Know how to spot an aggressive dog

March 29, 2014 (Press-News.org) Know how to spot an aggressive dog

Article provided by Attorney Jim Haddad
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When asked how to identify a potentially dangerous dog, most people would say that it is a simple matter of knowing one breed from another. Some might say, too, that larger dogs are more of a threat than smaller dogs. One recent British study suggests, however, that these sorts of characteristics have less to do with whether a particular dog is likely to attack than many people might think. Instead, one of the most important factors in cases involving serious dog bites is the dog owners themselves.

Researchers at the School of Veterinary Sciences at the University of Bristol collected approximately 4,000 responses to a questionnaire regarding dog aggression. They detailed the findings of their study in an article published in the most recent issue of the journal Applied Animal Behaviour Science. While they admit that breed can play a role in whether one dog is more likely to attack than another, they found that other factors were more useful in predicting aggressive behavior. These factors include:
-The age of the dog's owner: the dogs of people aged 25 years or younger were almost two times as likely to be aggressive than those owned by older adults
-The amount of training the dog has received: dogs that received training as puppies were about one and a half times less likely to exhibit aggressive behavior than those that did not
-The dog's gender
-The place where the owner procured the dog: dogs purchased from breeders were far less likely to exhibit aggressive behavior than dogs rescued from shelters or purchased from pet shops

Generally, the team found that dogs were far more likely to exhibit aggressive behavior toward people they did not know rather than family members. Interestingly, dogs rescued from shelters were about two and a half times more likely to behave aggressively toward family members than dogs purchased from a breeder.

Of course, understanding what makes a particular dog behave aggressively at any given moment is exceedingly challenging. Studies such as this one are an important contribution to animal behavior specialists' knowledge of this complex issue.

If you have been bitten or attacked by a dog, a personal injury lawyer may be able to help. Under some circumstances, you may even be able to recover money for pain and suffering and medical bills. Talk to a personal injury lawyer today to learn more about your rights.