on the head as a threat and this can lead to terrible circumstances. The appropriate way for a child to approach a dog is for the child to approach from the side of the dog and offer the animal a closed fist so the animal can sniff the hand of the child. Then, before making any other move toward the animal, the child should wait for the dog to initiate the next interaction.

Myth #4: If a dog bites once, it will bite again. As mentioned above, a dog that engages in aggressive behavior toward a human may not be doing it in a mean spirited away. If a dog were to bite a human there would be a variety of different factors involved including things like improper training, fear or even a medical condition that the dog is experiencing. If the underlying causes of the altercation that the dog had is addressed it is not a guarantee that the animal will bite again.

When thinking about how you might be able to help avoid experiencing a New Haven dog bite injury it is important to truly understand what types of things trigger these animals to have aggressive interactions with humans. There are many misconceptions out there that need to be discussed and understood so our interactions with dogs can be positive and not lead to dangerous outcomes. If you don’t understand all of the variations in the way dogs should be approached it is best to admire a dog from afar, especially an unfamiliar animal.

If you or a loved one has been bitten by a dog and you feel you need an experienced attorney to review your situation, contact our office and one of our attorneys will review the circumstances surrounding the bite. Our attorney will speak with you to understand what happened and work on protecting your long-term interests.