The Howler
May, 2015
When we started MAJR 3years ago we wanted to not just rescue Jack Russells, we
wanted to educate people to care for their pets. We take this goal seriously.
The week of May 17th is National Dog Bite Prevention Week. We have moved up the
delivery date of The Howler to coincide with this week and we are dedicating most
of this month’s newsletter to dog bite prevention especially in children.
Over 4 million people a year are bitten by dogs in the US, one out of five people
seek medical attention and of that group – most are children bitten by family dogs
or dogs the children know.
So often we hear that a dog bite was unprovoked and yet for those of us that know
dogs and work with dogs, we know that most dogs give plenty of signs and warning
before they bite. Most dogs don’t want to bite. It is up to us to understand when a
dog is asking us to backup. It is also up to us to help them learn when and how to
communicate properly.
It is our hope that you will share the information in this newsletter with family and
friends and that you will educate family and friends on useful dog/human
interaction.
Dog Biting: An Overview
There are few things cuter than dogs and children interacting. The internet is full of ‘cute’ videos of kids
and dogs. It is also full of horror stories of when this cute scenario goes terribly wrong and the dog
“attacks” for seemingly no reason.
Luckily statistics from the National Canine Research Center and the CDC show that visits to the ER due to
dog bites have declined in the several years and that about 20% all dogs bites are serious enough to
require medical attention. It should be noted that these statistics vary from study to study depending
on whose statistics are being reviewed. The Center for Disease Control tracks dog bites as they relate to
the spread (or potential spread) of disease. There is no national controlling agency tracking dog bites
and whether or not the bite was intentional or defensive in nature.
Some situations that could create stress for a dog are also things that humans don’t like either:
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Being restrained (in a crate, on a chain or long line, on a leash)
Feeling ill or being injured. Old dogs especially
Having humans bending over and touching them especially when eating, playing with a toy or
sleeping.
Being hit, fallen on, squeezed , pinched or having body parts or hair pulled yanked or squeezed
Being stared at, stalked, hugged, carried or kissed without permission.
Loud noised like screaming, squealing or banging especially in confined areas.
Dog Owners can protect their dogs by:
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Socializing their dogs early and often to all kinds and ages of people and dogs
Exercise the dog regularly
Train the dog basic obedience.
Giving them a safe , quiet child free place to rest and eat
Allowing your dog to growl if he/she feels threatened. Keep in mind this is a dog’s first line of
defense akin to scolding.
Use positive training methods. Never pin, shake, choke or do an alpha roll with your dog as that
will usually make the dog more not less aggressive.
What to teach children:
National Canine Research Center website
What we do know is that most people bitten by dogs are children under the age of 10 year s and that
there is no specific breed that has a higher risk for biting. We also know that usually it is a family or
neighbor dog that bites not a random dog on the street.
So what does this tell us? Children should always be supervised when interacting with dogs. Parents and
dog owner can protect children and dogs by teaching children that dogs, like humans, have boundaries
and rules of etiquette. Children need to understand that a growl means go away and that dogs usually
bite because they feel threatened. Dogs can’t push a child away, they can’t spank. They only have their
mouth and their teeth to protect them.
We all need to look for and understand the signs of stress that would cause a dog to react poorly to
human interaction.
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Do not approach or pet a dog without adult supervision and permission.
How to interpret dog behavior and language. For example if a dog turns its cheek and licks the
air, It’s not asking for a kiss on that cheek.
Do not break up a dog fight or what appears to be a dog fight.
Do not approach or bother a dog that is eating, sleeping or playing with a toy.
Don’t hug, tease, scream at, climb on or pull on a dog
Don’t stare at or put your face in a dog’s face.
Don’t run away from a dog. Even if a child is being chased by a dog, children should be taught
to be a tree. If they are knocked to the ground, then cover the face and neck and be a stone.
These two photos are important. If you are being chased or bothered by a dog
or a dog is running up to you and you think it is going to bite- DO NOT RUN. Be a
tree. If you have been knocked over and are on the ground - Be a rock.
One of the best things you can teach yourself and your
children is to understand dog speech. Dogs speak to us
through their body language. If you learn to read dogs and
what their bodies are saying, you can create a more balanced
relationship with your dog. Below is a simple chart of dog
speak. For more information on this topic see the references
end of the newsletter.
What You Can Do To Help Your Dog
Try a Two Week Shut Down
Bringing a new dog into a home can be stressful for everyone.
There are new schedules, new people, new smells and a new
yard.
Although its tempting to show your new family member off,
give him or her time to get to know you and the new home
before you introduce your new pet to the public.
Start a schedule. Dogs need consistency in their lives to feel
safe. They need to know when to wake up, when to eat, when
to exercise and when to go to bed.
Be the “go to” place. Dogs need a place to be safe and
grounded. They need to know where home is and who their
family is. Dogs need to know what your expectations are and
how to meet your expectations. They need to learn where to
go to the bathroom, where to eat, where to sleep and where
their home boundaries are.
Be kind and quiet. Teach your dog gently. Don’t yell and
don’t get frantic. Be patient. Remember you know what your
expectations are for your dog but he or she doesn’t and they
can’t read your mind.
Here’s a game to play so you get an idea what it feels like to
be a dog trying to learn . You will need two people and a bad
of popcorn or M &M’s. One person think of a fairly easy task
you want the other person to do. You can’t speak to
communicate. You only have your treats. WITHOUT speaking
or moving (except to treat) have the other person do the task
you want them to do.
Hint- knowing operant conditioning helps
This is how your dog feels with just you . Can you imagine
what it would be like to have a room full of giants you don’t
know making noise and touching you and not knowing who’s in
charge or what you are supposed to do? Very scary.
Teach your puppy bite inhibition but do not prohibit your puppy from biting altogether at first - a puppy must learn bite
inhibition by learning to bite more and more gently and then to stop biting altogether.
•Give your dog lots of positive social interactions with people and other dogs. Socialize, socialize, socialize.
•Give your dog lots of exercise. Do not use a flexilead when walking your dog in a public place. Always have control of
your dog when in public.
•Don't encourage any kind of aggressive behavior or barking in your dog. Do allow your dog to growl if its appropriate.
•Don't chain your dog or leave him alone in a yard for extended periods.
•Give your dog his own special place and don't allow him on furniture or on the bed until he has learned to ask permission
to be there with you.
•Encourage children and other guests to leave the dog alone if he is resting in his special place, eating or chewing on
something.
•Teach your dog to walk on a leash without pulling.
•Teach your dog not to jump on people.
•Do not permit your dog to bark or paw at you or others for attention.
•If your dog does show signs of aggression toward you or others, take him to the vet to rule out a medical or physical
cause of pain or illness. Seek the help of a canine behavior consultant if there are no medical problems or the growling
continues despite the veterinarian's treatment.
•Avoid using methods such as the "alpha rollover", shaking or pinning the dog to the ground - these may reduce
aggression toward you, but may increase aggression toward children or other weaker family members. Read about why
training methods that are based on dominating or intimidating the dog are not recommended by veterinary behaviorists
and other experts.
•Do not play out of control tug-of-war or wrestling games with your dog and never allow children to play this way with the
puppy or dog. Tug can be a great reinforcer and a way to exercise your dog. This is suitable for adults and older children as
long as there are rules and the dog releases the toy on cue reliably.
•Use a crate, kennel, gates or closed doors to prevent your dog from interacting with visiting children when you cannot
supervise.
This is known as the aggression ladder for dogs. These are
behaviors a dog will show before it bites. These steps may vary
from dog to dog but it is important to understand the
progression and the signs that a dog under stress will show as
the perceived threat level rises. Children should also learn and
understand these steps and how to react to a dog under stress.
Dogs learn this ladder mostly when they are puppies between
2 – 12 weeks of age. They learn this from their mother and by
interacting with littermates. They continue to learn and mimic
this ladder of appropriate behavior as they mature as they are
around other dogs who reinforce the behaviors. It is for this
reason that puppy classes are so important and why continued
structured socialization is so vital to a dog’s mental health.
Please remember your perception of the world is very different
from that of your dog. What you see as safe, could be
monstrous and catastrophic to your dog and vise-versa. Honor
their emotions and space as they honor yours.
We hope the information has been
helpful and given you some helpful
information.
Dog bites are preventable if we all do
our part.
For more information about dogs and
last ear rub.
dog bite prevention here are one
some
resources to consider:
• www.avma.org/public/Pages/DogBite-Prevention
• www.doggonesafe.com
• www.humanesociety.org
• drsophiayin.com/blog/tag/dog+bite+
prevention
• drsophiayin.com/videos/entry/why_d
ogs_bite1
• http://www.patriciamcconnell.com
• www.dogwise.com
News Nibbles
• Thank you to all those that donated to Cowboy’s surgery. It was a huge success and
he will now be able to live a full and pain free life. We are so very happy for him and
his wonderful family
• We have a fund raiser currently running in memory of Winnie Gastley. Winnie was
a wonderful rescue and agility dog. In his memory, his owner has started the Winnie’s
Warrior campaign on the Be Brave site. We get $10 from every bracelet sale.
Visit https://www.bravelets.com/bravepage/winston-s-warriors today for your own
bracelet.
• Be sure to visit our Facebook page for all the MAJR dogs and events. Like any true
Jack rescue, we are busy!
• It is with a heavy heart that I must share the news that one of our MAJR dogs died
May 8th of liver failure. Nash came to us from Ohio. His foster family loved him
tremendously. A huge thank you to Deanna and the Wehrle family for never allowing
him to doubt that he was loved. Here is Nash’s loving Obituary:
I am so sorry to report that Nash crossed the rainbow bridge this past Friday. We
returned home that evening to find him crying and listless. I rushed him to the vet
and blood work indicated severe liver failure. I knew when I pulled him from the
shelter this past December that he was in poor shape physically but hoped that TLC
and good food would brighten him up. Although he perked up in our home, he just
never seemed to gain physically. The kids, Jaden especially, are taking it hard. We
comfort ourselves knowing he had food, shelter and a loving home the last six
months of his life. He passed peacefully in my arms getting one last ear rub.