Sharing from: NSPCA - National Council of SPCA's
Today we will focus on how to read dogs in order to prevent
being bitten. Dogs communicate with us and other animals in various ways and we
will look at some of these.
It is human nature to tell the dog off when it growls at
your child or new puppy. However if we teach them not to provide a warning
before they bite, they will bite without warning. "If you take the growl
out of the dog it is just like taking the batteries out of a fire alarm",
was quoted at a recently Dog-Bite Prevention conference.
When a dog growls at a child or new puppy it is probably
because the dog has had enough or its space has been invaded. It is important
to teach children not to play with a dog that is eating or chewing a toy, when
it is in its kennel or lying on its bed, sleeping, etc. The reason for this is
that dogs also need privacy and we should respect that.
When a child or new puppy are becoming too much for the dog
it is best to remove them from the situation and keep them occupied elsewhere.
The growl was a warning to stop and if this warning is not heeded the next step
would be for the dog to snap or bite to make the warning clear.
Teach your children to be safe around dogs whether they be
your own, a friend’s, family members’ or strange dogs. Respect their space and
if they hear a growl to stop doing what they are doing and move away from the
dog. Be safe!
