If you own a pit bull you already know. Your dog can’t be just as good as other dogs - your dog has to be better! If something bad happens, your dog will be blamed, even if it is not his fault. One of our obligations as responsible owners is to protect our dogs from such situations and one of the keys, whether your dog is a pit bull or another breed, is to be able to read a dog’s body language. Almost all dog bites can be avoided if we are mindful of the signs.
The first and most important thing is to let people who want to meet your dog know, is that it is not a good idea to make eye contact with a dog, especially if they don’t know the dog. If people ask to meet your dog and you are comfortable with that, give them the dog’s name and instruct them to call him over. Allow your dog to meet new people on his terms. It is always a good idea to tell people, especially children, to keep their faces away from any dog they don’t know. Always put your dog in the best position to succeed.
As for dog body language, a yawn, a tongue flick and a tucked tail are all signs that the dog is nervous and it may be best to leave him alone. If the dog is turning his head away or staring sideways he is also telling you he is uncomfortable and may not want to interact.
The freeze and stare or stiff body and tail held high are serious warning signs. These dogs are telling you to back off or they may bite.
On the other hand, if a dog’s whole body is wagging and he is panting it means he is happy and it is probably safe to proceed with introductions. Just bear in mind that a wagging tail is not always a sign of friendliness, it could just mean that the dog is in a heightened state and may be nervous.
If we are careful and pay attention to the signs, we should be able to interact with most dogs and safely allow people to meet our dogs. But, as long as a dog is fearful enough to feel the need to protect himself, a dog bite could occur.
If you are concerned about dog bites, here is an excellent video, well worth the time it takes to watch. http://thegreatdogadventure.com/episode27/
In the end, it is up to us to watch and read our dogs’ body language, but ultimately, it is not what our dogs do that matters, it is what we do to protect them.
The freeze and stare or stiff body and tail held high are serious warning signs. These dogs are telling you to back off or they may bite.
On the other hand, if a dog’s whole body is wagging and he is panting it means he is happy and it is probably safe to proceed with introductions. Just bear in mind that a wagging tail is not always a sign of friendliness, it could just mean that the dog is in a heightened state and may be nervous.
If we are careful and pay attention to the signs, we should be able to interact with most dogs and safely allow people to meet our dogs. But, as long as a dog is fearful enough to feel the need to protect himself, a dog bite could occur.
If you are concerned about dog bites, here is an excellent video, well worth the time it takes to watch. http://thegreatdogadventure.com/episode27/
In the end, it is up to us to watch and read our dogs’ body language, but ultimately, it is not what our dogs do that matters, it is what we do to protect them.
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