This week is the end of National Dog Bite Prevention Week! Any dog can bite, myself included! I’ve talked about letting sleeping dogs lie and not bothering us while we’re eating, but what about when you see a new dog. It is important for people and kids to know that not every dog is meant to be petted! The AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) has the WAIT method. W= wait before approaching a dog to see if it’s friendly. A= ask the owner if the dog can be petted. I= invite the dog to come to you. T= touch the dog along the back, not rubbing it’s face and head!
I’m a pretty laid back dog, but I don’t appreciate it when people just come running at me, or lean over me, that can be intimidating to us dogs. Just because an owner says a dog can’t be petted doesn’t mean they’re mean or aggressive; they may be in training, not like other dogs or they may be sick and recovering. If you see a dog with a yellow ribbon, leash, bandana, etc this means that you should not pet them or approach them with your dog. Check out the yellowdogproject.com for more information! And remember any dog can bite!
