"Is Your Dog Friendly?" OR "Does Your Dog Bite?"

I had to share my thoughts following an encounter I had a few weeks back. Have you ever had an interaction during your day which inspires you and throws you into deep thought. You know, those occasional moments throughout your life which force you to wonder and say to yourself, "Hmm..."

Well that's precisely what happened some weeks ago. I was approached by 2 women while out with one of my client's dogs. As they got closer one of the ladies asks verbatim "Does she bite?". I have to admit, maybe I was projecting a little on this day because my immediate thought is as follows... 🗩 That's a pretty stupid way to ask someone if you can pet their dog! The sarcastic cynic in me even contemplated responding with an equally foolish response such as "Why, will you poke her?"... AGAIN, LIKELY projecting. I'm human, I try but can't help myself.

After some time passed and more thought however, I realized this is quite a common way for someone to ask a stranger if their dog is friendly before approaching or engaging. Moreover, I realized the answer is not so black and white either. Similar to how I felt that day, I believe all dogs have the potential to bite.

Life can be challenging as is, so I get this subject is low on the radar. But in a culture where our dogs are so beloved (in some cases more than for other humans 😣) ideally we want to ensure their well-being and the safety of the community. Therefore, I welcome encounters like this which raise questions around topics and get us thinking about situations we hardly give much consideration to. These experiences motivate me to create these blogs to share this information, so we may have greater awareness and understanding to help us make better informed decisions and go about our day.

Getting back to that day a few weeks ago, after my pause and having come back to my senses I replied a simple, "No." The ladies then started to laugh as if I was not entirely honest in my response and I'm mindful they were right in their assumption. I WASN'T entirely certain and I don't believe we can ever be so bold in our conviction, because again there is the slightest possibility. I followed with "well, she's a pretty anxious dog so she can get jumpy". The one woman who asked the question approached and gave the dog a few pets and some loves before her departure.

Following this experience I was left slightly perplexed still. As a dog mom, I've often been extremely self-assured in my response when asked "Is Your Dog Friendly?" or "Does Your Dog Bite?" However, I remain wondering is this how I should continue to respond? Let's entertain the cynic in me and face it. If someone were to poke my dog it's highly possible she would not be so friendly and may react. All joking aside and dropping ego, in most cases I'd like to believe most of our dogs are well balanced and likely to go their entire lifetime having never bitten anyone. However, in the slightest instance they are provoked, suffering an illness or it's just not a good interaction, they may bite. So, how do we get ahead of this and move forward?

When my niece came into the world, I became far more observant over my dogs' actions and behaviors whenever she was around. Some might refer to my behavior as "helicopter mom" (shrugs shoulders). At that point my dogs had not once bitten anyone, but I couldn't escape the simple facts. Dogs are an instinctual species and my niece being so young could be unpredictable as she continues to discover the world.

Some time later on the eve of Josie's last day with us, I tried to move her to a more comfortable position. As I began to lift her neck/head area, she quickly snapped back and I took a bite to the wrist. This was the only time in 12 years anything of this likeness ever happened. I've occasionally given thought to this and how another person instead of me would've viewed or described this event had they been on the receiving end of this bite.

Despite my own viewpoint and decisions to practice a higher level of caution, there are a great number of pet parents still who are steadfast in the idea their pet will never bite. I feel this concept exists due to some fear that possibility reflects a degree of poor pet parenting. Which is a bit absurd in my opinion as my belief is actually the contrary. Being able to accept the notion of this possibility displays a level of responsibility you take as a guardian to safeguard your pets, the pet community and humans you may encounter. Considering this possibility helps us get ahead of situations to prevent them from occurring altogether, prevent reoccurrence and/or escalation of occurrences to ensure overall health and safety. I understand not everyone may agree with my opinions and thoughts, which is okay. However, I cannot help from still putting the information out there so you may decide for yourself where you stand on the matter.

In addition to the aforementioned, I wanted to touch on what we classify as a dog bite. I've become informed some people have bundled a range of actions they call a bite which may include mouthing, nipping, jumping, a scratch, to a the full blown attack. I understand this may merely be an issue of semantics, but since this extreme generalization MAY be a thing,... I wanted to address it so we have a more clear and controlled view around which is which.

• bite - use of teeth upon a person or another animal which may or may not puncture the skin. generally does not result in serious injury, disfigurement, or permanent disability. a cat/dog's form of communication, sometimes following a hiss/bark or other form of body language as a warning. are often quick and occur once per instance.

• mouthing/nipping - also known as a "soft bite", does not puncture skin and is usually displayed by puppies, a well-trained dog and in non-aggressive play. often repetitive using a full open mouth or tight closed mouth using only the front teeth

• jumping - sudden or quick movement of the legs

• scratch - a mark or wound inflicted by the nails or teeth generally in non-aggressive play

• attack - MULTIPLE successive bites, which may result in serious injury, disfigurement, permanent disability and/or death. can occur when provoked and/or non-provoked. may be one successive bite without release.

Now that we've clarified those terms, I want to close here. My point of all of this is that I think we could all benefit from keeping an open mind to possibilities (both bad and good). There will always be those rare freak occurrences and then there is just being plain careless and irresponsible. However, anyone who makes a choice to welcome cats and dogs in their lives (temporary or permanent) should also welcome the plethora of information available and associated to these beautiful creatures. Take the time to become better informed to understand or show a shred of compassion to those things we don't always immediately understand. Let's all strive to be responsible people to ensure the health and safety of all in our communities (both human and pet).

Thank you for reading and be well.

DISCLAIMER:

All data, information and/or content contained in this blog is for general informational purposes only. JoJo and KiKo Pet Services LLC. and Nancy Chan makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, suitability or validity of any information contained on this blog and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, loss, injuries or damages arising from its display or use. Any reliance you place on the information contained in this blog is strictly at your own discretion. The blog post may contain topics or content related to health and safety. Any health, medical or safety matters should be discussed and consulted with your medical professional or professional trainer.