Bitten By Your Best Friend

Keep those teeth to yourself!

Dog is man’s best friend. The adage is old, and perhaps a bit stale, but true. Dogs have long been our best friends. There’s something so approachable about a dog; they seem to connect with us immediately. As former ASPCA president Roger Caras said in his book, A Dog is Listening, “Our dogs are endlessly willing to join us in a mutually pleasing arrangement.”

But the friendship between humans and dogs is based on an unsaid agreement, an exchange of food and love and shelter for companionship and obedience. What happens, then, when one party breaks the agreement?

When I was a pet sitter, I knowingly put myself at risk for dog bites. But in all my time sitting pets, it only happened once – when I entered the house of an old Boxer, going blind and a stranger to me. So, not only was he protecting his home, he was somewhat unsure of how to do it. I consider myself a knowledgeable dog lover, aware of bad signals and dangerous signs. But I was unprepared for this bite and the fear and confusion it caused – for both the dog and me. It seemed, as Mr. Caras said, “a betrayal of a basic understanding dogs and man have been living by since very ancient times.”

What can be done when your best friend bites? Well, I’d say it depends on the situation. I’d hope that we’d treat a dog who bit because he had been teased with compassion as opposed to a dog who attacks for no reason. Dogs who get in fights with other dogs often have to be looked at individually – is this the first time? Was it provoked? Or is this a case where two dogs with a bad rap sheet jumped a fence and tried to kill a much smaller dog as happened recently in Somerville. I’m so glad I don’t have to make these decisions – if I could I’d send even the worst dogs off to some island somewhere and give them a fighting chance. But that wouldn’t be a very popular island for tourists.

Is there a way to stop dog attacks? Hmm, well keeping them on leashes would be a great start. But I think we dog lovers can help overall with a slight attitude adjustment. In our domestication of dogs, we’ve lost a certain “respect” for these animals. We forget that they come from a wild animal, the wolf and it does us, and them, a disfavor.

Just as wolves run in packs with a leader, owners must supply the necessary leadership or the dog will not understand his place. We must be committed to our dogs’ proper socialization and training. And, perhaps most importantly, we should treat our dogs as animals, not a child substitute. No matter how many comparisons we can draw between a dog and a three-year-old child, the dog is still a dog. John Holmes, in Stanley Coren’s book, “The Intelligence of Dogs,” sums this up nicely: “A dog is not ‘almost human’ and I know of no greater insult to the canine race than to describe it as such.”

Also, learn about the history of your dog’s breed. If you have a mix, learn about whatever you think may be back there somewhere. Knowledge of breed-typical behavioral characteristics will help you understand your dog (for instance, certain dogs are more apt to guard things and people). Learn also about the wolf’s evolution to dog – it’s fascinating and helpful.

Above all, approach dogs with the caution and respect they deserve. Give a dog the chance to learn about you before you step into his territory. And if you visit a lonely old Boxer who can’t see very well, be sure to bring along some treats.