Bite Prevention

On my 3rd time attending the annual bite prevention weekend, run by the utterly inspiring Victoria Stilwell, a question was asked:

“What does dog bite prevention mean to you?”

The time it was asked to the audience was on a facebook live video, so being a tad camera shy, my face was angled down towards my notebook throughout where I fake doodled to avoid being singled out. Much like old PE days of faking injuries, or hiding behind the best ball catcher at rounders to avoid being on show.

In my head this question has lingered ever since, and as today has been a particularly brutal day I felt it time to sit down and put fingers to keyboard.

Working as a trainer in front line rescue, the subject of dog bites is not exactly uncommon, and in turn I am learning year by year that their is desensitization to some extent.

Daily phone calls, emails and appointments involve constant talk of bites, potential bites, after bite trauma, assessing bite levels, reoccurrences of a bite. Then you get the incidents in the rescues themselves with the near misses, nips, snaps, dummy bite vs hard mouths, and in unfortunate but rare times the actual bites themselves ranging from a bruise to a tragedy.

So what is dog bite prevention?

Dog bite prevention is taking an extra 10 minutes to gather as much history as you can from every new dog through your doors, a conversation not an interrogation, gain an owner’s trust and hear the dog’s life story. Be an actor if and when you have to.

Dog bite prevention is watching that dogs body language as carefully as you would a predator, if you don’t like what you see, or more importantly don’t see enough to make a solid judgement, then trust your gut and don’t go in. No one needs to be a hero, trust your education and experience.

Dog bite prevention is thinking ahead, breathing not rushing, and making more than one plan in any potentially tricky situation. Is the dog showing signs of re-directing, if so lets get equipment, a second person, create a calm safe exit off site, and back on site after exercise, if it goes wrong somehow what is plan B, C and D?

Dog bite prevention is assessing each dog thoroughly, with an in depth up to date assessment that takes into account environmental stressors and sets the dog up for success whilst being realistic and honest. Being objective is tough, as each assessment progresses your attachment will naturally deepen, but this is the time to let head take precedence over heart.

Dog bite prevention is putting into place safety plans for high risk dogs before they hurt someone, get in early and plans can always be lessened, be ‘over protective’. Annoy everyone with a detailed time consuming list to keep them safe if you have to – the saying ‘accidents happen’ should never become a norm in rescue. Once an accident happens you can’t time travel. Sometimes you’ll wish you could.

Golden rule? If you don’t feel comfortable going in with a dog, then don’t expect, ask or let anyone else to do so, even if they offer, and offer they will. Keeping your colleagues safe should be your primary goal as a rescue trainer, if it isn’t, it’s time to change jobs or get psychological help.

Dog bite prevention is a structured rehoming process, matching dogs to suitable owners, not on a whim, or on ‘but he’s soooo cute’. Deed not breed all the way here. The day it becomes a lucky dip is the day you’ll make the headlines, and not in a good way. Home check people, get them in for multiple visits to ensure suitability, give pre adoption advice, support them, but don’t be afraid of saying no when you need to. There will always be times you need to play bad cop.

Dog bite prevention is a solid post home support system for dogs needing behavioural advice. Remember that the dog came from your shelter and you deemed it suitable for homing, and consequently put it into someone’s home, their is a moral responsibility here. As long as that dog is alive, you are obligated to help.

Dog bite prevention is sleepless nights following tough decisions to turn some dogs away, take as many as you can in of course, but always be sensible, People may not always be telling the full truth when they hand their dog in, playing detective isn’t always easy here, noses don’t grow with lies unfortunately. Consider with each potentially high risk dog that the stress of kennels will exacerabate any behaviours you are seeing on intake. Make a calm and coherent judgement call.

Dog bite prevention is loving a dog with all your heart, but knowing in your head it cannot be rehomed, it doesn’t mean you haven’t worked as hard as you could work, or are not good at what you do. It’ll feel like this every time though. Euthanasia stands for ‘a good death’, it never feels it at the time, always be there with the dog no matter how much it hurts you to do so. It does get less raw over time.

Dog bite prevention for me is never leaving rescue, it’s in my blood, in my bones, has taken youthful spark, it’s not so much a drug but a mindset, a way of life. As long as their are dogs that I can prevent from feeling the need to bite, rescue is my home.