After the March 20 column, which took a look at the germ factor related to sharing smooches with our dogs, I received an e-mail that illustrates a danger of kissing that wasn’t addressed - biting.
Saline County sheriff ’s Deputy Mark Morell brought this to my attention, writing about encountering a dog owner whose ill-timed kissing overture resulted in a trip to the hospital.
“I was dispatched to the Saline Memorial Hospital emergency room one night and made contact with the victim. She had six or eight stitches in her lips. I asked her what happened and she said she bent down to kiss her Yorkie goodnight and startled him and he unwound on her.”
Morell says he advised the victim to, in the future, “let sleeping dogs lie.” That’s good advice for anyone thinking about approaching any dog. According to the Centers for Disease Control, about 2 percent of the U.S. population, or 4.7 million people, suffer dog bites each year. Not all were kissing-related, of course, but most could have been prevented by following a few basic rules and being attuned to canine body language.
Topping most lists of ways to prevent dog bites is not bothering or startling a dog while it’s sleeping, eating, chewing on a bone or toy, or taking care of puppies. Another key anti-bite tactic is to never put your face close to a dog or right in a dog’s face - just as people tend to do when leaning in to give Fido a smooch. Even if you’re the dog’s owner, sometimes a dog doesn’t want to be that up close and personal.
According to the Humane Society of the United States and celebrity dog trainer Victoria Stilwell, many dogs feel threatened when someone looms over them, then leans into their space. The ultimate boundary violation for a dog is having someone thrust his face into the dog’s face.
We know that owners do get face to face with their dogs and it’s usually OK. The key is to know when it’s not. Also, it’s good practice to not force attentions on a dog that’s not your own.
Looking directly into a dog’s eyes can be interpreted by a dog as, at the least, just plain rude, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ virtual pet behaviorist at aspca.org. Dogs avoid looking directly at each other because that’s considered threatening behavior. While they learn that looking directly at people’s faces is usually OK, some still avoid it.
If you know how to read a dog’s body language, you’ll know when a dog is averse to your attentions. For example, notice how a dog reacts when you lean into him or even just look at him. If he averts his gaze or lowers his head, he may be saying he’s uncomfortable interacting with you.
Also, watch his ears. If they’re slightly pulled back and look like they’re spread sideways, the dog may be ambivalent about you or feel frightened.
Those are subtle signals, but it’s obvious when a dog wants you to back off. Another tip: While watching the ears, keep your eyes on the dog’s mouth. If a dog pulls his ears flat against his head and also bares his teeth, he’s clearly telling you to stay away.
You can find more information about canine body language at tinyurl.com/d76f5ct.
Do you have a question about
pets? We’ll get you an answer
from an authority. Send your question to Rhonda Owen,
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203 or e-mail [email protected]
Family, Pages 38 on 04/17/2013