Resources For families with dogs and babies!

Thursday, November 6, 2008

A bite of presidential proportion

Yes, even Presidents have challenges when minding their dog. White house furry resident Barney has bitten someone. The victim is receiving medical care. As the reporter said this they giggled and seemed shocked. The thing is that ...this is quite common. Dogs communicate so differently then we do. They require us to LEARN and continue learning so that we can live together respectfully. Why do dogs bite? Simply because they have teeth and this is one of their forms of communication. Biting is a last resort for dogs. When I hear that a dog has bitten I always know there is more to the story. Here are just some of the questions that run through my head.
Where did it take place? I mean exactly...was it near a resource? Was it outside of their home?
What was the person doing when the dog bit? Were they walking away, bending over to pet...what?
Who was there when it happened? Adult? Child? Unfamiliar people?
What was the victim wearing?
ETc there are so many things that help us get insight to why it happened and what we might be able to do to not have it repeat. Bites are NOT out of the blue. There is always a trail that may have been scuffed over or overlooked or excused away but there is always a trail. Our goal is to educate about the subtle communication dogs use that indicate their state of mind and responses. I encourage everyone to become familiar with these and pay attention to what your dog is really saying to you!
For more information please visit Doggone Safe

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