I was just wondering what you guys/girls say when people ask you "does your dog bite?". I Get all the time, so my answer is "all dogs bite".

Lol...that is a good answer and very true. I usually say the same...."Well ALL dogs bite, but this one is friendly....for the most part". Haha. You should see some looks we get.

For me it depends on who is asking. If its someone I don't know and is an adult, I might say "only when provoked."

If its a kid, I might say "all dogs can bite especially if they are scared." Then I go into how best to get introduced to a dog.

hahah right on keep it coming folks.

Hey Barb, I like your method, "Then I go into how best to get introduced to a dog." My brother was in town from Canada this past weekend. He has a recycled dog, looks like a pit but is not, and I did not know it was at my folks house until it came up on me from behind. It's look (very muscular) and demeanor threw up flags and I got pissed that he allowed this dog, who consequently is afraid of large men wearing black (and I was) to just rush up on me with no intro or warning. They haven't had it long so don't know allot about it nor is it trained.

Anyway, I get the same question asked about my 13'python. I tell people the same thing. All animals bite so you must always be cautious, especially with ones you are not familiar with. But this one has not bitten me in the 3 years I have had him and "no" you cannot touch his head but try further down his body while I hold his head. It amazes me how naive so many people are about "oh, I'm sure nothing bad will happen".

That question always reminds me of the classic from Inspector Clouseau

Mike

As much as I like snakes, I would be very cautious around a 13' python, well known or not.

I like the the all dogs bite answer and the answer that permits teaching children how to properly approach a dog. Having had rough collies, people (and not just kids) running up, yelling Lassie was part of ownership. Fortunately my dogs were very tolerant and helped me teach many kids how to and how not to approach a dog. The adults were another story and I usually just blocked access to the dogs.

 Quote: mike armstrong

That question always reminds me of the classic from Inspector Clouseau

Mike

That's great!

And I'll put myself into the "teach kids how to greet a strange dog" group. No one asks if ours bites, just if he's friendly - guess we live in a pretty nice town . We're still working with our boy to get him really comfortable around kids (he was fine till he outgrew puppyhood, then, in his sophisticated and "maturing" adolescence, he decided kids were a little too sketchy for him). He's NEVER bitten a human, though he will bark loudly under stress and you can't be too careful with kids, or any stranger for that matter.

Right now, no kid is allowed to meet and greet unless it's on our terms and under our watch (though you'd be surprised how many parents let their toddlers rush a 95lb dog from behind without really worrying about it :eek. So far so good, and I try to establish caution without too much fear by saying outright that my dog is "shy" or gets "nervous" when he meets new people - I won't lie and say that he "loves" kids, but I want him to have the correct socialization with people who respect him and his space, so I won't tell them to go away either (unless I get a bad feeling about someone).

Setting up some rules and giving kids treats to offer (only after a "sit") keeps little hands away from the top of the dog's head and usually focuses everyone calmly and makes the encounter a good one. My dog happens to regard food higher than anything, and is very friendly when he feels safe, so this works for us.

~Natalya

I guess one of the bennies of having a big Doberman is that very few non-dog-people want to come and pet him. Though it's a little sad as well since he's such a nice guy. I like the 'all dogs bite' answer.

When I was working with therapy dogs we'd actually tell kids "this is how he/she likes to be petted" and we'd show them, or "he/she isn't comfortable being touched there; try it like this". It went pretty well for the most part, at least with my dogs.

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....you'd be surprised how many parents let their toddlers rush a 95lb dog from behind without really worrying about it

-very true AND very scary

Only when I tell him too.

DFrost