Why Dogs Bite Kids

Yahoo recently ran an article on why dogs bite kids.

• Young children (under 6 years) were more likely to be bitten when a dog felt the kids were threatening to take the dogs' food or toys.
• Older children were bitten when the dog felt the kids were encroaching on its territory.
• Children familiar to the dog were more likely to be bitten while the dog was guarding its food.
• Unfamiliar children were more likely to be bitten while the dog was protecting its territory.

I've heard it suggested that dogs bite to correct younger dogs when they do something wrong. The belief was that the dog felt it had to care for the child and teach it the ways of the household. If nothing else, this study certainly looked at a lot of cases (111)