The majority of dogs love being around people unless they have been badly treated by them. However, there are certain things that you may do and situations a dog finds themselves in that might just make them very nervous which could result in them biting you or another person.

A well-balanced, happy dog and one that gets lots of regular exercise is less likely to be stressed out or anxious, but they could still see someone or something as a threat. Below are a few reasons why a dog might decide to bite and which you need to be aware of.

The Strong Maternal Instinct

If a female dog has just had a litter of puppies, you need to show her a lot of respect and give her lots of space because she will most likely be ultra protective of her young. Some bitches get quite aggressive when they have puppies even towards the people they love.

You need to be very careful if you have children in the house because they might be a little too noisy and boisterous for your dog to have to cope with when she has puppies to look after. It is far safer to create a nice, quiet space for her to be with her puppies and always keep a close eye on the kids when they are around them. After a while, when the puppies are a little older, mum should settle back down to her normal self and not be quite so protective of her pups, but you still need to keep an eye on things.

Dogs When Threatened May Retaliate

Dogs when they feel threatened in any way may well respond quite aggressively and this applies to even the most docile of characters. If you see your dog is very excited or agitated about something, it's best to remain as calm as you can, avoiding direct eye contact because they may well see this as you challenging them. This is especially true if you have just got a new dog and you are getting to know each other.

It's best to remain quite still and to wait for your dog to calm down before you attempt to interact with them or to even touch them, Once they have calmed down, you should talk to your dog calmly to reassure them before attempting to stroke or pet them.

If you don't know the dog, it's best to stay very still and to wait for their owner to come and take control of the situation, the one thing you must not do is turn and run or have any direct eye contact with the dog.

When a Dog is in Pain or Injured

When dogs are in pain or injured in any way, they can become quite aggressive. Just stroking a painful area on your pet's body can result in them trying to bite you. Even the kindest natured dog will become defensive when they are hurting through injury or illness. The best thing to do if you find your dog injured or you think they are in pain, is to take them to the vet as a matter of urgency so they can be correctly treated and given something to ease their discomfort.

Teasing a Dog Can Result in them Biting

It goes without saying that dogs love to play interactive games with their owners, but there is such a thing as over-doing things which could make a dog getting far too excited and this could result in them biting you. Teasing a dog is never a good idea either because it could lead to aggressive behaviour. The signs to watch out for include the following:

• Ears held back
• Baring teeth
• Fur standing up on their heckles
• Growling

If you have just got a dog and you are getting to know each other, it's best to play gentle games and to avoid anything that gets your new pet overly excited.

Possessiveness Over Food & Toys

Some dogs are very possessive about their food and sometimes even over their toys, so it's important to either respect this behaviour or better still to correct it. Possessiveness has to be seen as an unwanted behaviour that needs to be dealt with to avoid anything nasty from happening, which includes anyone getting bitten by your dog.

A dog can also become very possessive over their owners, which is another behavioural problem that needs to be gently corrected sooner rather than later. If your dog is very possessive over you, in order to prevent anyone from getting bitten if they come too close, you should seek professional advice from a dog trainer to correct this type of behaviour.

Never Get in Between a Dog Fight

If you ever have the misfortune to be around dogs when they get into a fight, the last thing you should do is attempt to get in-between them in order to pull them apart even if one of the dogs is your beloved and loving pooch. If you put your hands or arms down to try to pull them apart, there's a very strong possibility that you will end up being bitten by either or both dogs.

The best way to stop dogs from fighting is to startle them with a loud bang or sound like clapping your hands together. If you have access to any water, fill up a bucket and then throw this at the dogs which usually startles them enough to get them apart. These methods are far safer than trying to pull the dogs apart when they get into a spat.