How to prevent dog bites

Rachel Williams Author

With an increase in reports of dog bites and fatalities, this month's blog looks at how to prevent bites from occurring. The most important thing to remember is that all dogs can bite - if they have teeth, they can bite!

Small vs big

Larger breeds tend to be labelled in the media as being 'dangerous' simply because their bigger mouths can cause more damage, hence more police reports and hospital admissions. However, polls and research over the last ten years indicate that breeds of all shapes and sizes are responsible for biting. I'm not going to name the specific breeds here as this encourages people to view certain breeds as 'good' or 'bad' which is dangerous in itself.

Dogs who bite, tend to do so because they feel threatened, scared or protective of their resources. They may be ill or injured and are sensitive to touch. Dogs have a startle response when asleep to protect them from potential danger - which is why we let sleeping dogs lie! Even dogs you have known for years, grown up with, and has always been people or dog friendly will bite as a way to protect themselves.

Here are five simple steps to avoid dog bites

1. Learn dog body language

The easiest way to 'read' a dog is to understand how they communicate. Dogs are marvellous at using their body language to show us their emotional state. Sometimes we misinterpret what our dogs are telling us and are then surprised when dogs bite or act 'out of the blue'. Check out my blog that discusses some of the common misconceptions your dog wants you to know.

One of my favourite book recommendations to anyone is Doggie Language by Lili Chin, this is a wonderfully illustrated books for kids and adults.

2. Greet dogs appropriately

Although it's really tempting to pet every dog you see, always ask their guardian first. Some dogs may not like strangers, have an injury / feel unwell or has just greeted someone else and wants to enjoy their walk in peace. Here are some do's and don'ts when greeting known and unknown dogs:

3. Consent petting

This might sound a little odd, but how do you know a dog wants to be stroked? Do you ever check? A great way to ensure a dog is happy with being stroked is to do the 3-second consent test.

Place your hand gently on the dog's chest, shoulders or back and stroke with light pressure for 3 seconds. If the dog:

• moves away - they don't want to be petted, leave them alone
• stays still - if they are avoiding eye contact or have turned their head away from you, leave them alone. If they look at you or are not showing any stress signals pet them again for 3 seconds and re-evaluate
• moves closer to you, gives eye contact, paws you - they are enjoying the attention and would like more.

4. Actively supervise kids and dogs

The key word here is ACTIVELY, your full attention is on the kids and dogs, not while you do chores or watch TV. This is especially important for babies, toddlers and young children. When active supervision is not possible, barriers such as baby gates, crates, playpens and closed doors should be used to block access. Prevent toddlers from using a dog to get up off the floor, always remove dogs (or teach them to relax on their bed) during meal times to avoid them scavenging for dropped food and during play times where the dog might confuse kids' toys as their own.

5. Meet your dog's needs

I could write a whole other blog on why we should be meeting our dog's needs, so here's a condensed infographic explaining how instead...

Categories: : dog body language, dog safety, kids and dogs