All dogs bite.

     I have two canines.  Both have some wolf in them.  The male weighs in at a hundred pounds, the female about sixty.  They are attractive, well-mannered animals, with pleasant dispositions.  They constantly garner attention because of this.  Most of the time the person or people who are approaching them ask the same question:
     "Does your dog bite?"
     I always reply with the only truthful answer there is to that question:
     "All dogs bite."
     Then I go on to explain that if they are willing to treat the animals with respect and courtesy that it will be returned.  Hold your hand down so that they may sniff it first.  If the animal turns away, growls, or otherwise acts in a fashion that is not outgoing, it is best to leave it alone.  If the animal rubs against your hand or licks you or otherwise acts in a friendly fashion, then the petting may ensue.
     Really stupid people commit three dog sins.  Two are unforgivable.
     The thing I can forgive, but not condone, is done out of ignorance and fear.  A tentative or fearful person will nervously reach high into the air over the animal's head to try and sneak a pet in without the animal's consent.  This is how most people get bitten.  Think about it.  If I walked up to you on the street and suddenly reached up behind your neck, you would more than likely react in a violent way as well.  So why try it with another living thing, if you wouldn't want it done to yourself?
     The first unforgivable sin is committed by stupid dog owners.  They all tell the same lie, "My dog doesn't bite."  This is often delivered in an exclamatory tone, usually as their animal is attacking another animal or person.  That makes as much sense to me as punching someone in the face and then saying, "I don't punch people," as you continue to hit them.
     In most of the instances I have seen when this happens, the stupid dog owner was committing the second unforgivable sin: walking their animal without a leash.  This includes letting it run loose in your yard, if it is not fenced in.  No matter how nice the animal's personality is, or how long you have known the dog to react with Buddha-like serenity to any of your foolishness or that of others, it is still an animal.  If the animal is not under your control, you really cannot say what it will or will not do...but I can:
     Given the right provocation, your dog (or anyone else's) will bite, fight, and even kill.  Typically, most will also give up their life for you for the sake of nothing more than a kind word.  But they cannot understand laws or codes of moral obligations.
     That is your job.
     Because all dogs bite.