Dog Bites and Calming Signals

I do spend time most days sifting through online K9 news for a variety of reasons. There's not a single day that goes by without stories about someone being bitten or attacked. One thing that is a VERY common component of these stories is witnesses stating the dog 'attacked without warning' or 'without reason'.

The story below has some very detailed footage of a police K9 that bites a reporter. Fortunately, the individual was not seriously injured. I'm posting this footage and asking viewers to watch the dog very closely in the moments before the bite. Initially the dog is licking its lips, has a lowered body posture and lowered ears, and is glancing repeated toward its handler (looking for help and information). This body language from the dog is what many trainers call "calming signals" - the dog is clearly saying it is not comfortable and very anxious. As the reporter moves into the dog, it tries backing away, stops licking its lips, closes its mouth (has stopped breathing momentarily), and has an intensely focused stare at the reporter - all very clear (although brief) signs of an impending bite.

The story here implies the dog was trained to respond in this manner from the threatening posture of the reporter, but the 'calming signals' are actually very telling that this dog was responding out of fear not training. Both the reporter and the dog's handler missed some very basic dog body language, language meant to offer a warning before a bite. Had the reporter simply backed away a few feet, this dog would likely have calmed and there would never have been a problem.

My point here is not to criticize the participants in the video, but to point out that dogs often DO provide information before biting. They use these "calming signals" to say they are anxious, uncomfortable, or feeling threatened. A dog that is offering these signals does not want to bite, but it's still up to humans to translate the dog's language and respond properly. In many cases humans miss the language.