April - May 2021
A wagging tail does not always mean they are happy to see you TRAINING
Dogs can pose a real challenge to those whose job requires them to enter properties, or to workmates if you take your “best friend” to a worksite Advice in a nutshell • Never assume that the dog is friendly or comfortable around strangers • Do not approach the dog or the vehicle it may be in • Watch the dog’s behaviour. Is it showing signs of stress? Is it frightened, uncomfortable or is it relaxed and friendly? • A wagging tail does not always mean that a dog is happy – it shows that a dog
is interacting with something • Do not always believe the owners when they say the dog is fine • Rolling on to their back does not always mean the dog wants their tummy tickled. Depending on what the rest of the dog’s body language is doing, this can be their way of saying ‘I am not a threat please don’t hurt me’ • Ignore the dog
All dogs can bite Listen to the dog Don't judge the breed
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nyone on a property where dogs may be present should know about canine body language. The Dog Safe Workplace gives tools and advice to educate staff on smart behaviour when it comes to canine interaction. “Look at the whole body of the dog not just the tail. Every part of the dogs body is saying something to you,” says Dog Safe Workplace director Jo Clough. “Delivery personnel, for example, tend to think that because a dog’s owner is home, they are safer because the owner knows their dog’s behaviour. One postie in Australia told me that because the dog was running up to him he assumed it was friendly. The owner watched the incident occurred and then said, “he’s never done that before”, which seems to be a very common statement from dog owners when their dog bites someone”. “In fact, many dogs can become more protective if family members are around - and many owners don’t understand what their dog is saying,” says Clough. “I have people say to me all the time that they have had dogs all their life so they know dogs. They may know their dog; but each dog is different. I have had electricity all my life but I still don’t know how it works,” laughs Clough. “Dogs are fantastic at reading our body language but we are not so good at reading theirs.” The Dog Safe programme advises on how to recognise danger and agitation, how to identify subtle warning signs and the best steps to take to remain safe. A recent ACC report says that many industries saw a leap in the number of
