Dog behavior is complicated, and determining the future of a dog who has a history of biting people or other animals is equally complex.
Any dog can bite for any number of reasons. In some cases, changing the dog's environment is enough to prevent future bite incidents. In other cases, the dog will need moderate or extensive behavior modification and management to avoid future bites. Sometimes, the accommodations that a dog would need to safely live in a home are so intense that they are not realistic, even for someone who has extensive experience with behavior modification and management.
When considering a dog with a bite history for placement in a foster or adoptive home, it’s imperative that we dive into all available information on the dog’s history of behavior, including, but not limited to, the circumstances surrounding each bite incident. We must make decisions with the safety of the dog and everyone around the dog in mind.
Dog bite red flags
When collecting information on a dog’s bite history, pay close attention to these red flags:
- Multiple bite incidents, especially incidents increasing in severity
- Multiple bites in the same incident (does not bite & retreat)
- Bites that require medical attention (deep puncture wounds, torn skin from the dog biting & shaking)
- Bites that result in the death of another animal or person
- Bites to the stomach, neck, or face
While these are not the only things to consider, they do indicate that the dog will likely need serious accommodations to live safely in a home.
Bite severity
Although we may be able to improve a dog’s bite inhibition in the context of play, there is no effective way to improve bite inhibition when a dog bites out of fear, frustration, discomfort, or another big emotion. We can expect any future bites to be equally or more severe than the last bite.
Cases with multiple bites
The more that a dog practices a behavior, the more likely they are to perform that behavior in the future. The more bite incidents on a dog’s record, the more likely we are to see additional bites in the future, because the dog has learned that biting is an effective way to create space.
While all bite incidents need to be taken seriously, incidents in which a dog delivers multiple bites are extremely dangerous. Rather than taking the opportunity to retreat and create space, the dog is continuing to “fight,” and will likely do so until they are physically interrupted. This can result in severe injury to or death of the victim.
Location of the bite
In general, bites to the extremities (hands, arms, feet, legs) are meant to increase distance between the dog and whoever is making them uncomfortable. Maybe someone reached towards the dog or stepped in between the dog and a resource, and the dog is saying, “back off!” Of course, these bites should still be taken seriously and can be severe.
Bites to the face, neck, or stomach, however, are always very serious, even if the injury is minor. Much like single incidents with multiple bites, this escalation of behavior indicates that the dog “means business” (and you may find that multi-bite incidents are more likely to be in these locations).
Bites to children are very often in these red flag locations. This is likely due, in part, to the fact that children are small, and their faces are that much closer to the dog's face. Had the same bite been delivered to an adult, the resulting injury may not have been as severe - but this is not a reason to dismiss the seriousness of bites to children.
Gathering objective information about dog bites
Human emotions are typically high around bite incidents, and many people do not have the same language that an experienced animal welfare advocate does to describe these situations. Asking gentle, open-ended questions can help you gather more information about what happened before, during, and after the incident.
Whether you're speaking to someone who is surrendering their dog or someone who witnessed a bite incident while the dog was already in the care of the rescue, these are some of the questions that you might ask to gather more information:
- When and where did the bite happen? Indoors, outdoors, at home, on a walk, etc. Is it possible that the dog may have felt cornered or restricted in some way, making it difficult to escape the situation?
- Who did the dog bite? An adult, child, other animal, stranger, etc. What was the dog's relationship with the victim like before the bite?
- Where on the body was the bite?
- Did the bite require medical attention, and if so, to what extent?
- What was the dog doing immediately before the bite? Were they laying down? Sniffing or eating? Engaging with the victim? Engaging in high-energy play or another activity that may have resulted in overstimulation?
- Did the victim or witness notice any warning signs that the dog was uncomfortable before the bite? Physically moving away, cowering, growling, stiff body language, etc. Many people do not have a thorough understanding of canine body language, so may not have recognized a behavior as a sign of stress. Many dogs also learn that more subtle signs of discomfort are ineffective to increasing distance from whoever is making them uncomfortable, thus escalating to more extreme behavior, such as biting.
- What happened immediately after the bite? Did the dog move away? Hide? Offer appeasement behaviors, such as trying to lick the victim or some else? Go back and bite again?
- If the dog has multiple bite incidents on record, was the severity of each bite about the same, or did they escalate over time? It's common to see bites increase in severity over time as the dog continues to practice the behavior.
In some cases, the person may not be willing or able to provide much information, either because it was traumatic for them, they did not witness the incident themself, it all happened so quickly that they aren't really sure what happened, they are trying to protect the dog, or because they are simply feeling "done" with the whole situation. This can frustrating, but expressing that frustration won't produce productive results. It’s important to lead with curiosity, not judgement, even if you think that the incident could have been prevented or that the person is being evasive. You are much less likely to get useful, objective information if someone feels like they are being interrogated.
Management to prevent dog bites
Even with behavior modification with a qualified professional, a dog with any bite history will need lifelong management to prevent future bites. These accommodations will look different for every dog. These are a few common accommodations:
- Keeping the dog on leash in public
- Wearing a muzzle at some or all times
- Avoiding interactions with other dogs
- Dividing the home in a way that allows all resident animals to live comfortably without interacting with each other
- Strict protocol around resources like food, bedding, toys, and the dog's humans
- Avoiding certain styles of play or interaction
- Creating a specific protocol for meeting new people
- Not meeting new people at all
- Installing a secure fence to prevent the dog from escaping
- Utilizing a crate, baby gates, or a dog run
- Working with a veterinary behaviorist to find behavior meds that reduce stress and anxiety
- Diagnosing and treating physical health problems
There is one tricky thing about management, though: in almost all cases, it will eventually fail. Someone will forget to lock a gate, a dog will slip a collar, a resource will accidentally be left out while resident dogs are out together. Sometimes, these accidents happen because we humans have become complacent. Other times, the dog's needs are not being met as well as we thought they were. These incidents can be very scary and traumatic for everyone involved, and they often create a situation in which we now need even more accommodations to keep everyone safe.
Who is going to do the work?
Realistically, what will the individual dog’s future look like? What kind of support will they need to be safe and happy in a home environment, and what resources (time, money, space, etc.) will be needed both immediately and for the rest of the dog’s life?
Taking on a dog with a bite history is a big commitment and potential liability for the rescue as an organization, any foster or caregiver who will be responsible for the dog, and the adopter. Is it reasonable to ask someone to take on that commitment? Does that "unicorn adopter" who can offer the necessary accommodations even exist?
This balance between safety, the dog’s quality of life, the caregiver’s quality of life, and the availability of resources can be complex and, in some cases, ultimately unrealistic.
When is euthanasia the best answer?
First and foremost, is there somewhere that the dog can go right now where both they and the people/animals around them will be safe and maintain an acceptable quality of life? How long will the dog be able to stay in that safe place? Bouncing between multiple homes or boarding facilities is tough for the most well-adjusted dogs, let alone dogs who are already struggling.
Are the resources to help this dog available both now and in the long term? Will the dog be able to live a life free of fear and anxiety, or will they continue to suffer, even with professional support?
Rescues owe it to the community to make responsible euthanasia decisions without "passing the buck" to a foster or adopter who does not have a clear picture of what they were getting into. The answer is rarely easy, but we owe it to the dogs and our communities to make decisions that truly consider the best interests of everyone involved.
Maintaining community trust
The stigma around rescue and shelter dogs is strong. Many people believe that all rescue dogs are 'broken' or dangerous. While this is not true, we should think about how our actions as animal welfare advocates perpetuate these beliefs.
Every time we adopt out a dog that goes on to bite someone, especially when that dog already has a bite history, we create a situation in which at least one person may generalize that dog's behavior to all rescue dogs. In the most unfortunate cases, media sensationalism around a dog bite inspires advocacy against rescue dogs. If that dog also happens to have a big head, we can expect to see outcry against pit-type dogs and a push for Breed Specific Legislation. This can have drastic consequences for rescue animals, owned animals, and people who love their animals.
Building and maintaining trust with the people in our local community is an essential part of creating efficient, long-term improvements to the welfare of the animals in that community. Without that trust, people will be less likely to adopt, to offer support (volunteering, fostering, donating, promoting animals for adoption), and to reach out for help when they need it.
Creating policies around dogs with bite histories
In a perfect world, every organization would have the time, space, and manpower to thoroughly investigate each dog's history of behavior, evaluate their current behavior, and make realistic predictions about what the dog's future will look like. They would be able to consult with a qualified professional to create a plan for training, behavior modification, and management. Unfortunately, many organizations simply do not have these resources.
Every organization has both the right and the responsibility to create a policy that aligns with their available resources. Some may prioritize saving as many lives as possible, thus focusing on dogs that need little to no extra support to be ready for adoption. Others may have the resources to take on dogs who need more support, giving them as much time as they need to either find a home in which everyone will be safe, or determine that the dog will not be safe to place. Some may not be able to take on the responsibility and liability of placing a dog with any sort of bite history at all.
Ultimately, making these decisions will always be complex. It will never be black and white, and it will always be easier to discuss in the abstract than it is to make a decision about the dog in front of you. The best policies are those that are flexible enough to make the best decision possible for each dog, but strong enough to protect the wellbeing of everyone involved.