A big part of safely managing an aggressive pet is knowing when
it will bite. During a presentation as part of the CVC in Kansas
City, Saturday, Aug. 25, Wayne Hunthausen, DVM, laid out several
considerations and situations in which missteps can be
hazardous: - First and foremost, identify the specific behavior
patterns and triggers for aggression. - Determine whether the
pet's behavior in these situations is consistent. For example,
if touching the pet's head causes it to bite but not necessarily
all of the time, danger may increase because people tend to let
their guards down when a pet is not consistently aggressive. -
Understand that supposedly benign stimulation may cause the pet
to be aggressive. Most people realize that a strong stimulus,
such as kicking a dog, will likely cause aggression. On the
other hand, many would not expect to be bitten if they calmly
bend down, eye-to-eye to a dog and pat it on the head. -
Investigate whether the pet gives advanced warning. The absence
of warning signals increa