Safe Communication with Your Dog

It’s no secret that we love dogs here at LycanCo. Pets bring a quality to our lives that can never be underestimated. 

Spending time with dogs does wonders for your well-being. Recent research shows that owning a dog is good for you physically and emotionally. Dogs make us happier and healthier, and they can help us cope with a crisis.

A national survey of pet owners and non-pet owners by the Human Animal Bond Research Institute found that 85% of respondents believe that interaction with pets reduces loneliness. Most agree that human-pet interactions can help address social isolation.

Like all relationships though it can take some understanding of each other to create a safe environment. Did you know that in 2022 there were 500 people admitted to hospital in South Australia for the treatment of dog bites?

The Dog and Cat Board have launched their new program called Good Dogs, Bad Days which aims to create more awareness about learning to understand dogs and how to respect what they are telling us. It is packed with great tips about looking out for your dog, for instance: 

The site also advises some doggy do’s and don’ts to keep them and their two-legged friends safe. For example: 

Not every dog wants interaction all the time, not every dog is feeling okay every day, allow them that space, give them some freedom, let them approach you for attention. Our dogs are treated like family members and just like all the rest of the family it is our responsibility to respect how much they can offer us each day. 

Unlike their two-legged counterparts, dogs are rarely offered forgiveness when they react to us crossing their boundaries. Dogs are not usually deliberately aggressive. This is often a response to fear, perceived threats or behaviors caused by their environment or people around them.

Councils can impose a 'control order' on an offending dog and its owner. There are four types of control orders. Three have specific instructions for the owner to manage the dog's behavior (nuisance, dangerous or menace) and the fourth and final order is for the dog's destruction. 

Let's take a moment to ponder on this: If we treat our dogs like family, isn't it our duty to understand them as we would any other family member? Whether it's learning the subtleties of canine body language or taking the time to educate our families, the need for mutual understanding has never been greater.

So, how about we all learn a little from Boogie the Boston Terrier today, who has generously agreed to be our post pic this week? And then take a few extra minutes to spread this knowledge among our two-legged and four-legged family members.

After all, love is a two-way street—even if one of you happens to walk on four legs.