I recently read an article about a dog bite incident at a park. In what is an all-too-common scenario, the dog who was bitten and required stiches was off leash and the dog who did the biting was on leash and with his owner. Yes, you read that right. The dog who did the biting was leashed and under control. There is only so much a person can do when a loose dog comes right up to a leashed one.
So, who was the victim in this scenario? The dog who was bitten or the dog who was pushed beyond his limits of social proximity and felt compelled to react? Which dog was better socialized? Is this even about socialization or is it about training? I’d say the incident above took place because of a lack of proper socialization on both sides and a lack of thorough training on the part of the “friendly” dog.
As far as training goes, the “friendly” off-leash dog appears to not only be improperly socialized, but also under-trained – or at least not trained well enough to be off-leash in a public park. If that dog had had a proper recall or emergency “sit” or “down” the incident could have been avoided altogether. A dog that is under control cannot be “too friendly.” An unleashed dog with solid training does not run up to a leashed dog if the owner has control and knows proper park etiquette.
In my opinion, based on the information provided in the article, neither dog was properly socialized. The “friendly” dog who was trusted off leash sounds like a bit of a social loon, who does not read the body signals of other dogs, but rather assumes every dog is game for a raucous time without taking the time for a proper greeting and invitation to engage.
The dog who did the biting had every right to tell the approaching dog to back off, but biting to the point of damage for a simple social faux pas (faux paw?) is overkill and suggests that the biter didn’t get enough dog/dog early socialization to learn how to temper his bite to fit the crime. He displayed a lack of bite inhibition.
At Sirius® Puppy Training we focus on the human element of socialization first and the dog/dog interactions as a secondary concern. Pups who come to Sirius classes primarily live with human beings in our very human-centric world. It is imperative that they become comfortable with all sorts of human behaviors and environments.
Dogs become reactive (bark, growl, snap, bite) when they are uncomfortable with their surroundings and/or what is going on. Their reactions let us know how they feel. If we don’t want them to be stressed, it’s our job to acclimate them to the sights, sounds, environments, and handling they are likely to encounter when out in the world with their humans.
So in puppy class, starting with very young pups, we introduce them in small doses to the things they are going to experience later in life. We do so in a friendly, controlled environment where we can gauge the experience not to be overwhelming and make it as positive as possible.
We teach pups that human hands come to give good things more often than to take. A hand reaching for the food bowl is not trying to steal your meal and may very well be adding something delicious instead.
We teach that if you give up your bone, you will get a reward for giving it up readily and usually get it back later, and that tools such as nail clippers and grooming shears need not be frightening. We teach pups that humans come in all shapes and sizes and that behind the silhouette of a hat or the large dark eyes of sunglasses are friendly people who will be kind and offer belly rubs and treats. We teach dogs that skateboards and bicycles are to be ignored.
In puppy class we also teach basic manners and impulse control. Sure, you may want to go say hello to the pup across the room, but do so in a polite fashion. The puppies do not run amok, they are trained to focus on their owners even amidst the crazy-fun chaos of class. The short play interludes act as both distractions they must master and rewards for a job well done. Pup-on-pup play also serves to enhance proper dog social etiquette and provides a place to practice acquired bite inhibition.
Mixed aged socialization playgroups teach pups to respect their elders and class teaches pups that they must respond quickly and efficiently to a call to “come” or an emergency sit – even if they were on their way to meet their very best friends.
So please, take the time in 2014 to socialize your pup. Practice handling routines, introduce your pup to lots of different people and environments, and by all means put as much time into training and following through with the clarity of communication that you will learn in a good training class.
Kelly Gorman Dunbar is Director of the Center for Applied Animal Behavior, where she recruits and trains the instructors for the Dunbar family business, SIRIUS® Puppy & Dog Training. She is the creator of the SIRIUS Sniffers scent-detection program, and is in the process of bringing the French sport of cavage (truffle hunting) to the US. Kelly is also Founder and President of Open Paw and consults on various matters.
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