Stay calm, try not to panic since this will only make your dog more afraid.If your dog receives a bite, or gets into a fight with another dog, here are some guidelines for what you should do: Steps to Take if Your Dog is Bitten by Another DogĮven if you know and watch for the early warning signs, unexpected situations can happen. It can be helpful to put a physical barrier between your dog and the threatening dog such as a fence or a parked car. If there is a dog close-by showing any of these signs, take your pet and move away calmly but quickly. That said, a fearful or anxious dog will likely send out more subtle signals first such as licking lips, turning face away, trying to move away, ears flattened and back, yawning or crouching. Some obvious and well known signals to watch for are: growling, snapping, lunging, snarling or baring teeth. Whether you are out with your dog for a walk or at the off-leash park keep an eye out for signs of anxiety or fear in other dogs. Signs of a Fearful or Anxious Dog that May Bite While you may not believe that there is anything happening that could cause another dog to become fearful, a dog could be feeling extremely anxious. The first important thing to note is that fear or anxiety in dogs can stem from a current situation, or could be related to past experiences.
To this end, a dog will typically give a number of warning signals before it bites. In fact they will go out of their way to avoid dangerous or aggressive situations. If your dog is bitten, it can feel a bit like it has come out of the blue, but learning to watch for and understand signs that another dog is frightened or anxious could help you to prevent your pup from being bitten.ĭogs as a rule don't go looking for trouble.