06/06/2026
Glad to see little Reggie is now in safe hands 🐶💙
This Friday I have a one-to-one booked in with Reggie, the little dog who was recently hit by his dog walker.
From everything I've been told and seen, it sounds like the warning signs leading up to the bite were missed or ignored by the dog walker he bit. Dogs don't suddenly decide to bite out of nowhere. In most cases, they've been communicating their discomfort for quite some time beforehand.
That's why I wanted to share some of the common signs that a dog may be feeling stressed, worried, or uncomfortable.
🐾 Yawning when they're not tired
🐾 Lip licking
🐾 Turning their head away
🐾 Avoiding eye contact
🐾 Walking away
🐾 Freezing or becoming very still
🐾 Trying to create distance
🐾 Whale eye
These behaviours are your dog's way of saying, "I'm not comfortable with this situation."
Unfortunately, these subtle signals are often overlooked. When a dog feels their communication isn't being heard, they may feel they have no choice but to escalate to a growl, snap, or bite.
This is also why we should never punish a growl. A growl is not a bad behaviour—it's valuable communication. It's your dog telling you they need help, space, or a change in the situation.
The more we learn to recognise and respect these early warning signs, the less likely our dogs are to feel the need to use stronger forms of communication.
Prevention is always better than cure, and understanding canine body language is one of the most important things we can do to help our dogs feel safe, understood, and supported. 💜🐾
