Do you have to prove the dog was dangerous or aggressive before it hurt you?

No. It does not matter if the dog has not acted aggressively before or if the dog had never bitten anyone. If the dog causes an injury and even if it was the dog’s first injury, the owner can be held liable. The only exception to this strict liability dog bite law is if the injury was caused because the injured person was intentionally abusing or tormenting the dog.