Dogs bite as a way of communicating – growling, snapping or biting is a dog telling you it wants to be left alone right now. It is always important to take any bite or snapping incident seriously and seek veterinary assistance immediately when you observe any aggressive behaviours in your pet.
Why do dogs bite:
- Stress
- Fear: scared / startled / threatened
- Protection: of self / valuable resources / territory
- Unwell / painful
- Dogs also might nip / bite during rough play and it is therefore recommended to avoid activities like wrestling with your pet. Although this can be fun, it can confuse boundaries with biting & often makes your pet overly excited – which may lead to biting.
Communication in animals is limited to non-verbal cues. Most commonly a bite incident occurs when we’ve missed non-verbal cues a dog is communicating with us leading up to the bite itself. Dog bites are significantly more prevalent in children than adults. Moreover, children are more likely to be the ones severely injured from a bite. Because of this, educating children about how to safely interact with dogs & interpret their body language is a major pillar in bite prevention.
Signs of Discomfort or Aggression:
- Whale eye (showing the whites of their eyes) or narrowed eyes
- Lip licking
- Yawning
- Shaking body off (like when they’re wet)
- Turning head away; when this progresses to a hard stare this indicates aggression
- Tail held high & wagging accompanied by stiff body movements
- Raised hackles
- Weight shifted back
These behaviours are often accompanied by stiff/slow movements + lowered body/head.
To learn more about body language in pets, please visit the following resources:
- OSPCA: Understanding Canine Body Language & Behaviour
- AVMA: Dog Bite Prevention
- Outward Hound: How to Speak Dog
- Dr. Sophia Yin: Low Stress Handling
- Veterinary Partner: Understanding Your Dog’s Body Language
Dr. Katelyn Elliott BSc, MSc, DVM
*This article was originally featured in The Ilderton Villager in December 2024.
