By Rory MacLean, For The StarPhoenix Most cases of dogs biting children could have been prevented by educating kids to read warning signs, says a Regina-based vet.
Dr. Sally Cleland was in Saskatoon on Saturday to deliver a lecture on dog bite prevention for the fifth annual Animal Welfare Conference held by the Saskatchewan SPCA.
Dog bites can be caused by a range of factors, including predatory instincts, past abuse and, sometimes, simple miscommunication between dogs and people, said Cleland.
Assessing fault in the case of a dog bite often comes down to two positions, she said: Those who blame the dog and those who blame the human.
Blame should not be directed specifically at either group, Cleland said, and people, especially children, should be taught to recognize when interacting with a dog is unsafe.
According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control, 60 per cent of all bite victims are children. Cleland said this is largely due to two factors, children's small size and their ways of interacting with dogs.
Cleland laid out a few pointers for dealing with dogs, based on studies of canine behaviour.
HUGGING DANGEROUS
"No. 1: Dogs do not like hugs and kisses," particularly being grabbed around the neck, she said.
Cleland pointed out that this type of interaction is actually very similar to the way dogs fight for dominance, with one grabbing the other by the neck and pulling it to the ground.
"Think of a child hugging a dog. How do dogs interpret that gesture? That's an aggressive gesture, not one of affection. We like to be hugged, we like to be kissed, dogs don't," she said.
"Have I rubbed your fur the wrong way yet?"
Cleland admitted many dog owners would probably disagree with her about the hugs and kisses, but she urged people to watch for signs of displacement behaviours -- when a dog is unsure how to interpret an action it would normally perceive as aggressive.
These include turning its head away, yawning, sudden scratching or licking.
Cleland said these behaviours indicate a dog is trying to calm itself.
Dogs have evolved a system of body language to relieve aggression, said Cleland.
"It seems that dogs think that we are dogs, and people are commonly bitten because they do not recognize or respond properly to the sight of a dog that feels stressed, overwhelmed or threatened by our behaviour."
Some signs of anxiety in dogs include standing erect, having its tail pointed straight up in the air or its mouth being closed. Being able to see the whites of a dog's eyes is also an early sign of anxiety, said Cleland.
Cleland urges people, especially children, who come face to face with a dog to "be a tree," an approach borrowed from the Ontario group Doggone Safe.
People approached by a strange dog are advised by Cleland to stop, clasp their hands in front of their stomach and look down at their feet. Eye contact is an aggressive gesture for dogs and running may just trigger a dog's chase instinct.
The Be a Tree program has been taught in a number of schools across the country. Cleland urged those present on Saturday -- including members of the Saskatchewan SPCA, Saskatoon and Moose Jaw humane societies and the Prince Albert SPCA -- to contact their local educators to ask that the Be a Tree program be taught in more Saskatchewan schools.
For their part, the Saskatchewan SPCA will be buying some Be a Tree teaching kits which will be available to borrow from its offices in Saskatoon, said Frances Wach, the group's executive director.
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http://www.thestarphoenix.com/bite+education+needed+veterinarian/2042099/story.htmlTop Ten Most Aggressive Dogs:
http://doggies.com/blog/2008/07/15/top-ten-most-aggressive-dogs/ 
