There’s been a 5% increase in hospital admissions for dog bites, a report said recently. The numbers are worrying – nearly 8,000 people were admitted in 2017/2018 after being bitten by a dog. Some the injuries were life-threatening or life-changing. One in five bites were to children.
But dog numbers haven’t increased.
There are just more bites – mainly from dogs the person knows, often the family dog.
One reason for the increase may be because people don’t notice the warning signs their dog gives.
An important warning sign is a growl.
A low pitched rumble, increasing in volume.
Bared teeth, snarling.
Scary.
Warning growls are unpleasant – and they’re meant to be.
The dog is warning you to back off.
He’s warning you that he may need to escalate his threat to snapping and biting if you don’t.
But what is the dog warning you about?
It could be lots of things, but the commonest reasons are:
– he feels very threatened and he can’t escape – perhaps you’re trying to check a sore paw or touch an area he’s not happy with
– he may be asking for more space – perhaps he wants another dog (or you) to keep away
– he may be guarding something – perhaps a treasured toy, or often food and he’s telling you to stay back
If your dog growls at you and you’re not sure why, please ask us for help.
Before warning growls start, your dog will show other signs he is uneasy or scared – such as looking sideways out of his eyes so you can see the white, licking his lips a lot, cowering down or backing away, and his body tenses up.
If you spot these signs, then change something.
Your dog is telling you he’s uncomfortable with what’s happening.
Here’s some things you can do.
Move away.
Stop trying to interact with him.
Give him space.
And never let your children pester your dog.
Always supervise any interactions between children and dogs and never, ever, leave them alone together.
I can’t watch the hundreds of YouTube videos of dogs and children. I see far too many signs of dogs showing they are uncomfortable and the children are simply oblivious to these subtle warnings. Worse, the parents are often laughing in the background.
It’s a testament to dogs that there aren’t more bites, actually.
Dogs growl for a reason. We’ll come and help you work out why your dog might be growling – just ask.
Don’t become a hospital admission statistic.
Keep training
Carol
PS Dogs that growl are giving you plenty of warning. Never tell a dog off for growling. But please seek help to deal with it so your dog won’t need to growl any more.