By Shanthi Steddum, KPA-CTP, CCPDT-KA, B.S. 

So I had an interesting, but not unique, encounter the other day.

While picking up lunch, someone saw my logo’d jacket and asked if I worked at the School for Dogs.  “Why yes I do!” I replied.

“What kind of training do you do?” he asked.

“Well, mostly just manners,” I replied.

“So no bad dogs?” he queried.

“Ummmmm” I say because I hate that loaded question.  

“So you don’t work with really dangerous dogs?” he clarifies.

“OH! Like aggression?  Yes, I work with highly reactive dogs” I respond..  Then the inevitable question…….

“How many times have you been bit?” he asks … .absolutely serious.

“By a client’s dog? Once” I state.  “And I’ve been working with dogs professionally for about 20 years”

I didn’t get into the details because that would have taken more time than I had between my training clients.

For those who may ask…yes, I did get bit before working with dogs. Once, a friend’s dog picked up my shoe and I foolishly reached to take it back as I would have from one of my own dogs.  The dog didn’t break my skin with his teeth. He just took my hand in place of the shoe and looked at me as if to say “that’s not how we do things around here miss!”.  And yes, it hurt.  Yes, it left a bruise.  Yes I recommended they find a behaviorist.  No they didn’t.  Yes the dog got worse.  But that’s a story for another time kiddo’s.

Back to my current world.

I don’t know when the idea of being BIT by a dog became some sort of badge of honor or certification but let me be clear…..NOT being bit is the sign of a qualified trainer. 

I’ve heard stories.  Too many stories about how some trainer professed their skill by the number of times they’ve been bit.  Isn’t it the goal to eliminate aggression?  To reduce and hopefully eliminate the risk a dog will bite?  

In my experience, if you’re any good, you’ll see the FIRST sign that a dog is uneasy and start your rehab and training there. NOT push them to the point that they feel so scared, threatened or ill at ease that they use their teeth. 

Dogs do not want to bite.

Let me repeat that for those in the back.

DOGS. DO. NOT. WANT. TO BITE.

They want to feel safe. They want to be understood.  They want someone from this crazy human world they were born into to be their advocate and help them learn how to navigate the utter insanity of what we want from them!

And, for those that may question my experience with “aggressive dogs”.  One of my dogs was highly reactive to new dogs.  She also didn’t “take kindly” to strangers unless appropriately introduced.  We did a lot of work with her.  She never bit anyone, human or canine.  I felt that was a huge success.

I’ve also successfully helped clients, whose dogs have a bite history, understand their dog and prevent future bites and over-reactions from their dogs.  Many of which have been able to share an active life out in public with their furry friend without incident!

I don’t use shock collars or prong collars either, by the way. I use proven methods using classical and the positive reinforcement quadrant of operant conditioning to help the dogs learn they don’t need to bite. That they have an option to engage with their owner and ask for distance. By showing apprehension and fear, their human friend is able to navigate their surroundings to reduce fear and risk of the dreaded barky-lungy response to feeling scared or trapped.

Before I bore the pants off you with all my scienc’y mumbo-jumbo, just know it works.  Handling a scared dog with pain or aversive techniques just teaches them that asking for distance doesn’t work.  Maybe starting with a bite will?  Is that what we want our dogs to learn?  That their only chance of getting out of a scary situation is PAIN or they bite someone?  How is that ok?  

I’ll tell you another story in another post about my fear of bees and flooding another time children.  It’s like a scary story you’d hear around the campfire.  Bring a safe blankie and some hot cocoa for that one.

Sorry, I lost my point.   What was it?  Oh yeah, DOGS DON’T WANT TO BITE.  

Listen, I’m certifiable (oh, I mean certified)!  I’ve spent many years, dollars and many educational hours learning how to read dogs, teach the dogs, teach them to offer alternative behaviors when the scary thing is around and teaching their owners how to read their dogs.  To help them avoid scary scenarios that would have previously caused the dog to bark and lunge like a scary beast. 

That’s my job Ma’am.

For those of you that have read this far….wow….you’re committed aren’t you?  Thank you.   BUT, if you have a dog that lunges, barkes and bites and want to know more, please reach out to me.  I can help without getting bit by your dog OR slapping a shock collar on it to suppress their communication.  

Thanks for reading this story, friends.  Remember, dogs are our friends.  We don’t want to hurt them. We want to be their advocates and help them.

-Shanthi