The calls for the dogs which attacked and mauled four-year-old Ezekiel Renne-Cambridge to be euthanised are still ringing in our ears, accompanied by dire threats that the dogs have now got a "taste for human blood and will therefore start to prey on humans." Let me assure you that this is nothing more than a myth, or an old-wives tale, as we Trinis like to say. Dogs have been domesticated from the grey wolf for more than 15,000 years. Man began to control the reproduction of their animals and launched a process of selective breeding to obtain descendants that were more docile, suitable for defence, for vermin control, for herding or guiding their flocks or for hunting. Countless generations of intensive breeding have resulted in a great diversity of dog breeds, with over 400 recognised breeds throughout the world, making up one species-Canis familiaris. Even today, dogs which bite humans are usually euthanised, thereby eliminating any predisposition for aggression towards humans. It is therefore not within the genetic make-up of a dog to bite a human for no reason.
Let's discuss some of the reasons why a dog may bite:
•Dogs have a hierarchy where an alpha male (and/or female) leads, and the rest of the pack is subservient (much like a human home where mother and father are at the top and the children are supposed to be obedient to and respectful of their parents).
The alpha controls all of the resources of the pack. When we take a dog into our homes, if we do not establish ourselves as pack leaders, the dog steps into this role and starts to dominate us.
This results in a situation where the dog does not listen to you, growls or snaps at you if you are trying to get him to do something he does not want to do, and guards his resources (such as food and toys) from you.
• Territorial aggression-all dogs defend that which they perceive to be their territory, which may extend beyond the property lines recognised by legal authorities into your street and surrounding neighbourhood. .
• Predatory aggression-Dogs retain their instinctive predatory drives since they remain hunters by nature. They tend to prey on animals that are small and fast. Humans are large in comparison (but this is why small children are often attacked) and often move too slowly to excite the predatory drive.
Most dogs pretend to attack and if you refuse to accept this challenge by keeping still, averting your eyes from the dog (ignore) and remain silent and calm, they often wander away because you're not stimulating enough. However, if you start to scream, squeal and run away, this can trigger an attack since you now sound and move like prey. When dogs go in for the kill they like to scruff the animal around the neck and shake it to death, which is why smaller animals are preferred, not humans!
• Many dogs bite out of fear (or even frustration or irritation) if they are being agitated, teased or taunted. Again, children tend to be victims since they are usually the perpetrators of these acts.
• A docile pet may sink its teeth into your arm simply because it's in pain. Many animals tend to mask their pain because visible signs of pain dictate weakness in the animal kingdom; weakness which must be avoided at all cost.
There are many other reasons why a dog may bite, which is why each case should be assessed by a professional before making the decision to euthanise the animal, who is rarely at fault.Always remember that your dog must be properly educated (obedience training), adequately socialised, appropriately disciplined, sufficiently exercised and mentally stimulated. Unfortunately, many citizens in T&T are clamouring for bigger and more aggressive breeds due to a rising crime rate. It is certainly not a problem to have a big, bad dog, provided that your dog is not aggressive towards your family, easily controlled by you and your family, and cannot escape the confines of your yard. The dog's willingness to become "man's best friend" and to accept a human master as a substitute for a canine pack leader has allowed for its remarkably smooth integration into civilised society. A dog will happily allow itself to be trained by man and remain loyal and submissive to the wishes of its master in return for shelter, companionship and an adequate standard of general care. When we accept a dog into our homes, it is our responsibility to provide for that animal everything he or she requires to have a happy, healthy and balanced life.