How Dog Owners Can Prevent Aggressive Behavior by Dogs

Any dog, regardless of age, breed, or temperament, will bite a person if the person provokes it.  Therefore, if you file a personal injury lawsuit arising from a dog bite attack, one of the claims that you must prove is that you did not provoke the dog to bite you.  Of course, a lot of dogs will bite, at least occasionally, even when you do not directly or intentionally challenge or threaten them.  Approximately 15 percent of dogs have bitten a member of their human family at least once.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, doctors treat 800,000 dog bite injuries per year, and about half of the patients who present with these injuries are children.  According to Georgia law, if a dog owner has seen the dog behave aggressively before, the owner is legally liable if the dog bites a person and causes injuries serious enough to require medical treatment.  If you have been bitten by a dog that did not receive proper care or training, contact an Atlanta dog bite lawyer.

Avoiding Aggression Triggers

Humans can become irritable because of physical discomfort, and so can dogs.  Think about how hangry or sleep-deprived people behave, and you will have an idea of how hangry or sleep-deprived dogs behave.  If owners do not feed a dog enough, or if they keep it in an environment where it is always being bothered and cannot get any peace and quiet, the dog is likely to behave in an angry and irritable manner.  Likewise, physical pain can cause irritability and aggression in dogs, just as it does in people.  An undiagnosed or untreated medical problem could be causing the dog to behave aggressively.  A stable home life and proper veterinary care can prevent dogs from developing aggressive tendencies.

To Show Your Dog That You Are the Boss, Be Consistent, Not Scary

The popular media make much of the fact that, since dogs are pack animals, the way to train them is to show them that you are the boss.  This is true, but managers, parents, and dog owners alike should note that the way to be in control of the situation is to be as consistent as possible, not to be as intimidating as possible.  Sticking to your routine and responding the same way every time the dog behaves the same way will show the dog that you have the situation under control.

Dog owners who are too coercive and punitive with their discipline usually make their dogs more aggressive instead of less aggressive.  It is a mistake to continue behaving in an intimidating manner toward your dog once it has shown signs of deference, such as backing away or lowering its head.

Contact Zagoria Law About Dog Bite Cases

When dog owners do not provide proper care for their pets, the dogs suffer, and so can people who interact with the dog.  An Atlanta personal injury lawyer can help you if you have been bitten by a dog that has been conditioned to behave aggressively.  Contact Zagoria Law in Atlanta, Georgia to discuss your case.

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