Battersea Dogs & Cats Home Battersea Park Road London SW8 AA Old Windsor Priest Hill, Old Windsor Berkshire SL JN Brands Hatch Crowhurst Lane Ash, Kent TN 7HH The Battersea code with Bat & Zee Safety around dogs Registered Charity No. 09 A member of the Association of Dogs and Cats Homes Ref: LEACSD000 Published in 0
Safety Introduction around dogs General do s and don ts Ten million dogs! Around ten million dogs live in the UK * and many of us have our own pet dogs, or friends and family who do. We will also come across dogs in our town, streets and parks, and the countryside. Some may have jobs like being a police dog, guide dog or sheep dog. Understanding dogs Because we can t always understand what a dog is trying to tell us, we can do things that hurt, frighten or annoy them. This can lead to a dog barking at us, snapping or even biting. It is really important that we learn how to behave around dogs so that we don t frighten or upset them. Most dogs will only snap or bite if they are frightened by us and think that they need to protect themselves. *Dr Jane Murray, Bristol University To keep us safe around dogs, we need to know how to behave with them, so that they don t feel frightened or annoyed by us. Do Have respect for all dogs Be gentle and quiet around dogs Make sure there is always an adult around (for example your parents) when you are near a dog Ask your parents how you can help look after and train your dog Don t Approach a dog you don t know Disturb a dog that is eating, sleeping or unwell Assume all dogs are friendly Tease a dog or play rough games All dogs will have different personalities and like different things.
Out and about: How to approach a friendly dog Out and about: What to do if you are frightened by a dog How do you feel when you meet someone for the first time? A bit shy, nervous or worried? Dogs can feel like this too. Some dogs will find you very interesting and exciting. If a dog thinks you look like fun or have something he wants like a toy or food, he might rush over to you and maybe even jump up or bark. This could be very scary. It is really important that you only stroke dogs you know are friendly. If a dog is hurt, frightened or angry he might bark, snap or even bite you. Here is a simple way to say hello to a dog. Ask the dog s owner if you can stroke the dog before you approach him. If the owner isn t there never approach a dog. It is very important to find out if the dog is friendly before you stroke him. Never touch dogs that you don t know without checking with their owner first. Walk up to the dog calmly and quietly. Make sure he can see you so that you don t startle him. Stand slightly to the side of the dog as standing face on can be scary for him. Gently offer the back of your hand to the dog to sniff. Make sure your fingers are tucked under so they don t point into the dog s face or eyes. After the dog has had a chance to sniff you, gently stroke his shoulder. Most dogs don t like being patted on the head. If you are holding anything that the dog is very interested in e.g. a toy or food, drop it onto the floor. An adult can always get it back for you later. Don t run away from the dog he may think it s a game and run after you. Stand still, fold your arms and don t move. Stay as quiet and still as you can. Waving your arms or making lots of noise could scare the dog or attract his attention. If a dog takes your toy, ask mum, dad, or the adult who came with you, to try and help to get it back. Do not try yourself. If a dog knocks you over roll into a ball, keeping your head and arms tucked in. Do not move until the dog has got bored and has gone away. You can then slowly move backwards keeping an eye on the dog. If the dog comes back, follow steps one to five again.
At home with your dog When dogs are trained, well cared for and we have learnt to understand them, being in their company can be great fun and problems are far less likely to occur. Training a dog isn t always easy, and training classes can be useful. If you have any problems with your family dog, there is lots of advice on our website battersea.org.uk Playtime To keep playtime safe it s important to know the right kind of games to play. Always make sure there is an adult around when you are playing with a dog. Keep games nice and calm and avoid rough and tumble games as they teach the dog to be rough. Stick to games like fetch and retrieve. If your dog runs off with a toy, ignore him and start to play with another toy. He will probably want to play with you and this toy instead. Stop any games immediately if your dog gets over-excited or starts to play bite. This might not hurt when your dog is a puppy but could do when he is older. If dogs are playing together, leave them alone to play. Love and attention Call the dog to you. This makes sure he wants to spend time with you. Be gentle and don t make any sudden noises or movements. Don t kiss or hug a dog (this could make him feel trapped). Let sleeping dogs lie Sleeping is one time when you should leave a dog in peace. You should never approach a dog that is: Sleeping Tied up or on his own Playing with another dog or a toy Eating food is very important to a dog and he might think he needs to protect it from you In his garden or in a kennel if it is not your dog Looking after puppies. Give him a nice stroke. Stay calm and quiet and remember that staring at a dog may scare him. Allow the dog to move away if he wants to so he never feels trapped.
Understanding a dog s body language Dogs speak using their own vocabulary (noises such as a bark or growl), body language and facial expressions. These signals can easily be misread by humans. The more we can understand the system they use to communicate, the easier it is to understand their behaviour. Let s consider the following...
The scared dog Consider how you would feel in a scary situation and then think about the dog and how it could be feeling. The angry dog Find an adult to help you if you really need to disturb or move a dog. Dogs can find new situations, people or places scary. A dog might also be scared of something that seems harmless to us like fireworks, or have had a bad experience in the past. Look at the signals the dog in the picture is giving and try to remember them in case you ever meet a scared dog. If you see a dog showing these signs, walk away very slowly. Try not to stare at the dog as he may find this scary, and make sure that he isn t forced into a corner or trapped in any way. Tell an adult straight away. Just like people, dogs can get angry in all sorts of situations. Look at the signals the dog in the image is giving to show he is not happy, and try to remember them. If you ever see a dog showing any of these signs, or you think that a dog might be angry do not approach him. Walk calmly away. Do not run, shout or scream, and tell an adult immediately. Remember the points below so you know how to recognise an angry dog. His ears are low and flat on his head. His tail is tucked down tightly between his legs. He is maintaining eye contact with you through narrow eyes. His tail is stiff, straight and slightly over his back. His eyes will be big and round (dilated). His body is trembling, shivering and drawn back into a cowering position with an arched back. His mouth has lips apart, drawn back from the teeth snarling and possibly growling. His hackles (hairs on the back of the neck) are standing up. He is panting and may bark, growl or snarl in fear. He is trying to back away from you. His body is tense and stiff. His ears are pointing up and forwards.