No, dogs were not born to bite humans and not all of them love being petted

Debunking common misconceptions about dogs that are often reiterated by news and social media

Riddhi Doshi

There has been a spurt of news pieces on dog biting and aggression incidents recently. As a dog parent, I am among the first people to have directly experienced the impact of growing fear of dogs among people, triggered by these.

I have had several people ask me why I own a dog, a dangerous animal. These articles have also converted one-time supporters of dogs into dog haters.

It breaks my heart to see an army of them, mostly those who are scared of dogs, rallying against the lovable, misunderstood creatures, thanks to the several misconceptions people have about the four-pawed babies.

I think it’s necessary to debunk these for humans to be more accepting of dogs, for which, I spoke with dog trainers and behaviourists Mitali Salvi and Akash Shukla. Salvi often works with dogs that most trainers have given up on and Shukla’s work focuses on strengthening the dog-human relationship.

All dogs bite and attack humans – Dogs don’t bite out of the blue, says Salvi. They will only bite if they are not comfortable and are pushed to a point when it’s compelled to, usually as a means of self-defence. Here are some of the most common reasons that push them into this situation:-
a) If the dog is in pain or is hurt. It is the dog owner’s responsibility to be clued into his/her dog’s behaviour. Notice any changes and take action to relieve its discomfort.
b) “Many people do not exercise their bigger, powerful breeds enough. This could cause aggression,” says Salvi. Also, working line dogs, which are bred to work, need to be exercised extensively. “Dogs are very proud creatures and love to earn their food,” says Shukla. If you channel their energies by mentally and physically stimulating them in different activities, they won’t become aggressive. “It’s important to retain their self-worth,” adds Shukla.

All dogs will jump on people and pin them down – Most pet and community dogs jump on humans out of excitement and curiosity, and not to harm them. But jumping is not considered a healthy behaviour. “We all need to acknowledge that not everybody likes dogs. With the right training, you can teach your dog not to jump on people,” says Shukla. But if a dog jumps on you, the best way to deal with him is to fold your hands and turn around. “Do not pet him, do not look him in the eye and do not run away. In most cases, the dog will walk away,” says Shukla.

The not running away bit is extremely important. Most dogs love to chase, If you will run, it might think it’s a game and will run behind you. So, please don’t run.

3. When a dog barks, it is to attack you – Dogs bark for various reasons. To alert other dogs or humans to not get into their territory, to, sometimes, express their excitement or even joy. So, if it’s barking, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s out of aggression. But it’s best to keep your distance from a barking dog.

A dog sniffs you to attack you – “Only a week or two after dogs are born, can they see and hear, but can smell immediately after,” says Shukla. “Sniffing is the way a dog learns about the world. It’s unreal to ask them to not sniff,” adds Shukla. “We explore the world by touching and seeing and dogs explore the world through their noses,” says Salvi. A dog sniffs you because it wants to know about you.

So, when the dog comes to sniff you, once again, do not make any eye contact, do not touch it and do not scream or run away. Screaming is counterproductive. The dog might get alarmed and in self-defence might bite you. “So, please stand still, breathe and ignore the dog,” says Salvi. “It will eventually walk away,” adds Shukla.

Street dogs often follow people because they want to bite them. There are three possible reasons why street dogs follow you, explains Shukla.
a) You are a regular in the area and they love you, even if you don’t feed them.
b) They smell food on you. Whether you are carrying food or have come from a restaurant, they are excited about the prospect of being fed.
c) Often at night, when community dogs are the most active, they might think you are a trespasser. They might be following you to ensure that you don’t get into their space.
The ways to make them stop following you are very simple. Stop, don’t run away, and shoo them away or just walk away from them. Do not get in their space.

The bigger the dog the more aggressive it is
“Not at all,” says Shukla. People misunderstand power breeds as aggressive dogs. Even small dogs can develop aggression issues. People often over-pamper small dogs or frequently carry them. Such dogs can lose their sense of worth and get aggressive. However, incidents of their behaviour are not reported as their bites do not cause a lot of damage. As established earlier, aggression issues are caused for a reason.

Humans can pet dogs, but dogs shouldn’t react
This is another highly unrealistic expectation. “A dog is a living being with emotions and not a robot,” says Shukla. So, if you don’t want a dog to react, don’t pet it. Simple.

Humans shouldn’t enter the elevator a dog is in
It depends on the dog, the person accompanying it and the one trying to enter the elevator. Shukla shares common scenarios when one can and should not enter the elevator if the dog is in it.

a) If the dog is standing ahead of its human, its ears are erect and he is on a tight, short leash, it’s best to take the next elevator.
b) But if the dog is sitting at the back of an elevator in a corner, is relaxed and is on a loose leash, you can enter. But always, always ask the pet owner, if it would be okay.

All dogs love being petted
“No, just like humans, dogs too have different personalities,” says Salvi. “Some are more social and some like to keep by themselves,” she adds. An owner must understand his/her dog’s personality. If the dog doesn’t like being touched by humans, the parent must strictly ask people not to touch it to safeguard their dog and not put them in uncomfortable situations.