Pooch Parenting

83. Considerations for a One Bite Policy for Family Dogs

• Michelle Stern • Episode 83

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I recently heard from a family whose rescue dog bit their young child. They told me that they have a "one bite policy" with pet dogs and that now the dog needs to go.  While I completely understand their rule and their decision, I like to encourage families to consider the WHOLE situation, both from the human perspective and from the dog's perspective. Dog bites are awful, but they are also often quite complicated with several mitigating factors. 

One Bite Policy From the Family's Perspective

  1. Download this free guide to understand why your dog might growl: ABC's of Growling: https://poochparenting.net/abcs-of-growling/
  2. It's terrifying when a dog bites a child and the trauma can be hard to recover from
  3. A child deserves to feel physically and emotionally safe at home
  4. Parents already have a lot on their plate and sometimes it's easier to limit complications to make life easier and safer
  5. Dog behavior can be confusing and it's easy to miss subtle signs of stress in dogs
  6. It can be confusing if a dog bites a child "who was just trying to pet her." From the parent's perspective the child's behavior is no big deal - but dogs don't bite for no reason. It's important to consider "the why" - was the dog in pain, afraid, startled awake from a deep sleep or disturbed while chewing a bone? 
  7. Parents might not know the learning or genetic history of a rescue dog, inadvertently bringing a fearful, nervous or anxious dog into their home.
  8. Kids are hard. Their behavior changes constantly as they grow and develop, and it can be hard to stay on top of polite and respectful behavior around animals.
  9. Having a "one bite policy" gives parents a clear guideline to follow, so they don't get confused by their conflicting emotions. 
  10. When parents are afraid of their child or visitors getting hurt again in the future, they may not be willing to consider that bites can be prevented with adequate management, working with a dog and child specialist or learning to read dog body language
  11. Rehoming a dog does NOT mean you don't love them. Sometimes loving an animal means setting them up for success elsewhere.

One Bite Policy From the Dog's Perspective

  • Kids can be scary and unpredictable. 
  • A rescue dog may have arrived with past trauma related to inappropriate behavior by children.
  • A dog who doesn't feel safe expresses themself by demonstrating a variety of body language - some subtle and some quite overt. 
  • By biting a child, dogs can often stop the child from being disrespectful.
  • It should not be the dog's responsibility to stop a child from being a perceived threat. That's the role of the adults. 
  • Dogs don't usually bite for no reason. It's important for people to get curious about what the possible causes could have been.
  • A single bite may not be adequate at determining if the dog should remain in the home. Some dogs bite for good reason and some types bites can be prevented in the future by using effective management and learning to read dog body language

Thank you for listening!