Keep Your Dog and Your Family Safe from Dog Bites

Did you know that in the US, 4.7 million people are bitten by dogs each year?  And, of those incidents, 77% of them are bites from the family pet (or a friend's pet), and 50% of bites occur on the owner's property?  This means that you are more likely to be bitten by your own family dog than someone elses!

The next important fact to know is that dog bites rarely happen "out of the blue, all of a sudden".  Most dogs exhibit a wide range of body language and signals to indicate they are uncomfortable with the situation.  The problem is, humans either do not understand or choose to ignore those clear communication signals.  The dog is forced to either tolerate, run away, or bite.

The first thing you should do is learn how to greet and interact with dogs appropriately.  The first rule is you should always ask the owner of the other dog if is it OK to say hello to them.  Not all dogs will tolerate a stranger giving them a rough head pet.  This is especially important to teach children.  Lili Chin. of www.doggiedrawings.net created this great illustration called "How Not To Greet A Dog":

Krista Macpherson from the University of Western Ontario will be doing her research work at our facility!

We're delighted and honored to help advance the study of canine cognition by providing both a facility and volunteers to partake in a series of experiments that will be conducted in August and beyond.  Our beagles, Duke and Petey, are signed up.  

Would you like to help science and give your dog a great socialization and intellectual exercise?

Krista Macpherson has published a number of papers on dog cognition.  One you may recall (it was picked up by popular media a few years ago) was coined the Lassie experiment in popular press, where she tried to determine if dogs would seek assistance if their owners had a heart attack or became trapped under a bookshelf.  (Read more about it here)  That heart attack / bookshelf experiment was also referenced in Horowitz's book "Inside of a Dog".  A more recent study involved spatial memory in a radial maze.

For now - if you are interested in volunteering some time and enriching your dog's socialization history (and proudly being able to say he or she helped science!) please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and we'll be in touch with more details soon!  Here is a bit more about Krista in a letter she wrote for us:

Why does my dog bark and lunge at other dogs on leash?

First, rest assured, you are not alone.  This behavioral issue is so common that there are volumes of books specifically written about the subject.  Dog trainers and behaviorists refer to this issue as "on-leash aggression" or "on-leash reactivity".  That being said, this is a serious issue that needs addressing as soon as possible - the longer you wait, and the more it happens, the harder it is to address.  A reactive dog can bite other dogs and even bite dog owners nearby.

What is it?

A dog with on-leash reactivity often gets along marvelously with other dogs when off-leash at the park, or in the yard, or even in home.  But the minute you put on a leash and go for a walk, he becomes interested, then agitated at the sight of a dog at a distance.  As you get closer, he expresses the frustration by barking, howling, lunging, and even biting.  He's so fired up that calling his name, luring him with food, or even applying leash corrections does nothing.

Photo courtesy of Päivi Reijonen (dog trainer and behaviorist) - view the entire set on Flickr:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/30096200@N08/sets/72157623555143141/

Click Read More to find out what causes it, and how to best treat it.

How to train your dog not to run away from you at the park!

Second to learning how to walk nicely on leash, new dog owners' second most requested call for help is a reliable recall while off leash.  In Toronto, the unfortunate thing is most dog owners are inadvertently training to teach their dogs to run away from them!  

What do knowledgeable dog owners do differently to train their dogs to stay nearby and come when called?