THE OWNER

1. When faced with the realization their dog has bitten someone, many owners will say one of three things...
   
   • "My dog doesn't bite!"
   • "It wasn't my dog!"
   • "I don't have a dog!"
   • Some will say all three.
     
2. Once you have established whose dog did the biting you need some basic information.
   
   • Was this dog purchased by the owner or was it a gift?
   • If purchased, what was the price and how does that price compare with currently advertised prices? [In other words, was it a bargain? a cull? a runt? maybe an unacceptable color or does it have defects or markings which preclude it from being registered with the AKC or some other breed registry?]
   • If a gift, was it a surprise gift? Did the breeder or previous owner give it away to reduce his cost of maintenance? [What we are trying to deduce here is, did the current owner go out and choose this animal, or was it forced upon him by a relative, a neighbor, or an acquaintance.]
   • SPECIAL NOTE: Many owners of biting dogs claim the animal actually belongs to a son or daughter, relative or friend. The most common of these kinds of people will claim they just feed the animal. It lives under their porch, but just appeared out of nowhere. Closer examination may reveal that they have been feeding it for years. The situation is much like common law marriage or the situation with undocumented aliens. It may take a judge to determine ownership. Find out how long the person who harbors the dog has been doing so. If the dog has had a litter under that porch, the offspring may be entitled to citizenship.
     
3. How much does the owner know about the breed he owns?
   
   • How was this knowledge obtained? Did the owner study various breeds before making a selection? Did he or she get advice? Read a book? [Popular dog books, The AKC Complete Dog Book included, give glowing accounts of every breed. This is because each description was written by someone who, however expert or misguided, loves the breed or profits from its popularity.]
     
4. How much does the owner know about this particular dog?
   
   • Was it obtained as a pup and trained by the current owner, or... was it obtained as an adult, with little or no history of training or temperament?
     
5. Now a very important question. Why did the owner obtain this dog? Particularly, why did he or she choose this breed? (i.e. hunting? work? companionship? security? or maybe sheep herding?)
   
   • If the owner obtained this dog for security purposes, what is the dog expected to do? [Is it supposed to pee on your leg? make a noise? threat? intimidate? attack?]
   • Did the owner provide any special training for the dog? (i.e. formal obedience training or backyard training?) [Note: formal obedience training involves the owner as much or more than the dog.]
   • If this dog is kept for security purposes, were warning signs in an appropriate language posted on the property?
     
6. When was the last time, prior to the bite, that the owner took the dog to a veterinarian, and for what reason? (i.e. does the owner care enough for the animal to provide proper health care, including recommended shots, wormings, etc?) [This speaks to the question of companionship. In my experience, even the most caring dog owners do not treat security guards as they treat their companions.]
   
   • Did the owner provide a current rabies vaccination for this animal prior to the attack? [Were any shots purchased at a feed store or through the mail and were they self-administered? Get proof!]
   • Was the dog quarantined following the bite? [If it was, then the dog was either not vaccinated, or not licensed, or neither licensed nor vaccinated.] Get a copy of the quarantine documentation and determine if the proper dog was quarantined. Make sure there is proper identification of the dog and that it matches the dog that did the biting. Find out if animal control has a record of any previous biting incidents involving this dog.
     
7. Did the owner legally license the dog in the city or county having proper jurisdiction? [Get proof!] In Texas a dog cannot be licensed if it is not first legally vaccinated against rabies. [Legally vaccinated means the dog was vaccinated by a veterinarian licensed to practice in the state where the vaccine was given.]
   
8. Does the owner allow the animal to routinely run at large? [Your best proof is a video tape. Photographs are taken in fractions of seconds and one photo does not establish a routine. Take a series of pictures or tapes and date them.]
   
9. Does the owner provide a well-maintained fence or kennel for the dog?
   
10. Does the owner provide fresh food, water, and adequate shade? [You are not trying to establish that the owner is cruel. You must establish that the animal has a reason to leave its property (hunger, thirst, frustration, boredom, sex, etc.) and has a means of escape (a hole in or under the fence). Some dogs cannot be contained by an ordinary fence and will easily climb over in both directions.]
    
11. Does the owner routinely exercise the dog on a leash, or is it left to exercise itself by running a fence line or barking at passing cars and children?
    
12. Is the owner renting the property where the dog is kept? Renters often do not have liability insurance. In this case, you must find out if the property owner/manager has given permission for the renter to have a dog, and if there are restrictions on the kind or size of dog the person may keep. If the animal is in violation of a rental agreement, is management aware of the violation and have they indicated a desire to enforce the terms of the rental agreement? [To some apartment managers it is more important to keep the apartments full than it is to enforce what may appear to be an arbitrary rule.]
    
13. Finally, a few clues about certain owners. If you see specific items of equipment near where the dog is kept, you may want to look further.
    
    • The most overlooked item is a car tire. A shredded tire, suspended from a tree or a pole, much like the old tire used to make a child's swing is a perfect giveaway. Also a treadmill or a merry-go-round device used to exercise the dog should tip you off that the owner is probably a dog fighter.
    • Dog fighters know their animals are lethal and cannot legitimately claim the dog does not have vicious propensities abnormal to dogs.
    • Dog fighting is a felony in nearly every state.
      

I have specific information, supported by Texas Department of Health statistics and Houston Health Department statistics, on the prevalence of animal bites inflicted by specific breeds of dogs. To be absolutely fair, you need to see what the apologists for various breeds say about their animals. To see what the pit bull people think about their dogs, you may want to click on the APBT link below.

The American Kennel Club (AKC for short) is an organization located at 51 Madison Avenue in New York City that establishes the rules for most dog shows. It also registers dogs; it does not breed them. At my last count it recognized (registered) 140 different breeds. However, it does not register all breeds. For example, the Jack Russell Terrier, and several varieties of coon hounds are not currently eligible for registration. Two well known breeds the AKC does register are,

1. The American Staffordshire Terrier
2. The Staffordshire Bull Terrier...

To learn about American Pit Bull Terriers, try APBT OnLine.

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to Robert E. Armstrong DVM, MS.