Having recently been called out to attend to patients who were attacked by dogs, ER24 is urging pet owners to take good care of their dogs by ensuring they are well socialised and trained from a young age as well as being kept safe on their property.
According to Samantha Walpole, the secretary of Animal Behavioural Consultants of South Africa, children are the most at risk of being bitten by dogs.
“Children are generally drawn to dogs; wagging tails are attractive to children,” says Walpole, who is also a dog behaviourist and trainer.
“The public is ill-informed and under the impression that if a dog’s tail is wagging, it means that it is happy and is safe to approach, which is far from the truth.
“Children are also taught that hugging and kissing is an acceptable form of affection. To humans it is but to canines this is perceived as confrontational.”
She states that humans and dogs speak a different language and when communication is misunderstood, people get bitten.
Dogs turning on their owners
Dogs could turn on their owners as a result of a number of reasons.
Walpole says dogs that bite their owners, or anyone else, could have an underlying medical condition.
The dog could also be pushed to a point where it has no choice or could feel that its life is being threatened.
Harsh and confrontational training methods could also be a contributing factor with regards to human-related dog aggression.
- Be respectful to your dog.
- Research and learn how to ‘speak dog’.
There are a number of body signals that a dog displays to indicate that it is uncomfortable and needs space or that it likes what you are doing.
By watching your dog’s body language and understanding what your dog is saying, you are able to stop or change the reason for your dog feeling uncomfortable.
- Learn what your dog likes and dislikes and respect these needs.
- A dog should not be treated like a toy or tested to see how tolerant it is. Do not poke, push or sit on a dog or pull its tail.
- Stop what you are doing if a dog shows discomfort.
Signs of discomfort include when the dog turns its head away from you, when the dog yawns, flicks his tongue out of his mouth or licks his nose, when the dog’s body freezes, when it moves away, lifts its lips or growls.
Also stop what you are doing when the dog shows whale-eye (pronounced whites of the eye). This is often misunderstood as a ‘guilty look’ when it is actually an appeasement gesture in response to the stimulus.
- Never corner a dog.
- Do not reprimand a dog when it growls. This is a language prior to a bite. Growling means that a person should leave the dog alone.
- If your dog bites someone, do not place the dog in a similar situation.
If necessary, temporarily confine the dog in a safe area with water and shelter.
Immediately seek the assistance of a qualified trained professional.
Unfamiliar dogs
What should you do and not do when you see an unfamiliar dog close by?
Walpole says that an unfamiliar dog should be ignored.
“Do not encourage an unfamiliar dog to approach you.
“Quietly and calmly walk away. Do not turn your back on the dog but rather try to have your body facing sideways toward the dog,” she says.
If the dog approaches to attack you, do not scream, run away or turn your back on the dog.
Do not make eye contact as this is often perceived as confrontational.
Keep your hands close to your body and stand still until the dog has backed away or is preferably out of sight.
“If you have food on you, break it up into small pieces and underarm toss the food toward the dog’s head. If the dog eats, continue to toss the food while slowly backing away to a safe place.”
If you are unable to escape an attacking dog, place yourself in a foetal position with your head tucked toward your chest. Cover your head with your hands.
If a person is bitten by a dog, the incident should be reported to the police.
If the dog is being ill-treated or neglected, the SPCA can be contacted.
ER24’s Dr Kumeshan Moodley, has treated numerous people for dog bites and says anyone who has been bitten, even with minor injuries, should visit a medical practitioner.
He adds that one of the main reasons for this is the possibility of a person developing infections or rabies.
Rabies, which is a viral and almost always fatal disease, is mainly transmitted by the bite of an infected animal.
The virus exists in the saliva of a rabid animal, such as a dog.
People who develop rabies could experience anything from:
- headache,
- fever,
- vomiting,
- muscle pain,
- difficulty swallowing,
- anxiety,
- profuse salivation,
- paralysis,
- restlessness,
- fear of water,
- seizures.
Moodley urges people to take care of their dogs, to feed them and to love them.
