WHY DOGS BITE PEOPLE
Behaviourist: few canines are truly aggressive
In the wake of the tragic death of a six-year-old boy after a dog attack in Riceton this week, a local dog behaviourist offers some insight into the complexities of canine aggression.
“I am so saddened by this situation that happened in Riceton. And I don’t hold anybody responsible,” said Barbara Lloyd. “It was an unfortunate thing and I think that everybody, all the way around, just deserves some compassion and understanding.”
On Wednesday, Cameron Mushanski was killed outside his grandparents’ home in the hamlet of Riceton, about 50 kilometres southeast of Regina. Two Alaskan malamutes, kept in a penned area in the family’s yard, were subsequently euthanized.
Lloyd, who has been recognized as an expert witness for the courts in dangerous dog cases, said dogs bite for a variety of reasons. Feeling threatened can be a major catalyst and usually stems from either fear or aggression.
“Most of the time it’s out of fear,” said Lloyd. “There’s very few true, true, true aggressive dogs out there.”
They can also get territorial. Dogs tied up in the yard on a chain or kept behind a fence may attempt to protect the area in which they are confined. But dogs tied up are far more likely to attack than a dog behind a fence, because they don’t have the option to run away if they are scared, said Lloyd.
Pain is another trigger spot for dogs. Lloyd said they are such stoic creatures that they may not show their owners they are in pain, but will react if someone accidentally touches a sensitive spot.
But Lloyd said the notion that certain breeds of dogs are more prone to aggressive behaviour than others is completely false.
“That’s a stereotype and it’s discrimination. Plain and simple,” said Lloyd. “There is no one breed or breeds or group of dogs that are more likely to bite than others — at all. Especially to attack to the degree that happened in Riceton. Every dog is an individual.”
She said it’s the same thing as saying someone of a certain ethnicity is prone to murder; it’s simply not true.
A similar fatal dog attack in Ontario — when eight-year-old Courtney Trempe was mauled to death by a neighbour’s dog — prompted an inquest in 1999 and resulted in 35 recommendations aimed at reducing dog-bite incidents.
Kerry Vinson, an Ontario dog behaviourist and court expert, testified at the Trempe inquest.
“One of the (35) recommendations which I think was a very important one, was that before any dog or dogs involved in a fatal dog attack are euthanized, they should be assessed by a qualified behaviourist in order to glean some information as to why this would happen,” he said.
He believes euthanizing a dog immediately after an incident is counterproductive to finding out why the incident occurred and furthering public education.
He has been called on to assess three dogs after fatal dog attacks in Ontario between 1999 and 2010, in which two of the victims were children.
“In each of those cases, there were some signs that something like this could happen. It didn’t just happen out of the blue,” said Vinson.
Lloyd said there are so many reasons a dog can get aggressive, including chemical imbalances — like a thyroid condition — life experiences and lack of training.
She said knowing the warning signs of fear and aggression in dogs can help prevent biting incidents. There are subtle signals a dog can send that the general public may not even realize are warning signs.
Warning signs that indicate a dog may be scared, nervous or aggressive include — but are not limited to — the following: dilated pupils, baring teeth, growling, tightly closed mouth, rigid body, tail tucked under the body, chest low to the ground and angled forward, paws gripping the ground, high-pitched barking in some cases, making themselves smaller, and something called a “moon eye” where the white under their eyes can be seen.
Signs of pain or stress can include licking of lips, yawning, changes in normal temperament, not eating, lack of energy, etc.
One of the most important things, according to Lloyd, is not to use dominance training with a dog. By using aggressive techniques to show your dog who’s boss, you’re sending the wrong message, she said.
“What you’re saying to the dog is … this is how we deal with conflict,” said Lloyd.
Lloyd said if your dog’s behaviour begins to scare or worry you, contact a veterinarian or dog trainer before it gets any worse. Staying in tune with what is normal and what isn’t for your dog will go along way toward preventing incidents in the future.