Dog Bite Prevention Week

In a news release on Cision provided by the Canadian Animal Health Institute, it was reported that over 500,000 dog bites occur every single year in Canada. And according to the Humane Society of Canada, there is a new dog bite every 60 seconds, or 42 bites per hour, in our nation. That's a lot!

While people of all ages can and have been bitten by dogs, both the CDC and VCA Canada report that the most common victim of dog bites are young children between the ages of 5 to 9 years of age, especially boys. And dog bites in Canada lead to one to two fatalities per year, according to the Canadian Veterinary Journal.

With stats like these, there is no wonder why dog professionals are worried about the high prevalence of dog bites within our country. Thankfully, there is a lot that we, as responsible pet owners, can do to prevent many of these bites from happening in the first place. To this end, many dog professionals around the world use National Dog Bite Prevention Week to educate dog owners on how to understand why dogs bite, how to tell if a dog might bite, and what we can do to keep everyone safe and injury-free. This year, National Dog Bite Prevention Week is on April 13 - 19.

It's helpful to remember that any dog can bite. Yep, any dog, including your dog! Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, cute little puppy dogs, older, sleepier dogs... they can all bite if the environment is just-right for one to happen!

Why Do Dogs Bite

Dogs bite for various reasons, including:

1. Stress, anxiety and over-arousal

2. Fear, or being startled

3. Poor socialization

4. Teething and play biting

5. Pain and discomfort. They don't want to be handled because they are in pain!

6. Past learning histories of abuse and neglect

7. Territorial aggression to protect themselves, their families or their space

8. Guarding their valuable resources, whether that be food, water, toys, people, items of furniture, treat drawers, treat pouches, space, etc.

   
   

How to Tell if a Dog Might Bite

Many people are familiar with the idea that a barking, growling, air snapping dog could potentially bite because they are tipped over-threshold and aren't using their thinking brain anymore. And this is true!

But there are more subtle signs to watch out for, and these are the signs that are too often overlooked. Yet, these are the signs, if you respond to them, they can help you to prevent the bite from happening. These subtle, micro signs include:

1. Lip licking

2. Ears pinned back and down

3. Whale eye, or the whites of the eye is exposed in the shape of a crescent moon

4. Yawning

5. Shifting body weight AWAY from the thing that is bothering them

6. Tense, stiff body posture

7. Lowered body posture

8. Avoidance of eye contact, or

9. Prolonged, hard eye contact without blinking

10. Tightly closed mouth

It is more common to see a few of these signs happening all at the same time. And be warned: These body language signs can occur quickly, within a millisecond, a second or two seconds.

If you see these signs, the dog is telling you to give them some space. Often dogs bite because they tell us to back off, but we don't back off, because we don't know that they are telling us that they want us to back off. Instead, we continue to push past their boundaries, leading to a dog bite!

What Can Be Done to Prevent Dog Bites

There are a few things that we can do to prevent dog bites, and these include:

1. Pay attention to the environment that your dog is in at any given moment and intervene where necessary. Is it loud, causing your dog to feel more anxious? Is there a lot of traffic? Is the furniture too close together, which means a dog might feel cramped and vulnerable? Is there something in the environment, like a new friend coming over, that might prompt your dog to feel like they need to protect you, their territory or other resources? Is your dog a herding breed that feels the need to herd (and nip) kids?

2. Thoroughly understand how dogs communicate with us using their body language, like lip licking, yawning, shifting body weight, etc. Watch YouTube videos to familiarize yourself with canine body language. Read articles and books on canine body language. And then, watch your own dog to see how your dog speaks to you! Of course, never put you or your dog in a dangerous situation just to see what your dog will do!

3. Never leave your children alone with your pet dog. Sure, you might think that your pet dog would never bite your child, and that your dog can tolerate your children pestering them, but don't be so sure of this. Every dog has a limit. And every dog has the potential to bite.

4. Actively supervise your children when they are with the dog. This means watching both your children and your dog. This means that you should not be reading a book, watching the TV or playing on your phone when your dog and children are interacting with each other. Put devices away when the dog and children play!

5. Regularly visit your veterinarian for routine wellness checks. If you notice any changes in your dog, book a vet visit. Rule out medical conditions that can cause pain and discomfort.

6. Advocate for your dog. Don't allow complete strangers to invade your dog's personal space. Instead, wait for your dog to give signs that they are comfortable with this person. Even then, once permission is given, scratches should only be for one to two seconds at most. And don't aim that pet over the dog's head!

7. Keep your dog on a leash when outdoors.

8. Socialize your dog without overwhelming your dog.

9. While obedience training might be fun, don't forget to focus on relaxation protocols, pattern games, impulse control exercises and cooperative care for safer, more relaxed grooming and veterinary visits.

10. Don't hold out your hand when meeting a new dog. The dog can already smell you. They don't need to sniff your hand. In fact, showing them your hand could be seen as a threatening gesture. Instead, keep your hands neutrally at your sides.

11. Don't stare at dogs or talk to them when you are meeting them for the first time. The best tip is to ignore the dog until the dog shows that it is completely comfortable with you.

12. Don't kneel down so that you are face-to-face with a dog. This can lead to a bite to the neck or face. Instead, turn your body sideways so that you are not directly facing the dog head on. This way, the dog will be more likely to see you as non-threatening!

13. Teach your children how to properly interact with the family dog as well as with stranger dogs. This includes teaching children to never startle a dog while its sleeping, to never pull its tail or ears, to never try to take its toys or food away, to never hug and hold on to a dog tightly, to never run up to a dog, etc.

Conclusion

As you can see, dog bites are a serious issue in Canada. Never assume that your dog will be safe with children. Anything can happen if the dog is in pain or is pushed too far and feels threatened or vulnerable. If we do everything in our power to know our dogs, respect our dogs and their personal bubbles, including taking the time to learn how to read their body language and understanding their breed characteristics and past learning histories, we are in a much better position to prevent dog bites.

About the Author

Kate Hendriks is a certified dog trainer and certified family dog mediator in London, Ontario. She is passionate about animal welfare, humane, force-free dog training methods and helping dogs and their owners learn how to safely, calmly and confidently navigate living with their dogs in the Forest City.