Refutation of the stereotype of a “killer dog” in light of the behavioral interpretation of human corpses biting by domestic dogs

Krzysztof Maksymowicz, Krzysztof Marycz, Joanna Czogała, Tomasz Jurek

Refutation of the stereotype of a “killer dog” in light of the behavioral interpretation of human corpses biting by domestic dogs

Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, Volume 6, Issue 1, January–February 2011, Pages 50–56

Abstract

Postmortem bite injuries caused by domestic dogs are not very common, but because of their special character and concomitant occurrence, explaining them requires extensive forensic expertise and knowledge of the basics of animal behavior. The authors have analyzed reasons for the damage of human body caused by the dogs, with suspicion of fatal biting. Characteristics of the wounds, the description of the crime scene, the available psychophysical data of the animals, and the likely motives for the behavior exhibited by the dogs were examined. In the course of the study, it was concluded that the wounds were postmortem in nature and the crime scene character was atypical for the satisfaction of the scavenging instinct. Moreover, detailed analysis of the cases described in the text later revealed that uncharacteristic anxiety reactions with the sequent satisfaction of the exaggerated form of care-giving and the loyalty to the guardians were the most likely motivations for the actions of the dogs in the face of human death.