I recently went to visit a couple who had a Bichon Frise
with whom they needed help.Frilly, as they called her, had turned into some sort of devil dog it
seemed, biting the owners and strangers alike with “no warning whatsoever”.As a dog trainer, I knew that dogs are
highly unlikely to bite without warning but that people very often miss the
clear signals that their dog has given.They also mentioned that she had wagged her tail before and while she
was delivering the bite.
When Frilly’s owners disclosed the information about the
tail wagging it sent red flags up in my mind.When asked about Frilly’s tail wagging both owners agreed
that tail wagging could only mean she was happy and welcoming their
approach.When I asked what the
circumstances were surrounding the bite I was told that once she had been
eating when one owner decided to pet her and the other time Frilly was chewing
on a bone when a guest tried to pet her and she snapped, this time drawing
blood.
Now I had all of the information I needed to determine where
I thought the problem stemmed from, a case of food/toy aggression with the
humans totally misreading the body language that Frilly had clearly given them.
I explained to the couple that not all tail wags were
friendly gestures inviting them to touch her.The way in which a dog wags his tail and the other body
signals present all need to be evaluated in order to determine their meaning.
A tail can be wagged in numerous ways, only one of which
meaning that a dog is happy or inviting a person to touch them.One must judge not only how the tail is
wagging, but how high it is held and even how fast it is going.Sure, a tail carried semi-low and
swinging back and forth possibly even to the point of swinging the hips is a
friendly wag indeed.Generally the
faster a tail is wagged the more excitement it communicates.
A tail held high is a message of dominance and should be
approached with caution.If the
tail is wagging a bit, so it seems that the tip is vibrating, it is not a good
sign!This communicates not only
dominance and a less friendly greeting but also possibly impending aggression. A tail carried high over the dog’s
back is a sign of a very confident dog and should be treated as if they could
bite.
A dog who carries their tail low even to the point of
between their legs is also a dog that is at risk of biting.These dogs are showing submission but
also may be showing fear and a fearful dog is a dangerous dog.Most dogs will flee if they are given
the chance but if you were to corner one it may feel it’s only option is to
bite.
I think Frilly gave her owners a very clear signal before
biting to protect her toy and her dinner.Whether or not people see the signs dogs give, generally the signs are
there.I worked with Frilly’s
owners to help them be able to read her body language better.I also advised them not to try to pet
her while she is eating or while she is chewing a toy.We worked to desensitize her to having
a toy taken from her so that she would no longer see it as a threat.
