The number of injuries from dog bites has been increasing. Between 1998 and 2018, hospital admissions for dog-related injuries doubled in England, with about 8,000 people admitted each year. At Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool, the number of children attending A&E for dog bites tripled during the first Covid lockdown. How a dog reacts to something they find stressful can be thought of as a series of steps on a ladder. This idea of a ladder of communication was developed by leading dog behaviourist Kendal Shepherd based on her experience working with dogs and is widely used by others in the animal welfare world. Learning to spot the early signs that your dog is not comfortable with a situation will allow you to recognise his discomfort before he needs to make his feelings clearer. Think of the different coloured rungs as being like a traffic light system when we look at reading the signs that a dog may be getting ready to bite.
Green Levels
Yawning, blinking, nose licking and turning his head away from the thing that is worrying him are all signs that your dog is beginning to feel a little uneasy and unsure about a situation. Turning his body away, sitting, pawing and walking away means that it is likely that he wants to move away. Your dog may also start jumping up at you or going behind you – give him the reassurance he needs, take note of the things that your dog is telling you and help him move away.
Amber / Orange Levels
Your dog walks away, ‘creeps’, stands crouched, his ears are back and his tail is tucked underneath him. Your dog is communicating that he needs space and may make this clear by trying to walk away. Don’t stop him from doing this as you may force your dog to escalate his behaviour. ‘Creeping’ is a more expressive way of your dog showing that he is worried or wants more space, standing crouched with his tail tucked under shows that he is feeling very unsafe and wants to avoid interaction. MOVE AWAY with your dog.
Your dog lays down, stiffens and stares. If your dog lays down and exposes his tummy (and may appear frozen in place) he is worried (very different from a playful roll). If your dog stiffens and stares, he is very stressed – DON’T HESITATE to get your dog out of the situation. DO NOT IGNORE. If the perceived threat does not go away, or your dog cannot escape he may escalate up the ladder by fighting to try and finally sort out the stressful situation.
Orange / Red Levels
Your dog growls, snaps, bites!
Growling is a clear message from your dog to STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING. He is feeling distressed or afraid and is asking for space. It is an obvious and loud indication that he is not happy. NEVER PUNISH A DOG FOR GROWLING – if you do then your dog may skip straight to the snap or bite.
Snapping is a clear warning to STAY AWAY. Your dog is showing that he will act if needed.
Bite – if the other signals have been ignored and the threat hasn’t stopped then your dog may bite. The bite is used to defend themselves and get rid of the threat.
Note
Sometimes, if a dog has learned over time that their initial communication is ignored, it may skip some levels on the ladder and go straight to the higher levels. The sooner you recognise what your dog is trying to tell you the quicker you can step in and help him which will reduce the chances of his behaviour moving further up the ladder. Not every dog will show every behaviour on the ladder and might not follow the specific order.
Click on the link below to see how quickly things can escalate.
