EXPERT REACTION: Dog attacks on children

Nasty dogs aren’t born that way, they are made. While we have obedience training for puppies, the owners of dogs would also benefit from training. Unfortunately, many dog owners haven’t had the opportunity to learn about dog behaviour and how to read the social signals of dogs before they become aggressive. Dogs are social animals as complex as a six-to-ten year old child. It is important to understand the individual likes and dislikes of our dogs and understand what is likely to trigger aggressive behaviour. Any trauma experienced in the dog’s life can have a similar effect as trauma in children.

People often buy dogs because they want a cuddly 'toy' and then don’t know how to treat them or train them properly. It’s a big commitment to own a dog and the larger and/or stronger the dog is, the more important training becomes.

One problem that we currently face is that some people train their dogs to be guard dogs and then leave them alone to guard property. This is a bad idea because training a dog to guard property often involves the owner giving up their own 'top dog' position in the hierarchy. When this happens, the dog’s behaviour can become unpredictable and may even result in the dog attacking people they know. 

Any dog or human can behave badly. Just like with humans, aggressive dogs can usually be rehabilitated. It is possible to help them rather than kill them.

Dog attacks are always frightening, worrying and sad for everyone involved. Dogs who attack (generally for reasons including fear, resource-guarding and predatory aggression), have often been communicating their intentions and discomfort for a long time before the incident. Humans are often unaware of their dog’s body language and behaviour. Learning about this, and correct socialisation processes when the dog is young may be the best methods of dog bite prevention.  Owners need to manage their dog’s behaviour at all times and seek help before the situation becomes unmanageable. We should remember that there are so many dogs who give us comfort, support and loyalty and who choose not to bite.

Why do dogs attack children/people?
There is no single reason. It may be because they are scared of something, or that their predator drive kicks in, or that the dog was playing and did not mean to bite. If something is bothering a dog, an attack is usually the last resort for the dog and they will try other things first to dampen down the situation.

What can be done to prevent such attacks?
There is no single intervention that will prevent all attacks. Education programs for young children and parents are important as young children are at higher risk of an attack. Appropriate socialisation and training of dogs is critically important. A lot of people don’t know how to recognise signs that a dog is stressed and may bite. Local councils do a lot of work in managing animals and regulations can help, e.g. managing dangerous dogs that have already attacked.

Are our pet dogs being sufficiently trained and would better training prevent attacks like this?
Reducing the use of training methods that cause stress to dogs will help as there have been studies showing an association between use of positive punishment such as yelling, hitting and electric shock collars, and aggression in dogs.

Can further regulation of dog ownership help prevent such attacks on children?
No - dogs are our most popular pet and provide many benefits to our society. Limiting dog ownership is not likely to help - education is key.

Why do dogs attack children/people?
The main triggers are resource-guarding and fear.
 
Why do some dogs attack people they know well?
The same triggers arise among groups of dogs that are familiar with one another, so we should not expect to be spared just because we are known to the dogs or because we think we know them. Dogs are good at keeping the peace by issuing signs of their being upset by a potential threat (to themselves, their resources and their puppies) and other dogs are generally good at responding to behavioural signs that warn of aggression. Sadly, humans often miss these signs.
 
What can be done to prevent such attacks?
Children should not be left unsupervised with dogs;
We must not treat dogs as if they are furry humans or playthings;
Resources, such as bones and toys, should not be left lying around where children play;
Children can be educated to avoid unwittingly challenging or threatening dogs;
To avoid a build-up in frustration, dogs need to be exercised at least once per day, preferably off the leash if they can be under effective control.

Are our pet dogs being sufficiently trained and would better training prevent attacks like this?
Dogs can be trained to relinquish resources but this requires expert guidance.
 
Can further regulation of dog ownership help prevent such attacks on children?
Current evidence from overseas is that this would be unlikely to have the desired effect.