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My mom and my wife both were bitten as kids. Anna's bite was a lot more serious than my mother's, yet Anna loves dogs and my mom does not. What gives?
Anna's family got an English springer spaniel puppy when she was about four, and there seemed to be something wrong with her almost immediately. She snarled inexplicably and was very food territorial. They had to be sure not to walk behind her while she was eating. When Anna was six, the dog attacked her at the top of a set of stairs: "She knocked me onto my back and did not let go. She had my whole forearm in her mouth and bit me several times before my mother could pull her off of me."
She doesn't remember much about the aftermath other than (gross-out alert) "the blood and the tissue that I saw hanging out of the hole in my arm." Her mother cleaned the wound and took her to the hospital, where she got stitches in five places on her arm and a bandage she had to wear for weeks.
As for my mom, she's actually been bitten twice: the first time by a cocker spaniel when she was five years old, on a playdate at friend's house. She says it hurt but didn't bleed or require a hospital visit. The second time was about a year ago, when a bulldog owned by her neighbors lunged at her when she stepped into the lobby of her San Francisco condo.
Again, there was no bleeding and no stitches were required, but it didn't do much for her already low opinion of dogs. Said opinion may have been formed by the first bite, which caused her to become "more nervous" around canines. As for the bulldog, she doesn't blame him but rather the owner, who had little sympathy for her. "I have nothing against dogs. It's their natural behavior to bite, bark, jump up on people and lick them, pee and poop anywhere," she says. "I just don't understand why people want to keep dogs around."
Anna, on the other hand, remains a dog lover of the first order, despite what might be viewed as a traumatic childhood event. Her parents decided to get rid of the springer but eventually got other dogs, none of whom she feared. "For a while I did tend to flinch a bit if I saw a strange dog's lip start to curl, but I realized that what afflicted our springer was not typical of most dogs, so I didn't worry about it."
Dr. Bonnie Beaver, a professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Texas A&M, says that dogs commonly bite kids who unintentionally hurt them, say by patting (as opposed to petting) them too hard, or grabbing their hair. Reactions can run the gamut. "Some kids become fearful of any dogs of any size," she says. "Others are like, 'Doggie hurt me,' and they go off and do everything all over again."
The severity of the bite -- and where it occurred -- can also affect long term relationships with dogs, she continues, as can their parents' responses. "If parents [overreact], they can cause the kids to be more afraid," she says, adding that the most important thing is to prevent the attack in the first place. "It's absolutely essential that no children are around any dogs, unsupervised, ever."
How about you? Were you, or anyone you know, bitten as a child? Did it change your opinion of dogs?
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When I was in fourth grade, my chow chow bit a fourth of my bottom lip off. She was very food aggressive and protective. When my sister dropped some food during dinner that was very bad for her, I instinctively went to go grab it. I had to get stitches and could barely move my mouth for a couple weeks. I knew it was my fault she bit me and that she even felt bad afterward. She went and hid for the rest of the night as we went to the hospital. Even so, I still love dogs of all shapes and sizes.
I don't remember how old I was, probably in elementary school, I went underneath our kitchen table to get our dog and he bit me on the nose. He was a peekapoo mix type dog. It didn't require a dr visit. I've owned large breed dogs since 1991. That bite didn't affect me. I knew I was wrong by going under the table after the dog. He was a little mean thing and I should have know better. I couldn't live without dogs in my life now.
I was bitten by my grandmothers German Shepherd when I was 8 years old. It was traumatic and all that however it was utterly my fault. I uh... Accidently step on his parts (he was lying down). His first instinct was "Oh my God! That hurt! Protect myself!" and thats just what he did. The sad part of this story is he began to see children as a source of pain. He bit my cousin who was hugging him. No he was not put down, he was sent to live with my childless aunt for a while. I have never been afraid of dogs, in fact I have an exhuberant pit bull mix. If I had the room I would have more lol. I am a consumate dog lover and always will be.
When I was 2 years old (1958) my sister took me to her friends house & they had a cocker spaniel. The dog was eating and my sisters friend told me not to touch it, but being 2 I don't know how they expected me to listen. I imagine I touched the dog and it attacked me, bitting my whole face with its teeth under my left eye and right side of my mouth. (of course I don't remember any of this). I was told my sister ran home with me, bleeding all the way... I was taken to the hospital where I ended up having over 200 stitches in my tiny little face! I love dogs and have had many in my adult life. I currently have 3 dogs, one of which is a beautiful cocker spaniel!
When I was about 11 or so I went the back way to my friend house, which meant I would walk through their back yard (A common route that all the neighborhood kids took). I guess I caught their chow, Snowball by suprise, and she attacked me. I threw my hands up to cover my face and my underarms got the brunt of the attack. I was cut up pretty good, but thankfully not bad enough to go to the hospital. (I still have scars 12 years later) Snowball was always a really fun and loving dog, but she did have to be put down years later for biting another child.
This hasn't scared me off of dogs at all. I own two pit bull mixes, I love going to dog shows and dog parks, and I am the offical dog sitter for my family and friends.
WHEN I WAS 26 YRS. OLD MY PARENTS GERMAN SHEPHERD ALMOST KILLED ME. HE JUMPED ME AND ALMOST TORE MY LEFT EAR OFF, PUT GASHES TO THE BONE IN MY RIGHT ARM AND PUT TWO CANINE TEETH HOLES IN MY LEFT LEG. TO THIS DAY, I AM AFRAID OF LARGE HIGH BRED DOGS. MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE A BISHON THAT IS NOW TWELVE YRS. OLD. THIS IS THE LAST DOG WE WILL EVER HAVE.
When I was a kid, my mom left me out in the front yard to get a drink for us. She left our Bluetick Coonhound with me, and while she was gone a Chow Chow came by and tried to attack me. Blue stood over me and was savagely mauled (over 500 stitches) by the dog before my mom could chase it off. To this day I'm nervous around Chows. But I had a friend's Scotty bite me and rip my fingernail off, but that didn't bother me. I've adopted and rescued many dogs since then, but I've never been nervous about any of them, even the Pits and Pit mixes.
I was bitten in the hand by a neighbors Pit Bull when I was 4 years old, my father had to pull it off of me. I have never been comfortable around Pit Bulls ever since, but have no fear of other breeds, and have owned several dogs during my life.
When I was 7 yrs. old I went across the street to see some new puppies. My mother did not want me to go but I threw a fit and she gave in. I loved dogs and could not wait to see the new puppies. The neighbors also had a brittany spaniel hunting dog that I played with often. But when I went in the back yard and called the brittany to me to play he ran towards me and I threw my hands up to my face. Next thing I know I am standing with blood all over me and a finger missing. But to this day I never blamed him. I thought he was protecting the pups. I still love dogs and have 2 now. Chocolate Lab and a mutt whom I adore.
i have been bitten by my dog but i still love her .she is a cattle dog so it is in her breed to bite. God bless, ming
I've only been bitten in my adult years. Once by my poodle in '89 (my fault), once by a neighbor's dog (she - the dog - seemed to need mental help, grabbing teh back of my hand for apparently no reason as I walked into the entrance then wanting me to pet her a few minutes later) and once last week when I attempted to take a dead bird away from one of my shelter-dogs. no stitches. no fear. dogs bite. people need to understand that and be careful.
When I was younger my stepmom had a chow mix that would literally foam at the mouth when she saw me so i was never aloud around her. When I was about 12 I was attacked by my babysitters dog, a chow mix. And then a few years later i was chased home by another chow mix. It's the only dog that seems to hate me. No idea why