1. Possessiveness Protection of property is a common issue, and “property” in this case can be anything — a toy, food, territory or even a human being. Guard dogs and herding breeds tend to be the worst offenders but this behavior can arise in any dog. Start training early to minimize this kind of possessive behavior. Teaching the “leave it” command works well in preventing toy aggression. Food aggression can be avoided by teaching your dog to wait while you put their food down. Teach them to sit or lie down and then remove their food and then put it back. Approach the food bowl and occasionally add treats to the food so they understand that someone approaching the bowl is not a bad thing. 2. Fear Fear is usually directed toward strangers such as veterinarians and postal workers, or when a dog is in an unfamiliar situation. Never approach an unfamiliar dog and teach your children to do the same. Fear bites can occur when a dog is startled at home. Never sneak up on a dog or bother a sleeping dog. Early socialization is important so that the young dog is exposed to many different people, animals, and situations minimizing the risk of a phobia developing. 3. Pain Pain can cause the friendliest dog to bite. If your dog has hip dysplasia, severe otitis or any chronic injury, instruct your children to stay away from the sore areas and be gentle handling the dog. If your dog becomes snippy for no reason consider pain as a possible cause and schedule an appointment with your regular veterinarian for a physical. 4. Maternal Instincts The most well-trained dog can become a biter when she has puppies. Be aware of and respect the maternal instinct around a female dog that has recently given birth. Teach children not to approach a young puppy around the mother and use caution yourself when handling puppies. Make sure the mother and puppies have a place where they can feel safe with minimal distraction. 5. The Prey Drive This instinct is sometimes triggered by something moving past a dog quickly — a jogger, a bicyclist — resulting in a chase. If you are jogging or cycling and see a roaming dog, try to avoid crossing paths. If a dog does give chase, the best things to do is stop moving and stand tall while facing the dog. Be aware of the dog but do not make eye contact, which the dog can perceive as a challenge. They may come up and sniff you but will eventually find you uninteresting and move on to find something else. If a dog knocks you over then curl up in a ball protecting your face hands and neck and be still. Teach children to do the same and set up a mock “stray dog” drill.
Posted on: Tue, 04 Mar 2014 00:17:32 +0000
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