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'.

In one recent story there was detailed footage of a police K9 that bit a reporter. Fortunately, the individual was not seriously injured. While the video is no longer available, when it was you could see the dog licking its lips, had a lowered body posture and lowered ears, and was 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.

So actually, there are often warnings if you know what to look for. In this case, the dog's calming signals' were actually very telling. 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 to inform readers 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.