Dog bites are a shockingly common source of injury, especially among young children who do not know how to behave around dogs. Here are seven common ways careless owners can make it more likely that a dog will bite someone else:
- Improper training
- One of the most common reasons that dog bites occur is that owners fail to adequately train their dogs to listen to commands or avoid attacking people. This lack of training means that dogs may lash out the moment they feel threatened, and may not listen to commands.
- Improper socialization
- Another common issue seen in many dog bites is a lack of socialization. This means that the owner failed to teach the dog how to act in the presence of other people or animals, causing them to become anxious or aggressive around strangers.
- Failure to teach dog to handle children
- Children are among the most likely victims of dog bites, in part because they have no idea how to handle dogs. If a dog is not taught how to handle the additional provocation a child may present, they may lash out at the child and cause serious harm.
- Failure to fence in dog
- While many people will let their dog out into the yard to play or run around, typically these dogs should be fenced in to prevent them from leaving the yard. Owners who fail to adequately fence in their yards may find their dog going into the street or neighbor’s yards, where they can easily injure someone.
- Failure to use a leash
- No matter how well trained a dog is, they still may find themselves scared or provoked into attacking if they see someone or something they want to chase. This is why a leash is essential to maintain control of a dog and prevent them from biting someone else.
- Failure to address previous dog bite
- It is one thing for a dog to mess up once and attack someone unprovoked. It is another thing entirely when an owner knows their dog has a history of biting but fails to address it, increasing the risk of further bites in the future.
- Failure to intervene in attack
- Some truly negligent owners may know their dogs are prone to biting, but will refuse to intervene in the case of an attack. Owners who do not stop their dog from attacking others will substantially increase the risk of dog bites happening.
If you or someone you love has been injured as a result of someone else’s negligence, contact the New York personal injury lawyers at the Katter Law Firm. We will help you protect your rights and get the compensation you deserve. To schedule a consultation, contact us at 212-809-4293, or visit our contact page.