I’ve been carrying around a secret for years. I was bitten by a dog. There. I said it. It’s hard to admit when you are a humane educator and someone who teaches kids how not to get bitten, that it happened to me. So, other than the scar on my butt cheek, and the story I’ve told friends, I haven’t discussed it publicly. (Note: Neither of the dogs pictured here are the dog that bit me.)

That is until I read that my friend and colleague, Justine, was bitten too. I was so inspired by her honesty and ability to share what she did wrong that I decided it was time for me to share too. Here’s her story: http://www.thefamilydog.com/blog/when-the-dog-safety-expert-gets-bitten/. What makes this so powerful is that not only is she a dog trainer, but she’s a dog safety expert and her company, The Family Dog, offers a wonderful video program about keeping kids safe around dogs. Her work is incredible and opening up to share her experience is commendable.  So please read her story here and learn what she did wrong so you can avoid that same scenario if you find yourself in a similar situation. Thanks, Justine, for your vulnerability and candor.

So here’s what happened to me. About five years ago, I was driving down a busy street and saw a dog off leash in a front yard. I did what I usually do which is stop my car, get out and start calling out loud to see if someone was nearby but not visible. “Hello- is this your dog? Your dog is out! Whose dog is this?” I was concerned that he could wander into the street and get hit by a car.

There were no humans around that I could see and I started walking a little closer to the dog to see if maybe a front door or gate was open. Well, that dog decided that I had come too close to his territory and started chasing me off. Unfortunately, I did NOT listen to my own advice, which is to “stand like a tree.” Our natural instinct is to run when being chased, which is what I did. Even if I was a fast runner (which I’m not) I probably couldn’t have outrun this dog.  He leaped up and took a bite out of my butt and then luckily for me, turned around. I suppose he was satisfied that I got the message with that warning bite. He was right. I was fortunate that he didn’t maul me. Hopefully, I’ll never be in the situation again, but if I am, I’m trying the tree method.

He had bitten through my pants and it was pretty gory so I went to urgent care where they cleaned me up. I called animal control to let them know that there was a dog loose and I had been bitten. The most upsetting part is that this is the fault of the caregiver/owner/pet parent (whatever you like to call them). Actually, I’m taking responsibility for not reading his body language sooner.  Yes, dogs get out sometimes. Mine have too. This dog was just doing his job and protecting his home. We’ve all read stories of dogs that jump over fences to attack people in the street. This wasn’t the case here. But this dog should not have been outside, off leash with no one around.

Never mind that I was getting on a plane to fly across the country to drive around the East coast and could barely sit. It was an uncomfortable few weeks while I healed but I learned a couple of lessons. First, from now on, if I don’t 100% trust a dog that is loose, I’m calling Animal Control. I have their phone numbers in my phone now and I call them when I see a dog. Second, it’s important to share these stories when they happen because maybe I can help someone else avoid getting bitten. Just like Justine did by sharing her story. Doggone Safe has some great materials and I continue to recommend The Family Dog because their information is great, not just for kids. For more information from professionals about safety around dogs, pick up a copy of What to Expect When Adopting a Dog!