How Understanding Dog Body Language Prevents Dog Bites - National Humane Education Society
Dog ownership in the United States is at an all-time high — a testament if there ever was one to the powerful bond between dogs and humans. However, when the right safety measures are not undertaken, owning and interacting with dogs entails real risks. According to The American Veterinary Association (AMVA) – 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year, and children under the age of 14 years occupy the highest risk category. National Dog Bite Prevention Week is recognized in April, and we would like to take this opportunity to examine one facet of dog bite prevention that is too often overlooked: dog body language.
From birth, we humans are continually learning how to make our social interactions more peaceful and more successful. Clearly, some of us are better at this than others. You probably know someone who is adept at reading and responding to minute facial expressions and body language cues. Thanks to this skill set, these individuals may be more likely to enjoy fulfilling social lives, successful interactions in the workplace, and may be more skilled in avoiding or d-escalating conflicts.
These same skills can help us avoid dog bites and thereby reduce human injuries and the number of dogs who are needlessly surrendered to shelters. Every minute of every day, dogs send nonverbal messages offering clues of how they feel at any given moment. Facial expression, tail movement, body posture, mouth posture, ear position, and other signals all work in synchronization to send these messages. Unfortunately, most humans overlook or misinterpret what a dog is trying to communicate, often leaving us unaware when a bite is imminent. The following are just a few body language indicators that suggest a dog is feeling threatened and may soon bite:
- Ears flat against head
- Lip-licking
- Stiff body posture
- A tightly closed mouth
- Looking away
Especially when meeting a new dog, or while interacting with a dog who is still unfamiliar, remember to continuously monitor body language signals for indications of fear or aggressiveness. Teach children in your life that dogs are not toys. They have feelings just as people do, and remind them to remain vigilant and observant any time they are interacting with a dog.
I truly love and appreciate this article, and the effort to educate people about their interactions with dogs.
The dog is too often seen as the aggressor, when oftentimes, they are simply reacting to DEFEND themselves. Anyone in contact with animals,especially dogs, must learn this simple language of the dog! Thanks for sending!
Thank you. Good information to have!
Definitely good to know basic signals to look out for! Thanks!
what wonderful information… thank you very much