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Dog Bite Scale

Updated: Feb 7

Being bitten by a dog can be a scary experience. If your beloved pet bites, this can feel heartbreaking too. You may feel like you no longer trust your dog, and you're not sure what to do. Know that we can help. Dogs don't bite without reason - we need to figure out the why so we can help keep everyone safe in the future.



This graphic helps to assess the bite(s) from a dog.


Ian Dunbar Canine Bite Scale
Canine Bite Scale

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If you or someone you know has been bitten by a dog, Dr. Ian Dunbar's Dog Bite Scale gives us an objective way to categorize the bite based on the wounds. The damage done is important to helping us understand the dog's prognosis. Other than severity, important factors include frequency and all of the details in the environment surrounding the bite. Great information to provide includes:

  • What happened immediately before the bite?

  • What clothes were you wearing?

  • Did the dog give any warning signals before the bite?

There are so many details to capture that can help us understand why your dog bit. Reach out and let's discuss what happened and create a plan to keep you safe and help your dog feel better.


Understanding bite levels helps us determine your dog's prognosis.

If you or someone you know has been bitten, reach out. We can help.

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