Safety: Dog Bite Prevention for Adults
Do dogs really bite “out of nowhere”? Not very often. Any dog can bite, and if you are aware of the warning signs of a dog who is uncomfortable, stressed, or afraid, you can keep yourself and others safe by learning what to look for.
Dogs communicate with us and each other in very different ways than humans. This article will cover the similarities and differences between our species to help you become an expert at reading a dog’s body language.
How Do Dogs Communicate?
When dogs greet each other, they soften their eyes, keep their bodies loose and wiggly, and greet around to the back. This is very different from how humans greet each other (directly facing each other with eye contact). Dogs communicate primarily with body language. This means that at any given moment, they are using their ears, eyes, tail, body position and mouths to communicate how they’re feeling. To gauge how they are feeling, you need to look at their whole body and the context of their environment.
A stressed or worried dog should not be approached or be approached with extreme caution after talking with the dog’s owner.
How to safely greet a dog
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Always ask the dog’s owner first before petting the dog.
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Never attempt to pet a dog who is sleeping, eating or chewing on a toy or bone.
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When first approaching the dog, stand or kneel down next to the dog at a comfortable distance, avoiding facing them directly. Don’t make direct eye contact.
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If the dog approaches you, gently pet them underneath their chin, on their chest or their back (don’t reach over their head). These are the spots where dogs are most comfortable being touched.
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Pet for 2-3 seconds and then stop and see if the dog moves away or asks for more by nuzzling your hand or moving closer to you.
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Remember to always ask yourself: "How would I like it?"
Mimicking dog greeting behavior can go a long way to looking non-threatening, even to a dog that is unsure around strangers. When we communicate with the dogs around us in ways that show we are not a threat, we show them that they are understood. The dogs will thank you for showing that you care!
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