Nearly 5 million people are bitten each year, often because they ignored or misinterpreted warning signals from dogs. The following are hints on reading your dog's signals and preventing injury.
Dogs that are feeling tense display “calming signals” to indicate their discomfort.These may include turning the head away, yawning, scratching, sniffing or licking the lips.When dogs are feeling more anxious or protective, they engage in “ritualized aggression.”These displays are intended to defuse a situation and avoid conflict.Only if they are unsuccessful is a dog likely to bite.Typical warning behaviors are described below.Not all are present in all dogs, and sometimes they come very close together and can be hard to read.Paying close attention to canine warnings and intervening to reduce the anxiety at an early stage can help to reduce the likelihood of a bite.
Freezing Up, often accompanied by “hard eye” (sharp delineation between pupil and iris) or “whale eye” (white of eye showing around iris).The dog’s eyes may glaze over and it may looks obliquely away from the perceived threat.It may appear to be dazed or detached.
Accelerated Consumption or Guarding:An anxious dog may eat its food more rapidly, curl up around a valued object or retreat to a corner with it.
Growl:A low, steady rumbling presented either alone or with other warnings.
Snarl: Exposure of the teeth by moving the lips up.May also be accompanied by barking or growling.
Air Snap: Biting the air but not making contact.
Inhibited Bite: Making mouth contact but without biting.
If your dog exhibits these signs, try to determine what the source of discomfort may be and, if it is safe to do so, eliminate that stress.Remember that the sources of stress for dogs are additive.Several stressors presented at the same time or close together may cause aggressive displays, even if one alone would not.For example, a dog that is stressed by loud noises, hunger, being alone and children, may feel enough stress to become aggressive if it has been alone all day, it is near mealtime, and a child comes near yelling loudly.Being aware of your dog’s stressors can help to reduce the probability of aggressive behavior.But it is important to remember that any dog, even the best trained and socialized, will bite if it is threatened and sees no other options.Keep your dog and family safe by reducing stress, maintaining good health, providing sufficient exercise and always supervising your dog closely, especially around children. Reference: Jean Donaldson, Mine: A Practical Guide to Resource Guarding in Dogs