Man Bitten By Dog Asks Online Community If He Should Be Worried, Owner Assures It's Vaccinated
A man got bitten by his buddy’s dog, and now he’s stuck in that awful middle zone between “probably fine” and “what if it’s not.” The bite itself is one thing, but the real drama is what it means for the people involved, especially since the owner insists the dog is vaccinated. It’s whether the dog actually broke skin, how much bacteria the dog’s mouth could’ve dragged into the wound, and why this dog is apparently biting people in the first place. Add in the owner’s assurances and the fact that the dog’s behavior might be escalating, and you’ve got a situation that’s way messier than a quick “oops.”
Now he’s wondering if he should be worried, or if he’s about to watch this dog bite someone else.
If the dog manages to cause an open wound, the OP needs to get checked.
No, it’s not OK. Dog mouths contain many bacteria, and if it actually manages to puncture or tear your flesh, you would need to see a doctor to have the wounds cleaned and treated.
In that case, you would have to present the bill to the owner of the dog for them to pay (it can go against their homeowner's insurance, but then the insurance company can drop them as clients if they choose, for having a dangerous dog). So, ask your buddy to please lock up the dog somewhere so it can’t bite you.
Or tell his mother that if the dog bites you again, you will call the police on them. You might lose a buddy, but you won’t have to deal with the painful aftermath of dog bites.
The owners also need to be made aware of their dog's behavior.
You should inform the owners of the dog that it is biting you. You probably will not get sick from the bites now, but the owners of the dog need to do something to stop their dog from biting people.
While it's unlikely that the OP will get rabies, the owners need to train this dog not to bite people.
You probably shouldn’t be worried about rabies, but the owner of the dog should be concerned about the dog’s behavior.
It’s only a matter of time before it bites someone who will report them.
This dog has a behavior problem, and its owners need to address it.
If the dog is current on its rabies vaccine, then you getting rabies from it biting you is not even an issue. The main issue is that the dog is biting someone.
A well-behaved dog’s activities do not include mouthing or biting any person!
The OP needs to get into the details about the dog's behavior. It's not clear if it's only play biting.
...I’m wondering why the dog is biting you. Are you playing with it, and is it “play-biting” or not?
If you don’t feel it’s playing with you, it would be a good idea to try staying away from him if you can, or bring a treat (possibly) for him to try to win his trust and affection (with the owner’s approval, of course). Good luck to you.
The OP needs to get his tetanus shot just to be safe.
You should definitely go to the emergency room and get a tetanus shot and have your wound cleaned professionally. It does not really matter that the dog is vaccinated, but the mouth of a dog contains many germs, and as such, you should have your wound looked after properly.
Plus, the shot… rabies is probably not your concern; just get the wound cleaned up. And send the bill to the dog owner.
If his dog bites, he should keep it away from people.
The owners shouldn't be accepting visitors if their dog has a bad biting habit.
Yes! I would never go to anyone’s house that has a dog that bites or allows a dog to bite someone!
The whole thing starts when OP gets bitten by the buddy’s dog, and the owner immediately leans on the “it’s vaccinated” line to calm everyone down.
This is similar to the clueless tenant who got circled and bitten by her landlord’s dog.
That’s when OP has to think about whether the bite was just mouthing or if it actually punctured or tore flesh, because that changes everything.
Then the conversation turns to the buddy and the dog’s owner, since they need to lock the dog up or deal with consequences if it bites again.
By the time OP asks for details on the dog’s behavior, the real fear is that this “play-biting” story might not be the full truth.
While the OP shouldn't be worried about getting rabies (if the dog is indeed vaccinated against it), he should still be checked by a doctor. The bill should then be covered by the owners since it's their fault that the dog isn't well-behaved.
The OP shouldn't be visiting his friend's house if the owners can't correct their dog's behavior.
He might be fine this time, but nobody wants to find out what happens the next time that dog decides to bite.
Wondering about consequences too, read how a dog trespassed and bit a neighbor’s dog, sparking liability concerns.
Share this article:
