"Does your dog bite?" I often get asked this question when people see my dogs. I have three beautiful bois - one rescue, Skye, and two American Bullies, Grimm and Kit-Quat.
People are generally afraid of large breeds, and rightfully so. Unlike small dogs or toy dogs whose bites or aggression are often treated casually (because they look cute! which should not be reason enough), big breeds do have powerful bites and they could do a lot of damage. One glaring and recent example is the biting incident that happened in Oslob, Cebu wherein a young 16-year-old girl was bitten by a rottweiler. Reports say that the girl was picking up seashells on knee-deep water when the neighbor's rottweiler suddenly came at her. Some say that they dog was not leashed, while others believe that the dog had escaped.
A video surfaced on social media showing the girl trying to defend herself from the dog. Many netizens were outraged because of this, and the girl did sustain scratches and bite injuries from the incident. Now, aside from the public demanding for the dog's owner to pay for damages, some are also asking for the dog to be euthanized; and this is usually what gets me in cases like this.
My belief is that a dog's behavior is based not only on nature but also nurture. Nature because some breeds are predisposed to certain behavior. To illustrate, bloodhounds, huskies, German shepherds, and cattle dogs are only a few examples of working dogs. This means that they have been bred for certain tasks, like hunting, pulling heavy loads, or herding. As for rottweilers, they were bred to protect and herd cattle and even pull heavy loads.
It is crucial to know the breed before you buy or adopt a puppy because knowledge is key in disciplining a pup. For instance, when my brother told me that he was going to give my daughter an American Bully puppy, I first had to do some research because I needed to know what I was up against. I knew that I was going to be the primary disciplinarian; hence, I have to know whether or not I actually have the strength of character to discipline this dog because, honestly, I was afraid as I've heard of stories where Pit Bulls are supposed to "lock" their jaws once they bite. Which is not true, by the way. Also, Pit Bulls are different from American Bullies, although they do look somewhat the same.
Thus, nature pertains to what a breed is predisposed to do. Nurture, on the other hand, is the responsibility of an owner. As Cesar Millan often says, the 3 primary needs of your dogs, after the basic needs are met, include: discipline, exercise, and affection.
Discipline is when you train your dog so that he understands what he can or cannot do. I find this to be crucial especially during the first few months of puppyhood. During this time, dogs are at their cutest, and we find ourselves hesitating to discipline them because they are too cute! But the thing is, this is also the best time to establish limitations or boundaries. This is also the time when, if left undisciplined, your dog could readily develop bad habits. For instance, I've seen how people like to play with their puppies by allowing the pups to "play bite" their hands or other parts of the body or even clothes or things. I do not allow this at home. Why? Because when your dog grows up, its bite will become stronger and it will be harder to stop it from "play biting" with you once its teeth have grown bigger and its jaws have gotten stronger. Same thing with biting wires and furniture. I do not allow such actions as well. As puppies, whenever my dogs begin to take interest in things that they are not allowed to touch, I firmly say, "No!" and transfer their attention somewhere else, like an empty box, stuffed toys, or empty plastic bottles that they can play with. Thankfully, they seem to have remembered their lessons well because I can actually leave them inside the house and I am assured that everything will still be okay when I get back.
Dogs also need exercise, which goes hand in hand with socialization. Some breeds require more physical exertion, while others less. Cattle dogs, for instance, have a lot of energy as they were primarily bred for herding and protecting cattle. They can run and stay active for hours! Bullies, on the other hand, require only a few hours (or even less than an hour) of exercise because they were bred as companion dogs. This is why I love my bullies. I let them play and run around, and, after only a few minutes, they'll all get tuckered out and sleep for hours! My spirit animal 😁
We should remember that lack of exercise can lead to biting, not only stuff around the house but people too. It can also lead to aggression because a dog needs to release all of its pent up energy.
Last comes affection. When your dog behaves well, then he should be rewarded as this reinforces positive behavior. Do not show affection when your dog does something bad because, if you do, he'll believe that what he's doing is good, which means that he's going to keep repeating that behavior because you rewarded him for it.
When taking care of a dog, or any pet for that matter, we must consider both nature and nurture as these two are connected to each other. We cannot say that it is the nature of the Pit Bull to bite, and it is because of that nature that a dog must be punished. No. I vehemently disagree. As humans, and as pet owners, we must first assess ourselves before getting a dog of a certain breed. Ask yourself these questions:
Am I capable enough to provide for the needs of my future dog? These needs do not only pertain to food and shelter, but it must also take into consideration the nature of the breed. Some breeds are definitely smarter and more headstrong, which means that they need an owner who will challenge their intelligence but also have the confidence to train them, as well as the heart to love them.
Am I assertive enough to discipline a dog? Do I have enough time and energy for my pet? Do I have the extra budget to pay for vaccinations, pet food, and other essential needs of my future pet? Do I have enough space at home for a dog? If there is not enough space outside my house, do I have a way to effectively exercise my dog? These are only some of the questions that we must carefully consider before getting or adopting a dog.
Our choice must be based on our capabilities, and not because a dog looks nice or cute. If we are not effective dog owners, not only do we fail our dogs, but they could also take the punishment for our mistakes. In addition to that, we could put other people's safety at risk as well - because, yeah, all dogs do bite.