Dog bite advice needed

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Have you spoken about reporting the dog to your boss??? you may want to before you do it, as repercussions may come back onto the company and you may find yourself out of work....just a thought.

I thought the exact same thing. I am an onwer/operator of a pet grooming business and unfortunatley bites are a part of the business. A sharpei is a dog that should always be handled carefully, as theyre originally fighting dogs. I have been bitten by numerous dogs (all sizes) and it's just part of the business.
Get your hand checked out by a doc.
I wouldn't refuse to do the dog again, just be careful next time and get the owner to muzzle it before he hands it over.
 
SERIOUSLY, get a new job. You are obviously delusional if you think every dog will come to you for a biscuit. Get a reality check. You should not be working with dogs at all IMO. It just looks like you are trying to blame the dog for what happened and not yourself for not taking precautions.
 
nup, deffinately not a fear bite. and it wasn't 'foldy-skin rolly dog' and hes not blind. the fact his he bit me, with every intention of doing me damage, plain and simply, and i feel he is in the hands of an irresponsible owner.

blah. boils my blood.

Firstly , what terrible thing to happen to you, certainly something that can be avoided. First aid wise, obviously clean the wound, tetnus shot, constant cleaning of wound site.

A very handy tip but one that stings a little is to get a 3ml syringe or so, mix 50% betadine and 50% peroxide, shake it up and squirt quite forcebally into the punctures, this will cause it to bubble up and push any unwanted debris left in the bottom of those puncture marks, that is where the infection builds, believe me i know, dog bites are a part of my everyday life lol..

Now.. lol

Do you think you are qualified to state that it was "definately not a fear bite" ?

Why do you believe the owners of this dog are irresponsible? because the owner didn't react the way you believe they should have??

Dogs bite for many many reasons, and no not all are excusable. I just feel from the circumstances you provided the dog was in no wrong.

Before you started your employment, Did they train you in the correct handling techniques for all different breeds, if so, how and where?

Were you properly "introduced" to the dog, and if so, how?

There are so many factors behind a bite from a canine, and for you to instantlybelieve the dog is in the wrong, is wrong in itself. Why report themto the council?

Do you want to see the dog destroyed? if so, why?

People who offer reasons such as "A child may get hi/her face ripped off" are quite right in their assumptions, but the likelihood is less than likely. Do you think a Strange child will approach and handle the dog in a manner that is usually reserved for his/her owner? If so, trouble will occur, with alot of different breeds and individuals.

What do you know about the sharpei's charecteristics and did you take that into account when approaching, greeting and handling the animal?

I'm not on either side, and am not discounting any thing you say, Its a sensitive subject and not one that is black and white, when dealing with animals as you know, therer are many many shades of grey.

I'd like to look at it from the dogs point of view as well, hence all my questions.

Cheers, i hope your hand gets better.
 
Hmmm as others have said if you report this one single bite

that was clearly not aggressive considering the breed it is...

You are risking your job & also making your company look like amatures...

Not to mention loosing customers, as it is the owner of the sharpei will most likely

speak with other dog owners & you would loose business from that alone.

Word of mouth is a huge part of keeping & running a successful business..

Bites are going to happen & if you plan on running to the authorities over every single bite

you will find yourself calling them quite often ;)

I seriously don't think you should be working as a groomer if you can't deal with being bitten.
 
I am a Shar-pei owner, and I know the breed very well. Although I don't know this dog personally I can say it was probably not the dogs fault. If anything it would be the owners fault. I have two dogs, a girl which is very skittish with new people who would rather run away that try and bite anything or anyone and a boy who is very weary of new people. He may snap if someone comes up to him too quickly and he doesn't see them coming (their sight is not the best), but he would never perposely attack someone. For this reason I NEVER leave my dog alone with strange people.

If this is your first time meeting the dog and you were taking it away from it's safe place it could have freaked out. But the owner should know this and should have stayed with the dog, and maybe even walked the dog out to the wash area himself. Also personally my dogs don't like water, I have to drag them to the bath and my big boy does the spread legs thing when I try to lift him into the bath. So a combination of taking him away to water without his owner may have been a few triggers.

I would suggest to the owner to muzzle on future washes, or make sure he is with the dog at all times. Not all Shar-pei's are aggressive, but they do have the capability to hurt someone if they wanted to, big mouths and all. Although with all my time spent with other breeders/owners and their dogs I've never come across one that's tried to bite someone unprevoked.

Don't put the whole blame on the dog, maybe speak to the owner, seems like he shouldn't own one to begin with. These dogs require a lot of time with training and obedience, and for things like washing they need a lot of patience. So maybe a combined effort with muzzles and the owner's effort might make future visits a lot more comfortable for both dog and groomer.
 
nup, deffinately not a fear bite. and it wasn't 'foldy-skin rolly dog' and hes not blind. the fact his he bit me, with every intention of doing me damage, plain and simply, and i feel he is in the hands of an irresponsible owner.

blah. boils my blood.
...no, he bit you because he hates baths. From everything that you have said, he doesn't seem like an aggressive dog at all. You were taking him to the bath, and you noticed he resented that, and he spun around and bit you. I'm not suprised that he did that at all.. If he was aggressive he would have been staring you down, baring his front teeth, growling and lunging at you.. THAT is aggressive. Not a nip on the thumb on the way to the dreaded bath.

When you work with animals you run a risk of being hurt.. do you think I can report a client's dog when it bites me while I'm giving it an injection for being aggressive? I don't think so, it's just a hazard of the job.
 
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Bite

Some if not all Sharpei's (known as Chinese fighting dogs) are prone to skin infections that they will physically bite/scratch at and sometimes they make themselves so red roar and sore that it bleeds.

You could also ask the owner (if this is possible) if the dog has even been washed before. This may be the reason the dog did strike out and bite - it may have feared being placed in the dog wash after a bad experience.

You have a moral obligation to report it to Council. Council but since it has occured and you have stated that the dog has never been an issue possibly means that he feared having the bath.

I know it's a hazard of the job that you chance getting bitten but reporting dog attacks/dog bites is a vital way Councils record data.

Hope this does'nt throw you off in anyway.
 
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You have a moral obligation to report it to Council. Council needs to know. This may not be the first time and like others have mentioned it could be a kid next time.

I know it's a hazard of the job that you chance getting bitten but reporting dog attacks/dog bites is a vital way Councils record data.

.

Qld councils take a hard line on dog bites, their version of recording data is by slapping a dangerous dog charge on the owner, the owner then has to pay costly registration fees and build a suitable enclosure within the backyard ( lockable dog-run), this is a costly exercise and often owners take the easier option... this can also happen if your dog bites another dog, they hand them out willy nilly.
 
Im sorry,but you do sound like an amateur.You quite clearly handled the situation very poorly with zero preparation and thought for yours and the dogs well being.
I dont think you understand the psychology of dogs very well at all and believe you have chosen this as a career because it "seems like fun" spending your days playing with dogs.
As the owner of 2 dogs deemed "Dangerous breed" dogs i can tell you that presuming they will do what you wont will only end in disaster.Perhaps you should stick to bathing the "fluffy" little ankle biters in future and i would advise muzzlig them also as a extra precaution.
 
As an owner of large breed dogs (some will refer to them as dangerous) it needs to be understood what is aggression and what is a fear response. How often do we see small dogs snarling, bearing teeth and lunging at people, no one cares, however if it is a larger dog that lunges while its tail is wagging wanting to play everyone thinks its going to kill them.

However I do not believe that a person should expect to get a bite if they work with dogs, especially if the owner is present.

There may well be other ways to handle the situation but as none of us were there we can only go on what you have said. If you report it to the authorities there will be a knee jerk reaction, I can guarentee you that if it was a small breed dog you wouldn't hear about it, but large "dangerous" breed dogs will get negative media.

Your boss should be informed of the situation so they can take it up with the owner if they wish, you can simply refuse to work with the dog unless it is muzzled. Your boss will loose business if you complain, people wont trust the business with their dogs! The word would spread very fast.
 
Snakehandler, your response was probably one of the most useful to me so far.
Firstly, yes my boss is fully aware of the circumstances surrounding the incident, she was on scene minutes afterwards and was the one to personally inform the owner that we would no longer wash his dog due to the risk of further injury. Also, she personally advised me to report the bite to the council, she has many years experience in the industry and in dog training and this bite is the worst she has seen. She has no fear of losing customers over this, our customer base is loyal and confident in our abilities, not to mention that this is the first dog to bite while simply being led to the bath. The only other bites we have are from little dogs that are simply being rude, and nothing more than a nip. We do muzzle dogs that come to us to have their coats shaved due to severe matting which is causing the animal pain, in which case we do not touch the dog until the owner has muzzled it.
And frankly, just because I work in an animal related industry does NOT mean I should expect to get bitten. I can handle getting bitten, I get scratched quite badly all the time, but those animals have no intention of harming me. As I have stated previously, I am worried about this animal doing damage to a child. I am appalled to see such comments as ‘suck it up’, since when was it acceptable for a dog to bite? I was not threatening the dog or its owner, I was not acting nervous, and I was not encouraging a bite through inappropriate behaviour. As far as I interpret the situation the animal believed itself to be dominant over myself because I was not permitted to enter the property by the owner when the animal was, when I challenged it by forcing it to walk with me towards the bath (and by this I mean simply leading it to the bath on a leash) when it did not want to, it felt the need to reassert its dominance, hence the bite.
I have no personal vendetta against this animal and as I have stated the last thing I want is for it to be destroyed. On calling the council I have been informed that the animal already has a record, I was not given specifics but I was told that the animal is often reported as roaming outside the owner’s property and is known to menace walkers and their dogs.
And no, I am not blaming the dog, I am blaming the owner, as the above point explains. The owner needs to take appropriate care to ensure his animals are not a danger to other people, and if that means he needs to have a fine slapped on him for this then so be it.
 
Snakehandler, your response was probably one of the most useful to me so far.
Firstly, yes my boss is fully aware of the circumstances surrounding the incident, she was on scene minutes afterwards and was the one to personally inform the owner that we would no longer wash his dog due to the risk of further injury. Also, she personally advised me to report the bite to the council, she has many years experience in the industry and in dog training and this bite is the worst she has seen. She has no fear of losing customers over this, our customer base is loyal and confident in our abilities, not to mention that this is the first dog to bite while simply being led to the bath. The only other bites we have are from little dogs that are simply being rude, and nothing more than a nip. We do muzzle dogs that come to us to have their coats shaved due to severe matting which is causing the animal pain, in which case we do not touch the dog until the owner has muzzled it.
And frankly, just because I work in an animal related industry does NOT mean I should expect to get bitten. I can handle getting bitten, I get scratched quite badly all the time, but those animals have no intention of harming me. As I have stated previously, I am worried about this animal doing damage to a child. I am appalled to see such comments as ‘suck it up’, since when was it acceptable for a dog to bite? I was not threatening the dog or its owner, I was not acting nervous, and I was not encouraging a bite through inappropriate behaviour. As far as I interpret the situation the animal believed itself to be dominant over myself because I was not permitted to enter the property by the owner when the animal was, when I challenged it by forcing it to walk with me towards the bath (and by this I mean simply leading it to the bath on a leash) when it did not want to, it felt the need to reassert its dominance, hence the bite.
I have no personal vendetta against this animal and as I have stated the last thing I want is for it to be destroyed. On calling the council I have been informed that the animal already has a record, I was not given specifics but I was told that the animal is often reported as roaming outside the owner’s property and is known to menace walkers and their dogs.
And no, I am not blaming the dog, I am blaming the owner, as the above point explains. The owner needs to take appropriate care to ensure his animals are not a danger to other people, and if that means he needs to have a fine slapped on him for this then so be it.
Shooshoo, firstly, you should, in your job, muzzle all dogs, until you trust their temperament, and secondly repeat the first step. In my experience of dog owners, do not trust any of them with your bodily health, as most aint got the foggiest idea. With very few exceptions, owners are the cause of dog aggression, they should know their dog, you dont..
 
Agreed cockney, i have already spoken to my boss about having a full set of muzzles assigned to the mobile hydrobath.
 
How quick we all are to blame the breed of dog when really it is the owner who is at fault for numerous reasons.
Perhaps the dog is freightened of being bathed, or perhaps if it was a dog you are unfamiliar with you should have asked the owner a few questions first about his dogs history,and maybe played with the animal for a few minutes first to gain its trust.
I think alot of the responsibility lies with you as you didnt do any research into the dog you were about to bath, which can be a stressful experience for a nervous dog, and wouldnt the odd bite here and there be part and parcel of the job?Perhaps you can take something away from this and be better prepared next time you wash a dog you dont know.
So you suggest that she should play with the dog for a few minutes, and spend time researching every breed, (and by this I assume you would include all cross breeds as well, or your statement seems obsolete) and still be expected to charge a reasonable rate and perform baths at short notice? If this dog hadn't bitten before, the owner wouldn't have been so indifferent about the bite. Clearly the owner is negligent and hasn't bothered to properly train the dog.

If this dog has never bitten anyone before you, could it be that it could sense that you were nervous by having never washed it before. If you were, it would sense this and behave very differently to ordinary behaviour. IMO it is your boss and the person supervising you who are at fault for not educating you correctly into animal behaviours and responses. It might pay for you to research the behaviours of each breed that you will be washing the next day so you are better prepared. Your boss should also have given you several different sizes of muzzle and it would be a good thing to muzzle every dog you haven't washed before until you are confident with them and they have gotten to know you. This is definately a work cover report as its your boss' negligence in training you. By reporting this particular animal to other authorities, I think your boss would be in trouble. The animals owner assumes that they are having someone who is well trained to handle all types of animals - this is what they are paying for.

I hope that your hand is going ok. If there is any soreness, swelling or redness, you must go to a doctor and get some antibiotic treatment and testing for nerve/ligament damage. Look after yourself first and foremost.
See above comment. Also, I can tell you now that Shooshoo is a very experienced dog/animal handler. It is not my belief that her actions caused the dog to act in that way

You work as a dog washer and it never occured to you that you will get bitten???
Thats like owning a snake and expecting to never get a scratch... Then when it happens, getting out the shovel....

Why do people jump to conclusions that a dog will attack a child??
ITS A ANIMAL PEOPLE! And therefore there is always a risk of being on the bitey end, dont matter if your dog is 15 year old and never bitten.. Its still a dog!

What if you could put people down everytime they are aggressive towards you....
As Shooshoo said, when did it become ok for dogs to bite? These animals are supposed to be domesticated. When owners take on the responsibility of owning a dog, they also take on the responsibility of taking adequate measures to ensure this sort of behaviour never happens. Just look at what happens to noobs who come on here after buying a snake and then ask for advice about handling and keeping requirements. They get flamed or ignored. Talk about double standards. Buying a dog is no small commitment.

You get bitten by a Sharpei & all you get is a hole on your thumb......That isn't aggression! Seriously.......you are in the wrong job if you are worried about a bite like that! A Sharpei is not a small dog & IF it meant business, which it clearly did not, you have way more than a hole! Maybe a wee bit of over reaction on your part imo. That said, I would submit an accident report in case it gets infected & you need to make a claim.
Once again, a bite is a bite. The animal intended to do damage, and it is likely to do so again.

Personally, I'd just suck it up and live with it, some dogs bite, nothing new about that. I would of (before or soon after getting the job) sought information about what action the company you work for does in such a situation as far as payment and health care go, but as a dog washer you are working with animals with big mouths, sharp teeth and primative minds...you have to expect to be bitten from time to time..... yes yes yes, the owner should not have got the dog washed if it was an edgy dog, but dobbing him into the council isn't the way to go imo, as there is a good chance the dog will face the needle... If someone lets their aggressive dog wander the streets or out the front of their house, yes, report them, but accidents will happen from time to time, and just because a dog may bite, still dosn't make it dangerous, as any dog can bite. Did you ask the owner about the dogs temperment before going near it? I would of.
Of course any dog can bite. Doesn't mean they should! The owner has a responsibility to inform ANYBODY who interacts with this dangerous dog that it is edgy and may bite.

Have you spoken about reporting the dog to your boss??? you may want to before you do it, as repercussions may come back onto the company and you may find yourself out of work....just a thought.
How exactly will repercussions come back onto the company when clearly the owner of the dog is at fault?

SERIOUSLY, get a new job. You are obviously delusional if you think every dog will come to you for a biscuit. Get a reality check. You should not be working with dogs at all IMO. It just looks like you are trying to blame the dog for what happened and not yourself for not taking precautions.
Dogs_should_not_bite! No excuses!

Before you started your employment, Did they train you in the correct handling techniques for all different breeds, if so, how and where?

What do you know about the sharpei's charecteristics and did you take that into account when approaching, greeting and handling the animal?
Blaming the breed of dog is a cop-out. At the end of the day, if the owner buys a breed of dog, they should know if it tends to be aggressive and should train it out of them from day one. You can't rely on breed of dog to make an assessment about how they will behave. Only the owner can tell you for sure.

Im sorry,but you do sound like an amateur.You quite clearly handled the situation very poorly with zero preparation and thought for yours and the dogs well being.
I dont think you understand the psychology of dogs very well at all and believe you have chosen this as a career because it "seems like fun" spending your days playing with dogs.
As the owner of 2 dogs deemed "Dangerous breed" dogs i can tell you that presuming they will do what you wont will only end in disaster.Perhaps you should stick to bathing the "fluffy" little ankle biters in future and i would advise muzzlig them also as a extra precaution.
Get off your high horse. What makes you jump to the conclusion that she's chosen this as a job just because it "seems like fun".

You say that presuming dogs will do what you want will end in disaster? I assume this comes from your personal experience, otherwise you wouldn't stand by it? Learn how to train a dog properly before you comment on the behaviour of a poorly trained dog in the hands of an experienced handler.

And frankly, just because I work in an animal related industry does NOT mean I should expect to get bitten. I can handle getting bitten, I get scratched quite badly all the time, but those animals have no intention of harming me. As I have stated previously, I am worried about this animal doing damage to a child. I am appalled to see such comments as ‘suck it up’, since when was it acceptable for a dog to bite? I was not threatening the dog or its owner, I was not acting nervous, and I was not encouraging a bite through inappropriate behaviour. As far as I interpret the situation the animal believed itself to be dominant over myself because I was not permitted to enter the property by the owner when the animal was, when I challenged it by forcing it to walk with me towards the bath (and by this I mean simply leading it to the bath on a leash) when it did not want to, it felt the need to reassert its dominance, hence the bite.
I have no personal vendetta against this animal and as I have stated the last thing I want is for it to be destroyed. On calling the council I have been informed that the animal already has a record, I was not given specifics but I was told that the animal is often reported as roaming outside the owner’s property and is known to menace walkers and their dogs.
And no, I am not blaming the dog, I am blaming the owner, as the above point explains. The owner needs to take appropriate care to ensure his animals are not a danger to other people, and if that means he needs to have a fine slapped on him for this then so be it.
Amen.
 
Good suggestion

Agreed cockney, i have already spoken to my boss about having a full set of muzzles assigned to the mobile hydrobath.

The muzzle suggestion was a good one. I'd be getting the owners to place them on the dogs though. If you attempt to place a muzzle ona dog that does'nt really know you you might actually cop a bite on the face.
 
Delusional. Any dog can potentially bite. Just like any person can throw a punch or push or shove. :rolleyes:

any dog can bite, should they? no. theres a difference. and thats why people get arrested for assault...
 
I didn't say they should. I'm saying they CAN and you have to expect that some will. You should know that is an animal.

oh here is an idea....

Why don't we all eliminate our snakes? What if one escapes?! it can potentially strangle us! :shock:Lets call the council because it bit us..... and maybe now it can strike and kill a baby! :rolleyes:

IT'S AN ANIMAL- makes no difference what animal it is.
 
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