Dog Days – Dog Bite Awareness Week
Posted By Randy on May 21, 2012
Whether or not you observe it where you are, the period from 19-25 May 2012 is National Dog Bite Awareness Week in the US. While I customarily roll my eyes and raise my middle finger at the sheer infantile futility that normally surrounds any observance that seeks to raise “public awareness” of anything, this one actually makes sense because its focus is on a much smaller subset – dog owners themselves. The wonderful public service announcement that opens this piece, courtesy of Dr. Sophia Yin, sums up how completely loud and clear most dogs are in the lead in to a bite incident directed at either a human or a poorly managed other dog, and yet how horribly unheard they are in far too many cases.
In our work as dog behaviourists, the single biggest hurdle we constantly need to overcome is the resolute death grip far too many dog owners have on their own unilingual state – they do not speak dog and really don’t see why that is any part of their problem. This results in missed cues that their dog is giving off loud and clear, and in some cases has been doing for weeks, months, or years. When the dog ultimately takes matters into its own mouth because nobody else will help, the report is that the reaction came out of nowhere, and, “for no reason”. That last quote is stated almost verbatim in far too many of the dog bite cases we consult on.
I spoke on this subject, and the hellery it can unleash, in my 24 June 2010 article, The Road to Dog Hell is Paved With Human Misconceptions, and if you haven’t read it, I suggest you do so now.
After that, take a look at Preventing Dog Bites over at The Other End of the Leash. Excellent advice and wisdom to be found in that piece of work.
Honestly I’m more worried about people biting me than dogs. Yes I’ve been bit more times by people than dogs.
People have no warning signs 🙁 they just bite. And a dog bite is so much cleaner too.
And what about cats? crazy lil animals they bite for no reason at all.
But I guess some people are just oblivious to the signs of fear, in Dogs, Or anything animals really (including people)
Agree. One must be bilingual: understand doggish and speak humanish. Almost all dogs who are reactive/anxious/aggressive are ignored when the communicate subtly, and don’t get enough information, or the information they need. Combined with a lack of choice – tight leash/can’t avoid, fight is the last option.
I also share your sentiment regarding “awareness weeks”. Power puke – I don’t pay any mind to any of them.
Power Puke. I love that. This entire “awareness” thing became an empty gesture right from the start, along with the proliferation of coloured ribbons showing “support” for a cause through no more effort than peeling off the adhesive backing and smoothing out any trapped air bubbles. I think George Carlin said it best about that phenomenon – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7FAisW7YWQ
Hilarious clip – yes, arrghhh – ribbons and bracelets, more PP. No ribbons on my car, although I might make an exception. There’s one coming from +R folks in Germany that says: Train Without Pain. I’ll pop that on.