Under Missouri law, dog owners are strictly liable for bites. This means that they can be liable even if they had no reason to suspect that their dog had the propensity to bite people. That said, there are some defenses that dog owners might raise if their dog bites someone. Some of the most common include: The defendant was not the owner of the dog and also was not responsible for harboring the dog. The victim was unlawfully on private property when the bite took place, The victim provoked the dog into attacking. In some cases, the defense may try to blame you for the dog bite, arguing that somehow your negligence caused the dog attack. This is just one more reason that you need an attorney as soon as possible after a dog bite.