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What should be done if a dog bites?

In our daily lives, dogs, as our close companions, usually bring us endless joy and warmth. However, whenever we hear about an incident of “a dog biting someone”, our hearts tighten.

In our daily lives, dogs, as our close companions, usually bring us endless joy and warmth. However, whenever we hear about an incident of “a dog biting someone”, our hearts tighten. We feel sorry for the victim and also worry about the dog and its owner getting into such a difficult situation. When a dog bites, which is a sudden and potentially serious situation, knowing how to handle it is crucial knowledge that every dog owner and even the general public should possess.

Firstly, it must be clear that there are various reasons why dogs bite. The most common one is the instinctive self-protection reaction when they feel threatened. When they encounter a stranger suddenly approaching, shouting loudly, or making physical provocations, their inner fear can instantly turn into aggression, using their teeth as the last line of defense. For example, a normally gentle and timid small dog might be frightened by a child running rashly towards it in a narrow corridor and is likely to bite out of panic.

Pain is also a major factor that triggers dogs to bite. When dogs are unwell, suffering from external injuries, oral diseases, arthritis and other ailments, if their painful parts are accidentally touched, they will reflexively resist to prevent further pain stimulation. Imagine a dog with pulpitis being tortured by severe toothache. If the owner tries to open its mouth to check without knowing the situation, the dog is very likely to bite the owner's hand instinctively.

Furthermore, food guarding behavior is particularly prominent in some dogs. Food is their basic means of survival. When they are disturbed during eating, whether it's another animal or a human approaching, they will perceive the food as being threatened and then issue warnings or even attack directly. This behavior might have been necessary for survival in times of scarcity, but in a domestic environment where they live with humans, it can easily lead to danger.

When unfortunately faced with a dog-biting incident, the immediate on-site handling is of utmost importance. For the bitten person, the first thing to do is to rinse the wound with a large amount of clean water as soon as possible, trying to wash away the germs and saliva in the wound thoroughly. The rinsing time should be no less than 15 minutes. This seemingly simple step can greatly reduce the risk of contracting serious diseases such as rabies. Subsequently, cover the wound gently with a clean gauze or towel to prevent further contamination and go to the hospital as soon as possible. Don't take any chances. Even if the wound seems small, the potential risks of rabies, tetanus and other diseases cannot be underestimated. You must follow the professional diagnosis and treatment advice of the doctor and get vaccinated as required.

Meanwhile, the dog owner should quickly and calmly control the dog at the moment of the incident to prevent it from biting again. Use a leash, put the dog in a separate space and other means to prevent the situation from worsening. But please remember, don't scold or beat the dog excessively at this time. On the one hand, the dog may not understand why it is being beaten and it won't serve as an educational measure; on the other hand, extreme behavior may exacerbate the dog's fear and nervousness, making its future behavior problems even worse.

Afterwards, the dog owner needs to conduct behavior correction training for the dog. If the biting is caused by food guarding, systematic “desensitization” training should be carried out. From gradually approaching the dog when feeding to gently touching the food bowl, every small step where the dog doesn't show aggressive behavior should be rewarded with snacks or praise, so that it understands that the owner's approach to the food is not a threat. If the biting is caused by fear, help the dog build a sense of security. Take it to meet different people and environments more often and guide it to adapt to external stimuli in a gentle way. Give affirmation when the dog shows a relaxed posture.

From a social perspective, preventing dog-biting incidents is equally important. Communities can organize pet care knowledge lectures to popularize knowledge about understanding dog behaviors and daily training skills, enabling dog owners to better understand their pets and prevent potential risks in advance. Public places should establish clear pet management regulations, such as mandatory leash use and muzzling, to regulate pet outings and ensure public safety. At the same time, strengthen the management of stray dogs. Through methods such as sheltering, neutering and adoption, reduce the potential danger of stray dogs biting people due to survival pressure, disease troubles and other factors.

Although the problem of dogs biting people is distressing, it is not insoluble. Whether it's the bitten person, the dog owner or all sectors of society, as long as we maintain a calm, responsible and caring attitude and take comprehensive measures from emergency handling, behavior correction to social prevention, we can minimize the occurrence of such incidents, allowing dogs and humans to continue to live in harmony and making every encounter full of warmth rather than fear. Next time when we take our dogs out, remember to make full preparations so that the streets remain a place for spreading love and joy, rather than a breeding ground for accidents.

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