During my career as a heating oil delivery driver I have had many run ins with dogs. Most of them would bark, some would growl. I found talking to them, not making direct eye contact, carrying a pocket of treats, and showing no fear always worked well. Being in the delivery business time is always an issue so I wasn’t able to slow down, or hesitate with making the delivery.
I also own six dogs and tell everyone that comes over to show no fear and ignore them, they will settle down quicker. Not only was I told this by a professional trainer, but the people that came over and showed fear of the dogs would not only get jumped on, the dogs would bark longer, and a few times they nipped at our company. The guests that we have come over that show no fear, have no issues with the dogs, they bark a little bit then go lay down.
Now there was this one delivery I made with a loose Saint Bernard. He was barking as he should be. I got out of the truck started walking to the back of it when he came up to me. I knelt down with treat in hand. He took the treat out of my hand and I felt that I had disarmed him. Just then the owner opened the door and called her dog. Now I don’t know if the “licking of the lips were any indication” or the fact the I had just given him a treat, but he put the treat down, licked his chops and lunged, knocking me on my back with a dog attached to my face. After punching it the head to release my face, and beating the dog off of me, the owner came over and apologized for her dog, and continued to tell me that he only attacks when she is around, she indicated her husband was home and he would get the dogs records for me, I asked her if he only attacks when she’s around… then why didn’t she send her husband out to retrieve the dog.
Well, I saw the dog was up to date with it’s shots, and holding a towel on my face I made the oil delivery (would have loved to have charged them more for their stupidity) but with oil cost the way they are… the way I see it their getting screwed already. I of course had to return to the office for some first aid, and of course they insisted I go to the hospital. It is Mass law to report the address of the dog that bit, however I withheld that information because we all know what the local Gov. would have done with the dog.
The way I see it is, in the dogs mind it was doing it’s job protecting it’s owner and home, I was the stranger, the one that didn’t belong there. Either the dog wasn’t trained correctly or at best wasn’t under control of the owner, this isn’t the dogs fault, it’s the owners, and if they knew it would attack sending the lady out, then the husband should have been the one attending to it. As far as I see it, it was all owner mistakes and the animal shouldn’t be put to sleep because it’s owners are stupid. I hope that if anyone should find themselves in a similar situation that you look at the owner as the responsible party. There are some instances that the dog should be at fault, but every intense is different and the options need to be weighed.
After a few stitches for the four fang holes, I’m left with no scaring, a memory, maybe a lesson of not leaving myself an out being in a vulnerable position, and a peace of mind knowing that a dog didn’t get put to sleep because of its owners stupidity. Also, if you’ve ever been bitten by a dog, remember that just cause one dog bit you doesn’t mean that the breed is bad or the all dogs are bad. It’s usually all in the way that the dog was raised and treated. For instance, Rottweilers have a bad rap, the next time you see a report on TV news that a Rottweiler bit someone, hopefully the reporter will show you where the dog was kept. As I have seen so many times the dog is chained up to a tree left there all day and sometimes if not all the time all night. Now, if everyone would buy a book about the breed of dog they had, and read it, they might just learn something new about their dog. Such as Rottweilers can not be tied out for long periods. They need to feel like and be treated as part of the family, and they also need a job in the family. As any human would react to being tied up, a Rottweiler will react in the same way, usually getting b*tchy, and going nuts….wouldn’t you? Don’t answer that, just buy a book about the breed so that you can raise and treat it in a way that will give you the desired attitude, making you and your dog happy.

That’s my thoughts and feeling about dogs and biting, as someone that has been bitten.

I was bitten by a big shepherd dog, from behind, not even being aware it is near. Being in a remote area on mountains, I was able to find and borrow a deo spray (contains alcohol) to desinfect the wound. No other comments…

Do not believe that “A Dog Warns Before Biting” !