Imagine this. Your friend introduces you to her 3-year-old boy whom you immediately adore. You hold his shoulders with your arms outstretched as you talk to him and he responds by looking at you while he leans against his mom. As you tell your friend how lovely her child is, you switch to pinching the child's cheeks and patting his head. He responds by looking away. As your visit ends, you move in to kiss him on the cheek. He looks at you with an expression of horror and, before you can kiss him, he starts to cry.
While you may have missed the earlier signs that indicated he wasn't enjoying the interaction, most people would recognize that his tense posture and look of shock was your cue to stop even before he started to cry.
Humans Tend to Ignore Canine Signs of Anxiety and Discomfort
On the other hand, when an avid dog lover greets a dog in this equally improper way, the bite that ensues is often perplexing to the victim as well as onlookers. One such incident involving KUSA Denver television anchor Kyle Dyer occurred just this week. The news piece featured a Dogo Argentino who had been rescued the day before by firefighters when he fell into an icy lake. The spot was to honor and celebrate the rescue.
The reporter, who loves dogs, smothered the dog with affection by petting with both hands all over the face. The dog was virtually cornered -- sitting with his back against the couch with the owner's legs on both sides of him while the owner held his collar tight. The reporter was encroaching into the dog's personal space and, because of his positioning, the dog did not have the ability to show that he enjoyed the petting by leaning into the petting hand and couldn't show that he disliked the petting either by moving away. But he did lick his lips, which often indicates anxiety and he clearly turned away while the petting continued.
Next, the anchor moved her face in closer as if going in for a kiss -- the dog raised his lips and froze for an instant. When the reporter failed to recognize the neon signs and continued moving closer, the dog snapped, making contact with her face. It was over in an instant because the snap was meant to warn, not to hurt. The owner reflexively pulled the dog away and the dog willingly complied. No hard feelings on the part of the dog and no long, drawn out, frenzied barking and lunging. But the damage had already been done. He had landed a bite which, because the TV anchor was moving closer to him, led to a laceration requiring 70 stitches.
Most likely everyone involved feels badly about this incident, and they are not alone. The mistakes that the reporter made occur every day. In fact, this type of greeting is probably one of the top reasons why about 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs every year.
Recognizing Body Language and Greeting Correctly are the Keys to Prevention
We'd all do better if every one just knew a few things about dog body language and proper greetings. For instance, it's important to know that yawning, licking their lips, and panting as well as looking away can be signs of anxiety or fear.
It's also useful to realize that while many dogs will put up with impolite greeting by unfamiliar people, some dogs are too scared to handle these human mistakes. Luckily, the mistakes are common sense when you stop and think about how you would want to be greeted (see the other free downloads on how to greet a dog).
For instance, you wouldn't want some stranger on the street rushing up to hug you. The same goes for dogs. That's why it's best to approach slowly (at a relaxed walk).
You'd also feel uncomfortable if a stranger approached and stared at you. It's the same with dogs. Avoid staring at and approaching dogs head on. It's best to approach sideways and view the dog out of your peripheral vision.
Similarly, you might be creeped out by someone hovering over you. Leaning over dogs can scare them too. It's important to stay outside the dog's bubble or personal space.
Even with people you know, it's still rude to reach into their personal space. Reaching out to a dog can be a threat. That's why it's best to let the dog approach at his own rate. It's best if the dog looks relaxed, comes up to you, and rubs against you to solicit your attention.
Lastly, even with your good friends, some friendly gestures are unwanted. The same goes for dogs. Many dogs dislike being hugged or kissed. As a result, it's best to watch the dog's body language and avoid actions that make him uncomfortable.
As you can see, the drama created in situations like the KUSA one described above can generally be avoided if humans follow a few simple rules. Just learn to recognize a few body language signs that tell you when a dog is scared or wants you to back off, and remember to greet dogs the way you'd want strangers to greet you.
For more information on how to properly greet a dog, read Preventing Dog Bites by Learning to Greet Appropriately.
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I tried to pinpoint when Max's behavior changed. At first, I saw his tail wagging and it seemed he briefly enjoyed the attention. To me, the behavior change happened when the anchor put her hand on Max's owner's leg. I suspect that Max's owner tensed up, just as anyone would whose space was invaded. So, the anchor not only invaded the dog's space but the owner's as well.
To me, the anchor's dominant behavior reflects the disrespect of the media to all of us. After all, the media, in that specific event, did not care that the dog would be injured or tired, nor that they were asking the owner to bring it directly to an area with extensive breed-specific bans, nor that they would be putting a powerful, dominant breed under stress, etc. They only cared for "the story" and not for the results getting that story might bring. I recognize there was no ostensible malice intended, but for me, the blood-thirst for a "story" is malice enough. And didn't Max do us all a favor by mirroring that back to us so well? Maybe in the future, media types will be quicker to let sleeping dogs lie.
(source: http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/factsheets/Dogs/Dogo-Argentino-(Argentinian-Mastiff)/997)
While some texts describe the Dogo Argentino as trustworthy with people and exceptionally loyal, the breed is banned in Australia and Great Britain due to concerns about its temperament.
In other words....This dog had NO BUSINESS being off leash at any time. The breed can be very aggressive with other dogs, potentially dangerous with humans.
Why did this foolish lady put her face down in front of a strange pitbull going for a kiss? Dumb Dumb Dumb....Why did 9news need to sensationalize this story? The owner was at fault here all the way around and deserves a citation...not a medal of honor.
In regards to a Dogo's temperament. These dogs should never be human aggressive, but they are functional hunting dogs. The biggest issue is a high prey drive and exercise requirements. With any working dog breed they require a lot of work and not everyone can handle the challenge. The breed ban as always have to do with politically sensationalism and a quick fix attitude of trying to ban something without actually dealing with the core of the problem, which is bad dog owners.
This dog bite had nothing to do with the breed and everything to do with the reporter and owner ignoring or missing obvious dog language (she is the stations animal reporter and should have known better). But it is ultimately the owners responsibility to recognize when his dog is feeling threatened and respond accordingly.