Jun
Beware of the Dog – Looks Can Be Deceiving
Terrier Trouble – What to do About my Growling Dog?
Q: Our five-year-old soft-coated Wheaten Terrier presents himself as a furry, lovable and inviting dog while he sits waiting outside the cafe for me to finish my morning latte. Trouble is he has taken to growling and barking at some well-meaning types, especially those who come on too enthusiastically. It’s like they invade his space. This behaviour is slowly starting to accelerate. What would be the best approach short of hanging a sign on him saying, “Beware, looks can be deceiving?
A: You nailed the problem on the head. While Fido might be carefree and confident with you alongside, when he’s alone outdoors life may look a bit more dangerous.
All would be well if humans heeded the two golden rules: never pet a dog without owner permission, and always let the dog make first contact.
Unfortunately, naive well-wishers abound. These human space invaders approach too quickly, loom too largely or crowd too closely. To Fido, their friendly smiles and soft reassuring coos seem more like maniacal grins and suspiciously sweet overtones.
Under pressure, some dogs will freeze or shrink, pretending it’s all a bad dream. Others take action, usually with a reflex bark or low-level growl. A few successes with that method and the message is loud and clear: when strangers approach, growl and bark. Pretty soon, your sweet, slightly insecure dog has turned into a mass of defensive rumbling.
This isn’t the only dangerous scenario though. Whether your dog’s as amicable as a purple dinosaur or as fearful as an agoraphobic, tying outside is a touchy subject. Even the friendliest dog can pack a surprise.
Take the case of Hershey, the ho-hum Labrador retriever. Screaming kids, overly exuberant strangers, rude off-lead dogs, he took them all in stride. Certainly no bite in his benign body.
But then he met just the right kid: a two and a half foot twerp imitating a giant squeaky toy. While Hershey was parked to a tree during his owner’s weekly errands, one rambunctious roughneck found a new source of fun. The post-toddler darted back and forth, in and out, like a pro training a protection dog to bite.
On the outside, it looked like good fun. His mother wasn’t concerned. A kid just bouncing and squealing like an injured rodent and a dopey brown dog wagging his tail dumbly and bowing up and down in play. No idea that the games were triggering that deep-seeded prey instinct that all dogs possess. Everything was fine and dandy until, with a joyful bark and a big puppy bounce, it was tooth against skin.
It was probably an accidental connection, a product of perfect timing, but it left one screaming child, one hysterical mom and a lot of blood. Hershey’s owner was outside in a snap and the bleeding stopped in another five. And while mom roared on about the vicious, unprovoked attack, Hershey sat patiently, a slow wag accompanying his puzzled face.
Outwardly, the consequences were small. For the boy, a small facial wound that healed seamlessly with stitches and for Hershey, a mandatory 10-day house arrest served by all biting dogs to rule out rabies. But the scars ran deeper. A little boy might now have a lifelong fear of dogs caused by a single improper greeting. A happy-go-lucky Hershey would have the brand of a bite in his history and no more errands to the store.
Does this one incident mean that all dogs should be banished from temporary tying? If so, Fido’s going to miss out on lots of great walks which means not only less exercise but also less practice in social situations. It’s all a calculated risk.
If your dog barks even happily at passers-by — human or canine — or darts forward to greet either class, a nix on the privileges is in order. However, if your dog is calm and confident enough to reliably endure a surprise hug from a stranger or an impromptu visit from a stray, maybe it’s OK. In any case, the safest bet is to be close enough to monitor Fido and supervise all contact. Tying your dog anywhere massively increases the risk of either your dog acting unpredictably or the prospect of your dog actually beings stolen. You have been warned.
What if you want your slightly scared dog to feel more at home?
The solution is simple but the execution an art. Teach Fido to associate good things with unfamiliar people. Set Fido out in a spot safe from strangers. Then have your friends walk past just out of range.
If enough unfamiliar humans pass him as if he didn’t exist and simultaneously toss his favourite treats at his feet, Fido will eventually cherish the sight of strangers. Then people will be able to safely pass as you enjoy your latte, and you will be able to keep your eye out and prevent potential problems.
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Dr Sophia Yin, DVM
The K9MAAP is not a substitute for professional petcare advice and should only be used in conjunction with advice provided by a suitably qualified petcare professional. Always seek immediate professional help if you have any medical or behavioural problems with your dog. K9MAAP board members serve on an honorary basis and the advice provided by them is for guidance purposes only and should not be considered as irrefutable or conclusive. K9 Magazine is always happy to refer readers to appropriate organisations and governing bodies if you are seeking a qualified petcare professional.
There is only one good and safe solution to that scenario (leaving a dog tied waiting outside): Get your dog used to wearing a muzzle and then you can take it with you and leave it confidently while you shop/have your latte.
Unfortunately no. If an untowards incident did happen and even a claw tore some skin then a court would take notice that the dog was muzzled and interpret that as a tacit admission that the dog was known to be dangerous, despite anything the owner might subsequently say.
When you have a dog, you always run the risk of being sued/reported, even if there is no real reason for it. But if your dog is muzzled and tied, you can be sure that he will not in fact be able to do any serious harm to anybody, and that should be the main goal of any dog owner: that the dog DOES NOT HARM anyone.
The first thought that comes to my mind is why would an owner continually put their dog in a situation in which it was obviously uncomfortable or faced with the possibility of being made uncomfortable? Dogs get better at behaviors they get to repeat, whether you like those behaviors or not. Why give a dog the opportunity to keep practicing growling at strangers? Doesn’t make sense to me, though I understand why someone might want to enjoy a cup of coffee and be able to bring their dog along, but not this dog.
I never trust people to do the right thing with my fearful dog. Not only do I work on counter conditioning and desensitization around his triggers, I manage the situations he’s in. Every fearful reaction he has just makes it more likely that he will have that same response in the future. Just my opinion. I’d leave my dog home.