What you should do when dogs attack
New Plymouth has a serious dog attack issue, a canine behaviorist has warned.
Former police dog handler Nick Wilson was speaking after a Siberian husky was attacked in Moturoa by a bull mastiff that escaped its property.
The New Plymouth District Council said there were 203 incidents involving dogs between July 1, 2017 and June 30, 2018.
Those incidents included any situation involving a dog, from attacks to showing aggression.
Of the 203 incidents, involved another dog and involved people.
Wilson said he had been training dogs with behavioural issues for a long time, so has seen the issues of dog attacks first hand.
He said people needed to be aware of what to do in a dog attack situation to avoid injury.
There were a number of reasons why a dog may become aggressive towards other dogs, animals or people in public places, he said.
‘‘These areas can be highly stimulating and highly arousing for dogs.
‘‘Aggression from anxiety.’’ can then
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Dogs can also become possessive over items or their property, which can cause them to show territorial aggression.
Wilson said when a dog becomes aggressive, there was one main piece of advice.
‘‘The number one thing not to do is put your hands near the sharp end,’’ he said. ‘‘Yelling can also make the situation more arousing for the dog.’’
He also suggesting putting barriers such as chairs in the way of an attack, or, if two or more people were involved, pulling the animal’s hind legs off the ground.
Wilson said dog owners needed to take care if other dogs were on a lead, because they were usually on a lead for a reason. ‘‘Don’t let your dog go up to it.’’