Norfolk dog trainer has advice, as dog related deaths and injuries reach record levels
Last year alone there were 10 fatal attacks
The number of dog related deaths and injuries is starting to reach record levels, according to experts.
Last year alone there were 10 fatal attacks.
"You want to be socialising your dog"
Damion Vincent from Fetch Dog Walking & Training in Norfolk says the pandemic has affected man's best friend
"People were walking their dogs on lead, but if somebody was coming towards you, you had to give distance or cross the road.
"This goes down the lead to the dog, so if there is avoidance going on the dog will look at the thing in front of them and go 'oh well we are avoiding this. Are we avoiding this owing to a conflict".
"The key time to social your puppy is between 9 and 20 weeks old. So you want to be socialising your dog to people, to traffic, to noise, to smells.
"If you're socialising your dog, they are going to be so much comfortable going to vet, for example."
"It can take a very small trigger of fear to set that dog off"
"Just be vigilant at all times, and never leave a child un-attended when there is a dog around.
A dog is an animal so it will run on pure instinct and it can take a very small trigger of fear to set that dog off."
"It's looking for the signs of maybe a little bit of lip licking, excessive yawning and showing the whites of the eyes and turning away.
"Any of these small little signals is indicating my dog is a bit anxious. So here, I would give the dog some space and let it recalibrate."