Dog Bite Safety
By reinforcing lessons and learning to read a dog’s body language, you can take the first step to preventing dog bite injuries. Less bites translates to less dogs relinquished to shelters and stronger bonds between people and animals.
A dog may bite because of fear, illness or pain, protectiveness, control, high prey drive or just because they’re tired of being bothered. Never approach a barking, or clearly frightened dog and avoid petting dogs who are tethered, behind a fence, in someone’s car, eating and drinking, or chewing on a toy. If a dog is startled unexpectedly from a hug or a kiss on the face, they may bite without warning. Learn how to read the signals and look out for the following warning signs to keep you and your family safe.
Warning signs:
- They are leaning forward with their weight over their front legs and they have a stiff tail
- Their fur may be standing up on their neck
- They are moving with a stiff-legged, slow gait
- They are growling
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