If you have purchased your first dog, or are about to, it is important that you take precautions to ensure that your dog does not bite anyway. If your dog bites someone, you could be sued and the person who was bit and injured could receive compensation for their medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering. Selecting the breed carefully, training, and keeping your dog on a leash and maintaining control while you are out in public are a few well-known ways that you can prevent your dog from biting people. However, there are a few lesser known ways as well. Learning about these techniques and using them can help you reduce your chances of your dog biting someone and finding yourself involved in a personal injury dog bite claim.

Spay or Neuter Your Dog

There are many benefits to spaying and neutering a dog. The biggest benefit is that your dog can no longer reproduce, so you don't have to worry about puppies. However, spaying and neutering also significantly reduces hormone levels, helping to curb hormone-induced aggression. A dog that is less aggressive is less likely to bite someone, so spaying or neutering your pet is a great first step to reducing the likelihood of him or her lashing out at someone unexpectedly.

Take Your Dog to the Vet if He is Acting Aggressively or Erratically

If your dog is sick or something is wrong, he may begin to act aggressively or erratically. Unfortunately, many pet owners think that a sudden shift in mood may be a behavioral issue. As such, they don't get the animal the care he may need. Even worse, many pet owners try to change up the routine to help this perceived behavioral issue. They may take the dog on a walk to get some exercise or a dog park to play. The animal is already in a bad mood, isn't feeling well and may now find themselves surrounded by strangers, which sets the stage for a possible dog bite. As such, it is important to pay close attention to your dog's behavior and seek treatment from a vet if the dog is exhibiting signs of aggression. Taking care of any health problems or injuries may be a sudden end to the sudden onset of aggressive or erratic behavior.

Follow the Cues Your Dog Gives You

Training and socializing your pet from an early age can help them get used to being around people and other dogs. This can help prevent a lot of dog bites. However, it won't prevent them all. For unknown reasons, some dogs just don't like certain people or may feel uncomfortable or threatened in different situations. This puts the dog on guard and may cause them to bite when they normally wouldn't. As such, it is important to pay attention to and follow the cues that your dog is giving you. If your dog is growling at someone, is trying to hide or retreat, is showing the white of her eyes, has a tense jaw or is holding her tail low, she may be uncomfortable in the situation or around the person you are with. In such situations, it is important not to try to force interaction. Instead, keep your dog comfortable until you are able to exit the situation. Forcing a dog to interact with someone they are uncomfortable with or stay in an environment they don't feel safe in can increase the chances your dog may bite.

There are many things you can do and work on with your dog to help decrease the chances of him biting someone. However, despite your best efforts, you may unable to prevent a dog from biting in all situations. If a child pulls a dog's tail or if the dog feels threatened when you aren't around, the dog may bite. If your dog has bitten someone, it is best to speak with a defense attorney who specializes in dog bite claims. There are many defenses that can be raised to help reduce your liability should your dog bite someone. For more information, contact a firm such as Trammell & Mills Law Firm LLC.