Ian Dunbar's Bite Assessment Scale

Level 1- Dog growls, lunges, snarls-no teeth touch skin. Mostly intimidation behavior.

Level 2- Teeth touch skin but no puncture. May have red mark/minor bruise from dog’s head or snout, may have minor scratches from paws/nails. Minor surface abrasions acceptable.

Level 3- Punctures ½ the length of a canine tooth, one to four holes, single bite. No tearing or slashes. Victim not shaken side to side. Bruising.

Level 4- One to four holes from a single bite, one hole deeper than ½ the length of a canine tooth, typically contact/punctures from more than canines only. Black bruising, tears and/or slashing wounds. Dog clamped down and shook or slashed victim.

Level 5- Multiple bites at Level 4 or above. A concerted, repeated attack.

Level 6- Any bite resulting in death of a human.

Cesar Milan has over simplified aggression for dogs. In his mind all dogs are aggressive from fear or dominance. He calls every dog that performs Level 2 or above a 'red-zone' case and overall makes it sound as if they were a lot worse than they actually are. As the above scale illustrates, there are several different levels of severity in aggression. Liwanu for instance; was at worst a 3+ which in the big picture isn't that bad. It's not good and it doesn't make him less of a danger but it doesn't mean he needs to be put down for being vicious. Levels 5 & 6 are the ones that most likely will need to be humanely euthanised because most owners are not capable of putting the time, energy and money into rehabilitating them. I really hate the term 'rehabilitation' because Cesar Milan has decided to use it as a catch phrase. Using R+ methods aggressive dogs can be healed and eventually can be integrated into a very average lifestyle. I would never consider an aggressive dog cured, it's more like being a recovering addict. Each day that the dog is able to maintain appropriate behavior is a success. There will be back-slides and gains, it's part of life for everything and everyone.

Long Time:

Apparently my muse has been spending some sick leave lately. Every-time I sit down to write anything, I find myself drawing a complete blank. Liwanu has been doing awesome. His aggression has tapered off and I can walk him without the muzzle. Aello is still a royal pain in my rump so I guess it's all going to even out.

The issue of Liwanu's aggression leads me to a very serious matter. Guys (and Girls) it is NOT an intelligent idea to get a dog for 'protection' purposes. If you want to protect your house, storage or yard it is a much better idea to get an alarm system. Dogs who are not trained correctly are a huge liability risk and the intruder they are supposed to protect you against CAN and WILL sue you and many times they will win if your dog bites them (yes, even if they are in your bedroom with a gun to your head) and you lack the necessary notices. Many dogs who are gotten to serve as 'watch' dogs or 'protection' dogs end up dead, abandoned and tortured because they do not have the necessary drives to fill the role they are supposed to (according to the owner).

People, if you really need a dog for Personal or Home Protection, seek a trained dog from a professional. Make sure that you have the proper insurance, notices and be forewarned, there are insurance companies that discriminate not only by breed but by the dog's role in your life. NEVER, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES ATTEMPT TO TRAIN YOUR OWN DOG WITHOUT THE HELP OF AN EXPERIENCED PROFESSIONAL!!!! (in this area at least.)