With life beginning to return to normal and a number of dogs having only known the relative lack of socialization over the past year, the risk of negative interactions with new people will likely be a problem for some families this summer.
Young children will be exponentially more likely to be on the receiving end of these encounters with potentially serious consequences for all involved.
Puppies’ peak socialization times are between eight and 16 weeks of age. During this time, the foundation is established for how to interact with new scenarios and people. Without adequate socialization and exposure to a variety of new people and places, fearful and antisocial behaviors can set in. A large number of people brought “pandemic” puppies into their homes last year and many of these puppies missed out on the critical socialization needed during those developmental periods.
These dogs will be well acclimated to their family and close circle of contacts, but new people may be a source of stress and fear. Summer barbeques and graduation parties are now upon us and there may be a number of new faces in the house or yard that your dog will be interacting with, and without the proper precautions, the dog may find himself in a scenario where he may be overwhelmed and react inappropriately.
Young children should always be supervised around dogs, regardless of how docile or used to children they may be. Young children can interact with dogs in ways that are threatening or uncomfortable. Hugs, pulling ears or legs, climbing, or petting aggressively may seem normal to a young child, but could be a trigger for a bite. Furthermore, dogs will offer up a number of warning signs that they do not like what is happening that can be subtle and be missed by kids. Yawns, turning the head away, or getting up and moving to a new position are all signs that Fido is not happy and if these are ignored or the dog feels threatened a bite can follow.
Even the nicest dogs can reach their limits of their patience and react with a bite if the warning signs are not being heeded. And even what could be considered a “warning” bite, with inhibition on the dog’s end, can be tragic if the bite involves the face or head of a young child.
Even dogs who have years of experience around family and friends may be a little overwhelmed by a new group of people in their house or yard after a year-long hiatus from social gatherings. We are all a little rusty reengaging in social events, and let’s not forget that this may be the first party for a dog that is one year old. So take it slow and easy and be alert to warning signs that your dog is getting stressed out or overwhelmed.
If there are young children around, regardless of how old your dog may be, supervise them at all times or keep your dog inside or in a kennel until the kids are gone. The consequences of a dog bite are tragic for all involved and a few precautionary steps will help keep our much-deserved return to normal safe for all involved.
Questions for Dr. Gary Thompson can be emailed to askthevet@theblade.com or mailed to The Blade, Attn. Ask the Vet, 541 N. Superior St. Toledo, OH., 43660. Dr. Thompson regrets that he cannot answer individual letters.
First Published May 31, 2021, 11:30 a.m.
