Inspector Clouseau to Inn Keeper: I Thought You Said Your Dog Doesn’t Bite. Inn Keeper to Inspector Clouseau: That’s Not My Dog.
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here is a belief, held by many dog owners, that their dog would never bite. Unfortunately, any dog is capable of biting, given the correct set of circumstances, such as pushing the dog past his threshold of pain tolerance, stress level or fear of death. The only means of defense for a dog is his ability to bite. One of the reasons for those sharp puppy teeth is to teach the dog how to have what is called a soft mouth. A puppy is taught by his mother and litter mates that there are consequences if the bite is too hard. He can put his mouth on something, but he better not apply any pressure. Most dogs learn that lesson well, and go their entire lives never biting another being, human or otherwise. Most dog lovers are familiar with the unfortunate list of ‘dangerous breeds’ as they are incorrectly classified. Yet, those dogs are not the most prolifically aggressive. One study indicates the Dachshund, Chihuahua and Jack Russell Terriers hold the top three spots as aggressive and most likely to bite. Beagles have been included in some of the lists as well. So, to assume that a dog, based on breed, is not a liability, is not only wrong, but dangerous, and can have serious financial consequences for a dog owner. New legislation and court decisions have broadly expanded the liability of owners of biting dogs. Some states are looking at allowing owners of pets maimed or killed by somebody else’s dog to recover for damages for loss of a family member, versus the value of a piece of property. Then, there is the recent case in Texas where a woman tried to stop a fight among her own dogs. This is never a good idea. Often, what appears to be a fight to the death between dogs, will end without any injuries to any of the dogs fighting.
Meet Bindi, a Pembroke Welsh Corgi from Plant City. Photographed by Kim Longstreet in Bradenton during an Agility Trials event.
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