Hold It! (Video)

• Demonstrates situations that may lead to a dog bite

• Gives ways to prevent these situations from occurring

Dog Bite Prevention (American Veterinary Medical Association)

• Gives statistics on the common bite victims

• Answers why some dogs bite

• Gives dog bite prevention tips

Dog Bites (Wayne County Dog Shelter Adoption Center)

• What to do once a bite has happened and needs to be reported

Beyond a Pets Theme: Teaching Young Children to Interact Safely with Dogs

• An article from the Early Childhood Education Journal

• Includes strategies and resources to promote safe child and dog interactions

 Signs of dog biting to keep in mind - 

• An aggressive dog could make an effort to seem larger. For example, the fur on their back and tail may stand on edge, and their ears may be erect and facing forward. 

• A fearful or frightened dog could attempt to seem smaller. For example, they could squat down, droop their heads, lick their lips repeatedly, or tuck their tails between their knees. 

What to do-  

• Before stroking a dog, ask permission while interacting with a new dog. 

• For the protection of your dog and those around them, always keep your dog on a loose leash when out in public. 

• Socialize your dog 

• Be mindful of common triggers for your dog. Read and understand their behavior, and what they like or not. 

Tips To Avoid A Dog Bite

• Dos and Don'ts

What is it and why does it happen? 

Resource guarding, also known as “possessive aggression,” is when an animal exhibits aggressive behavior when approached while in possession of an item. It is not a breed or sex-specific behavior (American Kennel Club, ASPCA). Dogs are especially prone to behavioral issues a couple of weeks after adoption when they start to become comfortable and test the limits as to what they can get away with (Love Has No Age: Welcoming an Adopted Dog into Your Home). While resource guarding may be beneficial to animals in the wild, this kind of behavior can be undesirable or even dangerous in domestic pets (ASPCA).  

If your dog suddenly begins guarding when they haven’t before, there may be an underlying medical problem. Consult your veterinarian to see if there might be a physical explanation (K9 Of Mine, American Kennel Club). 

What does it look like? 

Resource guarding can range from running away with an item to growling at or biting a person. It can happen with anyone—strangers or people the dog has been around every day of their life. Dogs can become possessive of many things, like bones, toys, stolen items, places, and food. Signs of resource guarding include stiff or crouched body posture, pinned back ears, lip licking, showing teeth/curling lips, lowered head, growling, snapping, and biting (ASPCA, Great Pet Care).  

Can resource guarding be prevented or discouraged? 

The best way to avoid resource guarding is to prevent it from happening. Reward your dog for behaving the way you want them to, like giving them treats for being calm when you approach them with a toy or bone. If your dog has a tendency to guard something, try to limit the dog’s access to that item. For example, if your dog seems to guard the couch or a favorite toy, provide them with a bed or a different toy instead and reward them for not guarding.  

It is important to note that, like all behaviors, resource guarding should not be punished. Punishing growling can be dangerous because it teaches the dog to skip growling and go straight to biting. Yelling, screaming, and hitting the dog may worsen the behavior (American Kennel Club). How you react in the moment can also reinforce guarding behavior. If your dog exhibits guarding behaviors and you immediately run away, it reinforces to your dog that aggression is a good way to remove the threat to the object they are guarding. If it is safe, try to stay still until some of the tension has subsided, and then redirect your dog’s attention. 

If resource guarding has become a habit for your dog, it can be broken with time and patience. Take note of how close you must be to your dog for them to exhibit guarding behaviors. Reward them with a treat when tensions ease but be careful not to reward aggressive behavior. Start to decrease the distance while still providing treats. This will teach your dog to associate your proximity with rewards instead of a threat. Repeat this until you can safely take the item away from your dog. Move slowly and calmly. Continue this exercise whenever your dog has a guardable item (Great Pet Care). 

Dangers of resource guarding: 

If your dog is known to guard items, it is important to take proper safety precautions to ensure the safety of household members (both people and other animals). Children are especially at risk of being bitten because they don’t recognize warning signals as well (American Kennel Club). For this reason, children should never be left alone with a dog that has exhibited guarding behavior (ASPCA). The best way to prevent an aggressive reaction is to limit your dog’s access to the item it guards. If your dog guards something unavoidable, like food, make sure the dog is left alone while they’re eating. Feeding them in a separate blocked-off area, like a crate or a different room, can reduce the likelihood of guarding behavior (Great Pet Care).  

If your dog has bitten you or you fear that your dog will bite you, please consult a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (more information on that here) or your veterinarian. Dog bites should be reported to the Wayne County dog warden (which can be found here).  

Helpful Links 

Food Guarding (ASPCA) 

Resource Guarding Overview (American Kennel Club) 

RG Training (Great Pet Care)