When the dogs see these actions, they can only assume that humans are aggressive, unpredictable and dangerous, and they need to protect themselves and their families. The irony of this relationship is that in many cases, the dogs are afraid of the people and the people are afraid of the dogs. Both think they are acting in self-defence and a dangerous cycle begins.
Dogs are naturally peaceful animals and great at communicating, so they will avoid conflict if they can, next they will bark or growl as a warning. If we ignore this clear communication and continue with our negative behaviours, we definitely risk causing a dog to bite us or someone else. How can dogs know that just because one person is dangerous, that the next may not be?
A very useful tip – when you are near dogs, always walk in an arc around them and not straight towards them. Give them space. If a dog or some dogs are giving signals that they are threatened – barking or growling or looking tense – stop and give them time, turn your back to them. Make your distance further, walk slowly. The more predictable you are, the less they will feel threatened.
Knowing all this, it is actually not difficult for us to eliminate most dog bites or attacks, because the power to change this is in our hands! The most powerful way avoid conflicts is to understand dog body language. Not only can we learn to understand dogs, but we can communicate with them so they know we are not a threat.
If there is a dog showing unexplainable aggressive behaviour in your area, a proper assessment should be done by a dog behaviourist and veterinarian to keep the community safe
