As many dog owners know, puppies are a joy to be around. Often times though, we forget that as puppy parents, disciplining and socializing our dogs is critical to their quality of life and behavior. As mentioned earlier this year, Socializing Your Dogs can prevent aggression and anxiety. More importantly, taking the proper steps to socialize your puppy from a … [more]
In a recent post we discussed what the term redirected aggression means, and how it manifests in canine companions. Pet parents of dogs with aggressive tenancies often ask whether or not a canine companion can ever be “cured” of these behaviors. While there is no cure for redirected aggression in animals, there are many steps that pet owners can take … [more]
Over 600 Corgis and their owners hit the beach in Southern California on April 13th, 2015 for the annual So Cal Corgi Beach Day. What originally began as a simple meet-up group for local owners of the quirky-cute little pups with big personalities, has grown into one of the largest community events among dog owners. The spring … [more]
One of the most common things we hear at FIDO from dog owners is, “my dog has never shown any aggression before” after their dog bites. The problem with this assumption that your dog will never bite because they’ve never been aggressive is that the situation that led to the bite has never occurred in exactly the same way. There … [more]
This question has stirred up quite the controversy in many Dog Bite Liability Claims; who is at fault in a dog bite case? The practical response may be the dog owner, the person who was bit (“They provoked my dog!”), or the parent or guardian of the child that was bit. In the eyes of the law, however, none … [more]
Reading or hearing about dog bites in the news is practically a daily occurrence, yet most dog owners think, “It will never happen with my dog.” With the high number of incidents that occur, it’s important that dog owners not ignore these stories, but rather see what lessons they can take away from them. It’s also vital that owners be … [more]
How Do Territorial Pets Increase Dog Bite Liability Risks?Most pet owners understand that territorial behaviors are a natural and instinctive occurrence in many canines. In fact, many pet owners utilize their furry friends’ territorial instincts to their advantage by looking to their canine companions to protect their homes and properties from intruders and alert the homeowner of any unexpected … [more]
Reward Based Training and its Role in Dog BehaviorAccording to an article published on the 4PawsUniversity site, there is a common misconception that reward-based training methods won’t work on dogs who have problems with their behavior, including aggression, or that reward-based trainers recommend ignoring all bad behavior. Quite the contrary, reward-based trainers only advise ignoring behavior that does not … [more]
Identifying Triggers of Aggression to Lower Dog Bite LiabilityCanine aggression is a natural and common reaction to the stimuli your pet will encounter during their life. While some animals are better at coping with aggression triggers, many animals lack the training and support from their owners to navigate emotional or instinct-driven prompts which can lead to acts of hostility. … [more]
Dog Bite Liability: Breaking up a DogfightRecently, we received a claim at F.I.D.O regarding a dog bite that resulted from a house guest breaking up a dogfight. Unfortunately, this is a rather common way for people to get bit. They sometimes mistakenly believe that their own dog, or even a friend’s dog, will not bite them. Quite often though, … [more]