About 95% of the behavior that owners see as aggressive is just natural reaction to fear. In situations where a human is stressed and confronted with an interpersonal threat and backed into a corner they will punch and kick to escape. Most of the time the corner is mental, not physical, making them feel trapped due to tunnel vision. They strike to escape the situation, not to necessarily cause damage, that takes training. Dogs don’t strike so their reaction is to nip/bite/ and claw to make the danger go away. About 99% of what people refer to as bites are actually only nips. To a dog a nip is the same thing as you pushing someone backwards to get them away from you. In all cases the dog has to learn to focus on the handler and watch their reaction to the particular stimulus instead of reacting to it on their own. This is the basis of ALL canine training.
We are the most recommended trainers in the area when it comes to working with dogs that have aggression / reaction towards animals or people (with or without a bite history). According to the State of Pennsylvania, a dog will be deemed an aggressive dog if they bite an animal or human that results in injuries “that crush bone and or cause puncture marks that require several sutures to close”. The part about puncture marks is the part that causes most owners of being convicted on having an aggressive dog. In 2019 the average insurance payout for a dog bite was $45,000. If that happens, you have three choices.
Appeal– if the bite meets the criteria previously explained, you will still be found guilty.
Euthanize the dog
Register your dog with the Commonwealth– This requires you to post bright signs supplied by the state that you have a dangerous dog on the front and back of your property. You will be required to to purchase a $50,000 security bond to insure your dog. Your dog cannot leave your property, and when they go outside they must be wearing a muzzle and be on a leash.
Luckily this can all be avoided with proper training when the dog is a puppy (birth to 9 months) or with behavior modification training if the dog is an adolescent (9 months – 3 years old) or an adult (3 years plus +). Out of 3000 dogs, we have only had to recommend euthanasia in 11 cases.
When it comes to dog aggression, you have to trust your instincts instead of emotion. Many families are fully aware that they have a dog they “cannot trust”. Either this dog has nipped or bit before or they believe they will. Often they may have an undocumented bite history within the family. If a bite occurs that requires professional medical attention, by law it must be reported to the dog warden or animal control. If the person bit can prove that you were aware of a previous bite history, you could lose everything you have worked so hard for.
As with every type of training we provide, the first step is one of our hour long Love & Leadership training sessions for $200 (York County PA) and $300 out of York County but within an hour. A part of this session is always aggression testing the dog. After the session, we will be better able to tell you what the best way would be to proceed for you and your dog.
If you are stressed out and looking for answers call 717-693-2085, lets talk about it. We can help.
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