Protect yourself by understanding dog behavior

by Trish King

Having a happy relationship with your dog means learning how to work together. If there´s a topic you´d like to see Trish cover, email editors@fetchthepaper.com.

We’re all dog lovers here. We own dogs and have friends who are dog owners. Still, it’s abundantly evident that our best friend can hurt us, quite literally. There are about five million reported dog bites every year. There are most likely several million more unreported bites. Many unreported bites are those of a dog biting a family member.

Why are there so many bites? There are many, many reasons, of course, but if you understand why a dog might bite, you can avoid being one of the "bite-ees."

Don’t fence me in!

Most dogs don’t want to bite. The problem often lies in communication between "us" and "them." Though we might mean to communicate one thing, a dog might hear something entirely different.

Let’s take eye contact, for example. Unlike humans, most dogs are not comfortable with direct eye contact from strangers, though they often seek it from their guardians and friends. In dog language, direct eye contact is either a threat or a challenge. If a dog is threatened, he may avoid you, turn his head away, or growl while backing up. If a dog feels challenged, he may move towards you, as he threatens you back. If direct eye contact continues, or you move towards or begin scolding the dog, the problem will escalate. If the dog feels cornered, he may take action.

You can also cause a dog to act defensively by leaning toward over her. This can be highly threatening to a dog, who feels her "space" is being violated, and then feels trapped.

How about petting on the head or hugging? You may get the same reaction. Dogs have to learn to like being petted on the head. Again, it’s an intrusion into the animal’s space. Hugging, which especially children love to do, is even more threatening: you can panic a dog by making him feel restrained and confined rather than loved.

How will you know if a dog minds? If you pet a dog on the head, he might duck to get out of the way or look uncomfortable. Same thing with hugging. Some signs of anxiety include wide, dilated pupils, yawning, stretching, whining and looking in many directions. There are many others. To prevent problems, you should not try to approach or comfort a strange dog that is showing these signs.

Even the supposedly safe custom of offering your hand to be sniffed can be considered a threat by a dog, especially one who has been struck. It’s much better to hold your hand loosely by your side, and invite the dog to come to you. When I meet a dog, I usually stand fairly still, make quick and friendly eye contact (squinting is good!), and wait for the dog to make the first move.

Most people are familiar with the concept of Fight or Flight, but it’s a bit more involved than they realize. When a dog is placed in a stressful situation, she will go through a predictable series of behaviors. She first gets anxious and tries to avoid the problem. If that doesn’t work, she’ll usually try to escape. If that doesn’t work, she may freeze before she makes the next decision, which will be an attempt either to make friends or make an aggressive move towards you.

Hey, I tried to tell you, dude!

If a dog has reached the end of this progression, and has made the choice to fight, he goes through another fairly predictable series of behaviors, all of which are aimed at avoiding a fight (again, most dogs really do not want to bite: it’s not a particularly useful behavior, and it uses up a lot of energy). First, he might growl, then snarl, lifting his lips to show his teeth. If those don’t work to move you away, he will probably air snap. He hasn’t just "missed;" he is telling you something: he really wants you to move away. If he does bite, it’s likely to be very light, leaving no more than a bruise, if anything. If you still don’t get it, he’ll escalate the behavior.

A growl is a warning that the dog is uncomfortable. How should you act when a dog growls at you? Most of the time, you should stop what you’re doing, look neutral, and wait for things to quiet down. Many people say their dog growls all the time, and nothing has ever happened, but just because he hasn’t followed through doesn’t mean he won’t.

This land is my land

Beware of the Dog! Signs like this have been standard in yards for literally thousands of years, as we take advantage of the canine territorial instinct. Most dogs are hard-wired to protect their territory, and aggression can occur fairly rapidly, since escape is not an option. Many dogs will charge an intruder, barking or roaring as they come. Their intent is to frighten the intruder away (and they can do a pretty good job!). Your best defense is to stop moving forward, stand still, and make limited eye contact until the dog has investigated you. Then, without turning your back, back away from the territory.

Trying to get away, are we?

A different kind of aggression is predatory. Dogs used to hunt prey, and some still do. This is called predatory behavior, and it doesn’t have much to do with emotions; it’s an instinct to chase. This is the reason dogs chase bicycles, joggers, and cars. Their instincts have been "activated" and they’re doing what comes naturally. You can learn to defuse the behavior through your actions.

You can minimize your chances of having a dog chase you by being aware and taking pre-emptive steps. If you’re jogging, for instance, and you see a person and an unleashed (or even leashed) dog ahead, tell them you’re coming. You can use the time-honored phrase of bicyclists "On your left!" (Or right). Then slow down and curve away from the dog/human pair.

If you’re bicycling and a dog starts to chase you, the best action is to stop, get off your bike, and put it between you and the dog.

No one can outrun a healthy dog, and it’s best not to try. Don’t look directly at the dog, who may be pretty excited. Don’t turn your back on the dog. If he’s circling you, stay still. Don’t scream, don’t yell, don’t wave your hands about; just stand still. If you talk, make it in a conversational tone. A high voice can make him even more excited. And wait. If you’re boring enough, he’ll move on to more exciting fare.

As always, the way out of a problem is through education. If we all understood what dogs are telling us, the amount of aggression would drop precipitously.