Posts tagged "dog bites man"

By Mikkel Becker, via Vetstreet

Q: My dog has this weird habit of lunging at people's feet when I walk him on the street - but he does it only once the person has passed. What is this all about?

A: I can imagine how stressful this situation must be for you, especially when you're just trying to exchange friendly greetings with someone like a neighbor.

SEE ALSO: Why Does My Dog... Stare at Me?

There are a few reasons your dog could be displaying this behavior.

Instinct: Canines with herding backgrounds are notorious for nipping at the heels of other dogs, sheep, horses and even people. Border Collies and Australian Shepherds, for example, are known for exhibiting ankle- and heel-nipping behavior, which can show up in puppyhood.

The behavior is usually brought on by fast movements or walking away from a dog with your back facing him.

On Nov. 9, a police dog bit a man who was trying to defend his home from a would-be burglar. Tim Crossan, of Eugene, Ore. had just broken his hand on the face of the intruder when police, responding to a call, flooded into his home and ordered their K9 unit to attack Mr. Crossan. In the confusion, the burglar escaped and Mr. Crossan was bitten twice. The police have yet to apologize for this incident, although they described it as "unfortunate." At least they went on to say that Crossan, who had protected his wife and children, was "heroic."

Dogs have been used officially to help police officers since the late 1850s in Germany, when they were first employed purely as a deterrent, used only for their teeth and growls. However, the informal use of dogs in law enforcement goes back to the Middle Ages and most likely even before that. These days, dogs help officers primarily with their sense of smell, which is so powerful that they can detect scents one-hundred-millionth fainter than the boundaries of human perception. They can easily find drugs, bombs, criminals, and corpses, even when criminals have taken extra measures to mask odors. So although the police can often make mistakes, police dogs do not. They remain an integral part of public safety.