With so many dogs in Ireland, it’s important that people understand how to behave around the dogs in their homes and in their community, so they can enjoy their company and remain safe.

Sadly, we often hear in the media of people getting bitten by dogs. So, we have put together some advice to help you understand more about dog behaviour and how to teach your children to stay safe around dogs.

Why do dogs bite?

There are several reasons why dogs bite, including:

• they may be scared or nervous
• they may be in pain
• they may be stressed
• they are protecting themselves or their property
• they may feel trapped
• they may have been surprised by your actions
• they may be very excited
• they may be too hot

Most dog bites happen in the home. With children, this can be because they are overfamiliar with the dog or don’t recognise when the dog is becoming stressed or uncomfortable.

Please never leave dogs and children alone. Even the safest of dogs should not be left alone with children.

Any dog can bite in a given situation. So, it’s important to ‘think dog’.

What to do if a dog approaches you

If a dog you don’t know approaches you, stand still and do not make any noise. If you’re carrying food or toys, drop them away from you. Keep your arms folded and look away from the dog. If you need to move away, do this slowly. This will make you very boring to the dog and help them to calm down.

It’s easy for children to forget what they have been told, especially when they’re playing and having fun, so it’s important that they are actively supervised when they are around dogs. This also gives you an opportunity to remind them of how to behave and make sure that both children and dogs are safe and happy in each other’s company.

Dogs should be left alone when they are:

• eating
• chewing a toy
• sleeping or resting
• in bed or under a chair or table
• sick or injured
• trying to move away
• with their puppies

Please don’t allow children and dogs to play chase or wrestling games. These games are very exciting to dogs and they can get over-stimulated, with someone likely to get hurt or upset.

It’s also important that children are taught not to tease, poke, or sneak up and surprise dogs, as this is likely to be very scary for them and may result in the dog behaving defensively.

The following descriptions of dog actions will help you to understand what the dog is trying to tell you:

Go away – I’m afraid. I’m cowering away from you and may hide under furniture. See how my ears are flat back. I may show my teeth, snarl or growl.

I don’t want you to pet my tummy. I am really scared. I moved away from you and rolled on my back, and my tail is tucked between my legs. I am so scared that if you come to pet me, I might think you are going to hurt me, and I might bite.

Please keep away – I‘m not sure about you and am still uncomfortable. I am moving slowly and lowering my head. My paw is raised and I may lick my lips to show I am uncomfortable with you being near me.

My head is lowered, and my tail is tucked away. I am looking at you sideways and may yawn to show I am still not sure about you.

I’m still unsure and moving away from you with my head lower than my shoulders. I have tucked my tail away and may glance over my shoulder and show the white of my eye (whale eye).

It can be hard to resist rushing over to a cute dog and wanting to pet them but it’s really important to ‘think dog’ and put yourself in their shoes, even if you’ve already met the dog a few times.

Imagine you were walking along, minding your own business and a stranger ran over and tried to hug you or put their hands on you – how would you feel?

While some dogs are extremely confident and friendly, some can be anxious and especially worried by people they don’t know well.

Even the friendliest dog may be worried by certain people or maybe, they’ve had a stressful day and just don’t want to say hello. Maybe, it’s too hot for them or they’re not feeling well.

The nicest thing you can do for a dog is to give them space and allow them to come to you – if they want.

In fact, giving dogs more choice in whether to interact with you or not, can help build better relationships and help keep both people and dogs safe and happy.

Dogs who feel threatened or worried are more likely to use behaviours to tell you to go away (which could, in some cases, include biting), so following rules for successful greetings will keep both you and the dog safe.

How to approach a dog for the first time safely

• Take a moment to decide if you really need to pet the dog.
• Always ask the owner if it’s okay to pet their dog and where their dog likes to be petted – most dogs are worried by unfamiliar hands approaching their head or face.
• Call the dog to you by patting your legs gently and saying “hello”. This gives the dog a choice in whether they want to approach you or not.
• If the dog comes over to you, you can stroke their shoulder nearest to you (but don’t lean over the dog). Count three pets on their shoulder and then stop, giving the dog the choice to move away if they want to.
• Even if the owner has said it’s okay to say hello, remember to check the dog’s body language is happy and relaxed before you go ahead. If the dog doesn’t come over to you, that’s ok too. Don’t take it personally. Respect their choice and move away.
• However much you’d like to, please do not attempt to hug the dog. While hugging is a sign of affection for humans, holding a dog close to you tends to make them feel threatened and worried.
• If the dog turns or moves away from you, they’re telling you they’d rather you didn’t pet them just now, so it’s time to stop!
• Always be calm, quiet and slow moving around pets
• If the dog is off the lead playing, then it is best to leave them to enjoy whatever they’re doing

Please remember

• If a dog doesn’t want to be fussed, don’t force them. Respect their choice to not interact.
• All dogs are individuals and have their own personalities, so don’t be upset if you’re a doggie person but this one dog you’ve just met doesn’t want to approach you. Some dogs find strangers really scary, and others just aren’t bothered about fuss from people in general.
• If an owner says “no” when you ask to pet their dog, respect that. Don’t be offended; there will be a valid reason why, and it’s most likely because they know their dog is uncomfortable around strangers and they’re trying to keep everyone safe.