On Saturday July 25th a toddler was attacked and bitten by a dog in Greenwood, MO. In recent years dog bites have been on the rise. What is the cause for this?
Some of the answers can be simple, owners train to put aggression into dogs. Aggression can range from growling, barking, snarling, snapping, lunging and biting. The most common reason for aggression is due to fear.
Let’s review the results of aggressive animals.
Fear Motivated Aggression
Dogs that fear for their safety are more likely to bite other dogs or people. This can be due to how the dog is raised and/or treated. In any case, a dog can feel like they are in harm and act out in aggression.
As people are predisposed to certain illnesses, dogs are predisposed to be more aggressive. This can result from medical conditions or breeds that are more commonly found as “protective” or “fighting” dogs. A few of the aggressive dogs listed are Pit Bulls, Rottweilers and Dachshund’s.
Dogs can value their possessions a lot like people do. A valuable possession might be food, toys or even their bed. Be careful in some instances they value things like the trash.
Once a dog has acted aggressively over any amount of time, they have started to think that it is ok to act out. For example, if a dog starts to bark and lunge at the postal employee and it gets the mail delivery person to leave, the dog learns that if they bark and lunge a person will leave. Fear-motivated aggression is the most common form of aggression.
If you are ever attacked by an aggressive dog, seek medical attention first. The next step is to make sure that you are represented to help with medical expenses and lost wages. Call Castle Law Office at 816-842-7100 to speak with an attorney. Or you can email us and schedule your free consultation.