I got sent this page with a request that I add it to my resources page*. Heres my response. ----------- Thank you for thinking of me, but I dont really want to have a link to a page that is so generic and misleading as to be useless as anything but an advertisement for your law firm. I think most people know how to tell if a dog is grossly fearful to the point of tucking his tail, or obviously aggressive to the point of growling. Most people get bitten because they cant read the more subtle aspects of body language, such as looking away, showing the whites of the eyes, having a closed mouth, long blinks, etc. And dogs do not bite to establish dominance over a person. Dominance is an interaction over a resource, not a status that can be established. Youve already covered that in dont take food or a toy from a dog. While it IS important to ask permission from an owner before greeting a dog, it is even more important to ask THE DOG if s/he is interested in greeting you. Allowing a dog to sniff you doesnt mean the dog consents to or wants to be petted, and if youre just looking for a tucked tail or a growl you might miss all the other signs that the dog is saying, No thats all I wanted, Im not interested in being touched by a stranger and you might indeed get bitten. Thats why people say that dogs bite out of the blue, because theyve been misled to think that a wagging tail means happy and it takes a growl for them to realize that the dog doesnt want you around. If youd like more concrete advice for making this a useful page, please let me know.
Posted on: Thu, 13 Nov 2014 05:46:13 +0000
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