Birmingham XL bully owner says educating children, discipline and boundaries are all ways to stop dog attacks
Dogs Trust has found more than 70% of dog owners think they're more likely to be attacked by other dogs instead of their own.
Students across the UK have returned to the classroom after the summer break, but new research from the UK’s largest dog welfare charity, Dogs Trust, has revealed that the nation should head “Bark to School” for lessons in dog body language, in a bid to reduce the number of dog bites.
Results from the charity’s National Dog Survey show that 71% of owners wrongly believe they are more likely to be bitten by a dog they don’t know than by their own pet.
However, according to well-established research, this is not the case, with the majority of dog bites to children under 14 years being from dogs known to the children in the home.*
As most acts of dog aggression, including bites, happen when dogs feel worried, scared or stressed, Dogs Trust believes many dog-related incidents could be prevented if owners can spot the early warning signs that their dogs are distressed - before the situation escalates. This includes recognising subtle changes in body language, such as their ears going back, tension in their body, or their tail tucked under.
Despite this, newly published results from the charity’s National Dog Survey, which provides insights into over 400,000 of the UK’s dogs and their owners, reveal that 76% are unable to correctly read dog body language, misunderstanding the subtle signs that their pets are stressed or worried.
Ell and Costa are owner and XL bully from Bromsgrove and promote healthy safe training on their TikTok page to raise awareness.
She says owners need to be better prepared and there are plenty of resources to prepare dogs for uncomfortable situations:
"I make sure Costa is place trained. If I say 'place' he sits until I give him a different command. It's basic training your dog should know and what people should adhere to when you have friends round and in the home.
"You can get settle mats and you can get raised beds... I think it's fantastic for your dog to learn those boundaries. Your dog is a reflection on you as an owner and a lot of people get dogs and think 'yeah they walk nicely on a lead' but it's not all about that."
Some of the body language signs and signals missed the most, according to the National Dog Survey, were:
A common misconception is that a dog rolling over when approached means they want a belly rub. 76% failed to spot that this could mean a dog is feeling uncomfortable or needs space.
Two thirds of those surveyed did not know that yawning can indicate that their dog is worried and needs space.
59% failed to recognise that a dog licking their lips with their ears pulled back means they could be worried and need space, and 53% failed to recognise that a dog licking their lips while turning their head away could also be a sign that a dog is uncomfortable.
Around a third of those surveyed said they thought a wagging tail always means a dog is happy. However, dogs wag their tails for all sorts of reasons - tail movements are a great way to communicate - but they don’t always mean a dog is happy.
This comes at a time when the NHS is seeing a rise in admissions of people with dog related injuries, and rehoming centres, including Dogs Trust’s 21 rehoming centres, are seeing an increase in demand for services as owners look to relinquish their pets. Since the start of 2024, a quarter of all handover enquiries to the charity from owners mentioned their dog showing unwanted behaviours was a factor in their decision to rehome their dog.