Dog Bite Prevention Week #7: So, what CAN we do to help?
All week long we've been discussing dog bite prevention, and how we can handle dogs who are behaving aggressively or biting. And yes, busting myths is critically important so that we are no longer misinformed about why our dogs are behaving a certain way, and how to change their behavior. But more important than anything else is coming up with concrete solutions moving forward to continue preventing dog bites. With some slight changes to our pet guardianship habits we can hel
Dog Bite Prevention Week Myth #6: "Most dog bites are by strange dogs."
When we hear about someone getting bitten by a dog, we often picture a stray mongrel roaming the mean streets, and attacking an unsuspecting person who crosses his path. This myth is quite pervasive, however we've seen over the years that statistically, it just isn't true. So, who are the perpetrators? Who's doing the biting? Unfortunately, approximately 77% of bites come from a familiar dog, either a dog that lives with a friend or the family's own dog (source: http://stopth
Dog Bite Prevention Week #5: "Aggression can be fixed."
Is aggression something that can be fixed or cured? This is something that I have a lot of heart to heart talks with students over, and the short answer is...: no. At least not in the way many people think of it. However, this situation isn't as helpless as that answer might lead you to believe. While I would never consider aggressive behavior "fixed" or "cured", I will say that dog who has previously exhibited aggressive behavior can be managed properly and their behavior ca
Dog Bite Prevention Week Myth #4: "You must punish a growl to stop aggression in it's track
Today's post is about a long-held myth: that you need to punish a dog for growling. If a dog growls, it's our knee-jerk reaction to want to punish the growl. As humans we have learned that growling is "bad" and something to be avoided. And yeah, a dog that is growling and means business is scary. While we do want to avoid having a dog growl, the last thing we want to do is use verbal or physical punishment in response to said growl. Growling is a warning signal. It's like a f
Dog Bite Prevention Week Myth #3: "A dog that is behaving aggressively needs to be sent away to
This one is my new "soap box" topic since it seems like every day a new board and train is popping up around me. Listen, I totally get it. When you are living with a dog who is behaving aggressively, hearing someone say that if you send your dog to them for a month they will "fix" (more on the use of the word fix when it comes to behavior in tomorrow's post) your dog's behavior is understandably very tempting. However, a board and train environment is entirely inappropriate t
Dog Bite Prevention Week Myth #2: "An aggressive dog thinks he's dominant and needs to be p
The dominance myth. So we meet again. I spend a LOT of my time as a dog trainer helping my students understand that their dog's misbehavior isn't a result of their dog thinking he is dominant or the alpha. Many of my clients come to me and say "my dog is growling when I.... (touch their bone, pick their food up, wipe off their paws, etc.). Is it because they think they're the alpha?" And the answer is no, it is never, ever related to dominance. Ever. So why are the dogs behav
Dog Bite Prevention Week Myth Busting #1: "Nice dogs don't bite".
This year for dog bite prevention week (April 8th-14th) I'll be writing one blog post a day on commons myths about dog bites and aggression that I see pop up. For more information on dog bite prevention week, check out the American Veterinary Medical Association web page. Today I'll be focusing on a myth that many people still believe, but once you work with dogs for any length of time you understand that it's simply not true: that "nice" dogs don't bite, or that dogs who bit
