Patients frequently become nervous of dogs. Parents often suffer from shame and guilt and suffer more than the child. The increase in population of large dogs has resulted in an increased severity of bites. The pit bull terrier is a common cause of urban dog bite injuries in children. The tendency for dogs to bite is the product of many factors.
Some breeds have a genetic predisposition towards aggressiveness.
There is less tendency to bite with early socialization to people, training, quality of care and supervision. Factors that may increase the tendency to bite include maltreatment, behavior of the victim, and possibly the weather. A Threatened Dog Often Bites Never run from or scream at a dog. Do not challenge the dog by staring it right in the eye. Be as still as possible if approached by an unfamiliar dog.