Dog Bite Prevention Part II: Kids and Positive Reinforcement

Dog Bite Prevention Part II: Kids & Training 

Exposing your dog to children is one of the most important aspects of socialization, as the majority of dog-bites happen to children between under the age of 15, and generally the younger the child is, the severity of the injury increases. Humans can be scary to undersocialized dogs, and sometimes dogs don't realize that children are human at all! Children move erratically, squeal like prey animals, take things from dogs, and generally are very intrusive of a dog's personal space. Kids are also right at face level with dogs, which can be especially scary. This video (albeit a bit strange) shows just how strange and frightening a child might appear to a dog:

As important as it is for your dog to become used to the actions & sounds of children, it's just as important that your children know the appropriate way to interact with dogs. Simply because your child has met the dog previously does not mean that the dog will make that same association and apply it to the current situation. While Grandma's dog and the neighbor's dog might have been okay previously, perhaps this time they have a bone and grandma might be in a different room. Remember, every dog can bite given the right set of circumstances. Use common sense when letting children and dogs interact, especially dogs that aren't often around kids, and please don't leave young children and infants unsupervised around a dog!

 It's a good idea to teach children these things: 

• Don't touch nor bother the dog while the dog is eating, chewing, or possessing something of value.
• Don't bother the dog while sleeping. Many bites happen this way! 
• Dogs don't usually like to be hugged like people or stuffed animals. Instead scratch first on the chest, then shoulders. Don't pat the dog's head nor pull on parts of his face or ears. 
• Never approach a dog when the owner isn't around!
• Never touch a dog through the fence!
• Never touch nor bother a dog that is tied up. 
• Always ask to pet the dog, and never approach without permission. 
• Don't scream, and stay calm! High-pitched noises excite dogs and may activate a predatory response.
• Don't run away! Dogs have an instinctive reaction to chase! 
• "Be a tree" and "Be a rock" (see the following video)
• No more than 1 child petting a dog at once. Children can surround a dog quickly and create fear.

Here is a video clip that demonstrates some of these things: 

In addition to becoming fluent in dog body language, extensive socialization, and exposure to children, owners can give their dogs the greatest chance of success by training basic obedience commands with positive reinforcement. Using positive training method teaches dogs what to do in a situation, rather than punishing them for making a mistake. A dog that is used to punishment-based training generally has a higher level of anxiety, and lacks confidence in comparison to positive-reinforcement trained dogs. When put in an unfamiliar situation, the former dog is more likely to cross the fear threshold and deliver a bite, because he fears being punished for making the wrong choice.

Here's an example (albeit, not an excellent one, but hopefully it makes some sense!): It's as if your "friend" keeps socking you in the arm every time you say hello to someone on the street. You two are walking, you see lots of new people and say hello, and you keep getting socked in the arm. Soon, you're pretty tired of getting socked in the arm, and anxious and stressed out. You don't want to say hello to anyone anymore. Then, someone comes along and acts like he absolutely intends to say hello to you regardless of your desire NOT to. All you can think about is how you're about to be socked by your "friend" and decide to prevent it instead- you sock either the person saying hello to you (because this person is a predictor of your incoming punishment), or sock your 'friend' first (the punisher). 

Give your dog the tools he needs to succeed! Give him training to better understand and make good doggy decisions in this often complicated and scary world for dogs! Know his language, train him to understand you, let him see the world and it's inhabitants and show him that it's not a scary place. The more we can do this for our canine companions, the better, happier citizens they will be, and more dog bites will be prevented. Your dog, your neighbor, and your postman will thank you! 

-Erika 

Dog Bite Prevention Part 1: Understanding Canine Body Language & the Importance of Socialization

Dog Bite Prevention Part 1:  

Understanding Canine Body Language & the Importance of Socialization

This is a photo of my dog Tyranny displaying anxious body language.

her body & face are tense, her ears are forward, and her mouth is closed. 

 National Dog Bite Prevention week is May 19th-25th. While dogs (and cats!) are our both our business and our best friends here at Nature's Pet Markets & Earthwise Pet Supply, we simply can't ignore the fact that, under all the snuggly fur and puppy kisses, dogs are indeed animals with instincts- instincts that may lead them to bite, especially in the absence of proper training and socialization.

According to the National Canine Research Council (NCRC) and the CDC, there are an estimated 4.5 million dog bites per year. As scary as these statistics sound, serious injuries and especially fatalities, are exceedingly rare. In regards to dog-bite statistics, the NCRC says:

"Dog bite-related human fatalities have always been exceedingly rare, yet they can attract the kind of publicity that creates an impression that they are more prevalent than they actually are. The annual total of such fatalities has risen and fallen with no discernible pattern or trend, even though the canine population in the U.S. has continued its steady increase.

From year-to-year, the truth behind the tragedy of dog bite-related human fatalities remains consistent. As rare as they are, they would be even rarer in the absence of reckless ownership practices, neglect, and abuse. If there is anything that analysis of these isolated tragedies can teach us, it is that all dog owners have an unequivocal responsibility for the humane care (including proper diet, veterinary care, socialization and training), custody (including licensing and microchipping), and control of their dogs."

Dog bites can and do happen- I myself have been bitten (with intention) twice. But, it's essential to remember that the majority of dog bites are preventable. Therefore, as advocates and lovers of all things canine, we have an obligation to both our companion pets and the non-dog loving public to educate ourselves on why dogs bite, and therefore, how to prevent bites from occurring in the first place.

When dogs decide to bite, it's not usually one that they take lightly! Biting most often happens when the dog is feeling anxious, stressed, and fearful, and gets pushed beyond his threshold resulting in a fight-or-flight response. When fleeing isn't an option- a bite occurs, or if defense of territory or possession is "necessary." Yes, there are some dogs that can be truly dominant-aggressive, but despite the unfortunately popular (and largely erroneous) dominance theory, these dogs are exceedingly few-and-far between, and represent a very small percentage of bites.

One very important aspect in dog-bite prevention is paying attention to & knowing how to read canine body-language.  It's the only language they have! Although we routinely talk to dogs and they may understand us, it's rather embarrassing how little the average dog owner pays attention to and actually understands the dog! Almost always preceding a bite, dogs will display various warning and/or calming signals to try and communicate their feelings and intentions to the other dog or person that is making them feel uncomfortable- signals that they do not want to be approached nor touched. Subtle they may be, but the signs of an imminent bite are almost always there! Take a look at these videos that illustrate in slow-motion the preceding body-language communication of the dogs involved- in each case, there is a dog behaving calmly and another who is visibly showing signs of stress.

All of these videos show great examples of dog-dog communication, and dogs don't communicate with humans any differently! In reality, humans can be much, much scarier to dogs! This is why early and constant socialization is another very important key in preventing dog bites. According to This Fantastic Interview with Dr. Ian Dunbar, socializing puppies and continual world-exposure for adult dogs is paramount to having a happy, calm, well-adjusted dog- a dog that is very unlikely to bite. Dr. Dunbar recommends that young puppies be handled by 200 people (!!) by the time that they reach 12 weeks of age! Is it any wonder that when we take our dogs out of the house to the vet or grandma's every 6 months that they become an anxiety-ridden hyperactive terror? The more things that your dog is exposed to, the more opportunities that he has to be positively reinforced for calm behavior, the more well-adjusted and less likely to bite during stressful situations he will be. 

More to come on kids & dogs in part II...

-Erika