Bite inhibition questions

[TERRY VALENTINE]

I have two questions, one theoretical and one in regard to my husky Sebastian (whom you've "met" previously in another thread).  For my "theory" question, I received a Level 4 bite (according to Dunbar's Bite Scale) from a pitbull/lab mix several years back, while on inline skates.  I mention the skates because it seemed (and seems in retrospect) that the dog's behavior was due to a specific set of circumstances, namely that I was a human on wheels (or alternately, wearing a helmet).  I'd met the dog before and even petted him, both on foot and on skates, but while on skates I was stationary as I'd turned around and stopped for the owners to bring him up to me.   For the bite incident I was still slowing down to talk to him and his owner, and passed close enough for him to jump out and bite my leg.  As soon as I screamed he let go (as opposed to shaking and tearing the flesh off my leg), and when I immediately fell down I could feel his nose barely brush the back of my head as he sniffed and strained to check me out further while his owner held him back - no snarling or "I want to kill you" vibe.  Once I got up he stood calmly as a passer-by called 911 for me (I'd also broken my wrist in the fall), and he only began barking and lunging again when I began rolling back toward the trailhead.   Back in the parking lot he reacted similarly to a little girl on a tricycle, and the attending police officer wondered if he would have to shoot him.

I passed him/them at the park a few times afterward (they'd paid a fine but were still taking him out in public), and I didn't pet him again but his reaction to me (or lack thereof) was entirely dependent on whether I was on skates or on foot.  So my question is whether a dog can truly be labeled "dangerous" if he's only reactive to a given stimulus, such as a person on skates or a bike - ?  The owners eventually moved back to their home country and took the dog with them, so I don't know if he ever bit anyone again.  He presented to me as a big puppy who didn't know his own strength (and he was between 1-2 years old at the time of the bite), so I've wondered if he could have been de-sensitized to wheels to the extent that he could be safely taken out in public again. 

As for Sebastian (and this is my short question), there have been a few times when he's been (for lack of a better phrase?) "affectionately mouthy", e.g., while he's on the leash outside and apparently feeling spunky.  I've read that huskies show affection by "holding hands" as it were, so I'm not sure if I should be concerned - ?  They're technically a Level 2 as teeth touch skin, but they seem almost accidental.  So far I haven't really encouraged or discouraged this kind of contact (although I may have squealed once or twice) but it's also been few and far between thus far.  Is there anything I should do or look for going forward?

[JMFS]

For the bite, it depends on your area's laws.  In one area I lived in, if a dog bit three times it was no longer up to the owner and the dog was euthanized.  Then you have Florida law, which I'm not entirely certain wth it means because of the language used.  I really wish law would be written in plain English for easy understanding by folks like me (and I Love language).

It says that if your dog bites out in public, you're liable unless the victim contributed to the situation, and then the amount the person contributed reduces the dog owner's liability by that degree.  That one is easy enough.  The private property I Think says if the dog bites on private property, and the victim is there legally, the owner is liable.  But, if the person is under the age of 6 (because up to the age of 12 children have a brain in their head, apparently - I certainly did not), and if the owner was not negligent, or if the owner had a "Bad Dog" sign that was obviously visible, the owner will not be liable.  I think a bullet-pointed list could have worked here, lol.  Responsible / Not Responsible, with columns with each item under it.

You have to go to another section for the dangerous dog bit.  But even within that you're directed to other subsections.

I found these by searching for "Florida dog bite law," so you could try that with your area in place of Florida.  Texas (my first and only True home :D) goes into more detail and requires registration of a dangerous dog within 30 days of learning you have a dangerous dog.  It also has definitions for what constitutes a "dangerous dog."

In a situation like yours, in Florida, the owner of the dog would be responsible for your medical bills.  Being on wheels was an unknown precursor to you so you would most likely be 0% responsible, particularly given your previous interactions with the dog.

The owners, knowing their dog had bitten someone on wheels and shown aggression towards a child on a tricycle, were playing with legal fire by taking their dog to a place known to have people on wheels.  If they were working with a trainer that could diminish their "guilt" in the eyes of the law, but that's not a risk I would take.  I have a reactive dog and we keep her home because we don't want her hurting another dog, nor do we want a legal fiasco.  To me it's common sense, but I recognize not everyone thinks as I do.

For those unfamiliar with Dunbar's, here you go:  https://apdt.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ian-dunbar-dog-bite-scale.pdf
Level 4. One to four punctures from a single bite with at least one puncture deeper than half the length of the dog’s canine teeth. May
also have deep bruising around the wound (dog held on for N seconds and bore down) or lacerations in both directions (dog held on
and shook its head from side to side).

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Hi there,

Great questions!

So with the term "aggression" or "dangerous" there is a problem indeed: it's a label and open to different interpretations. 

 

The term is often used to describe a wide range of behaviors from growling to barking and even biting and attacking. However, not always the dog's behavior is really "aggressive" in nature. 

 

In general, it can be said that the term "aggressive" signifies a general intent to harm, but in dogs many so-called 'aggressive' displays are actually an intent to do no harm, and actually avoid conflict. 

 

A dog who is growling is often saying "please don't harm me, stop doing what you are doing, it's making me very uncomfortable and I don't want to come to the point of having to bite you."

 

So-called "aggressive displays" are often forms of communication, the dog's intent can vary great depending on the situation and it's not always crystal clear what the dog is trying to communicate through his behavior. 

 

This lack of precision in the definition of aggression can lead to misinterpretation which may lead to the implementation of inappropriate or ineffective training or management strategies. 

 

So in regards to your bite incident, based on the above can that dog be labeled as "aggressive?" We can because there was a clear intent to harm and the harm took place with a level 4 bite. However, labeling a dog as aggressive and dangerous makes us think that a dog is acting aggressively all the time, when in reality most dogs will display so-called "aggressive behaviors'" in particular contexts/situations.  

 

In your case, you wearing a helmet or being on wheels are clearly stimuli this dog struggles with. This type of behavior is not uncommon, many dogs struggle  with people wearing hats, riding bikes or wearing sunglasses. Anything that changes our shape//physiognomy can cause some dogs to act out of character.  

 

Most dog aggressive displays are based on some element of fear and there is some type of reinforcement going such as getting out of an overwhelming situation. 

 

This doesn't justify the dog by any means, and from a legal standpoint this dog meets the criteria to make him a danger to the public. Extra caution will therefore be needed moving forward and the owner should seek professional help and until then, most likely the owners would have received some warnings and extra precautions to adhere to (likes always having the dog on a bite-proof muzzle and one of those yellow "nervous dog" harnesses with warnings to keep distance). I cringe thinking what if a child wearing a helmet and skates approached?

 

So to answer your question, the label "dangerous" reflects that if put into a similar situation this dog can and will likely bite and since he did already bite, that will likely stay forever on his record. The specific details of how incidents of dog bites are recorded can vary depending on jurisdiction and the exact circumstances of the bite.

 

Animal control agencies or other local authorities may keep records on dogs so to keep track of the number of incidents and enforce regulations.

 

Insurance companies may do the same. Owning Rottweilers every time we switched home owner's insurance meant reporting that they have never have bitten anybody and sometimes an agent would even come to see them to evaluate their friendliness. Some insurance companies won't even offer coverage if you own a dog breed that is blacklisted. 

 

Insurance companies keep records and track history of bites since they consider dogs a high liability risk. On top of this, in some places, if a dog has a record of biting, it could be put on a "dangerous dog" registry or similar list that is publicly accessible.

 

Dogs can therefore be labeled as "dangerous is they have bitten someone regardless of whether their "aggression" is directed towards a specific stimulus or specific context.

 

It can be this dog wasn't socialized much as a pup and wasn't exposed enough to bikes/people on skates or he endured some negative encounter or maybe has been punished for growling and now goes straight to a biting when he's overwhelmed.

 

In any case, yes dogs can be managed and treated through desensitization and counterconditioning and training conducted under the guidance of a professional. These dogs will need to be carefully managed (muzzle, avoidance of full intensity exposures), but in general the outlooks look less brighter in cases where dogs deliver damaging bites compare to lower level bites. 

 

On a side note, the Cara Shannon bite hierarchy has received more attention lately due to offering more detailed information and even offering a dog-to-dog bite level hierarchy. 

 

In regards to Sebastian's' behavior, it depends on the context. German shepherds are another breed who like to grab people's hands sometimes to lead them outside or as a form of communication.

 

I would say it's important figuring out what is truly going on. 

 

Huskies, being energetic and on the 'hyper" side, in general tend to express their excitement or affection in a playful way and this can sometimes lead to mouthing or nipping.

 

If this happens when your husky is excited and playful in the home, you can try to shape an alternative behavior such as targeting your hand or going to grab a toy as you point at it. This is much preferable, especially if there's an older or young child living in the home. 

 

Here is the guide for targeting:https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/preschool/targeting/

 

Here is the guide for "take":https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/take-leave-it/

 

If it's communication, you can still shape it to him hand targeting or bumping your hand /body with his nose. Once he does that, you can then get up from sitting and go check out what he's trying to communicate. Some service dogs are trained to do that or approach and bark while backing up, moving towards something (follow me!) when when the phone is ringing or somebody is at door. 

 

Watch out if this turns out being a cut-off signal. For example, ensure he's not mouthing because he wants your to stop from performing something he's not comfortable with such as removing burrs from his coat. In these cases, listen to what he is trying to tell you, and work on making the task more pleasant, maybe using some tasty treats in one hand when removing these, see my hand-held Kong trick. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/my-hand-made-kong-trick/

 

This helps create positive associations with the action and more collaboration which is a win-win. If he's prone to biting hard, use a muzzle for extra safety measure.

 

if he is very spunky on walks, try to let him drain some of that energy prior to the walk with some brain games and play, but pay attention to when the mouthing happens. 

 

Is it when it is time to go home? When he sees somebody and can't go to greet? When he sees something exciting? See if you can recognize a pattern,  if you do, more power to you! You can then preempt that mouthing by tossing several treats to the ground and having him find them (treasure hunt style) or giving him a toy to carry or tug so he has an alternate behavior to engage in that doesn't involve nipping .

 

Make sure to provide regular training, socialization, and mental stimulation (brain games!) to help him learn appropriate ways to express his excitement. The jazz up and settle down can help, https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/high-school/jazz-up-and-settle-down/ 

 

and also exposing him gradually to situations that have evoked the mouthing in the past at a very subthreshold level and teaching him alternate ways to to deal with that. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/

 

You may also find impulse control games helpful. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/10-impulse-control-games-for-dogs/

 

Happy training!

Best,

Adrienne