Whether a dog bites will depend on the dog’s breed, personality, treatment by its owners, and the circumstances of the moment of the bite. Dogs are most likely to bite when they are reacting to a change in their environment.
Dogs are most likely to attack or bite when they are:
Sick or injured
Feeling threatened or scared
Protecting any item they consider theirs or their family member’s
Playing or overexcited
More than half of estimated dog bite victims are children. Bites may result from the loud and energetic actions of children, their lack of understanding of boundaries (including for dogs’ property such as food and toys), and the inability of children to understand a dog’s pain, anger, or stress cues.