โ ๏ธ ๐๐ผ๐ด๐ & ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ณ๐ฒ๐๐ โ ๐๐ป ๐๐บ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ ๐พ
Over just three days (24โ26 December), South Yorkshire Police responded to 15 incidents involving dog bites or fear, affecting children, adults, and elderly people. Some of these injuries were serious, with at least one victim requiring plastic surgery, and in another case a child sustained a life-changing injury.
Dogs do not experience Christmas the way we do. Busy homes, visiting relatives, loud noises, new toys, disrupted routines, and heightened excitement, especially around children and elderly family members. It can be overwhelming and stressful, even for dogs who are normally calm and well-balanced.
โ ๏ธ ๐๐ป๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ด ๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ณ ๐ฝ๐๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐น๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐น.
Stress signals are often subtle, missed, or misunderstood. When dogs feel trapped, overstimulated, or unable to escape, they may react in ways that are completely out of character.
๐ง ๐ก๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ด๐ ๐๐ป๐๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐น๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐๐น๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐๐น๐๐, even briefly
๐ Ensure your dog has a quiet, safe retreat where they will not be disturbed
๐ Use baby gates, crates, or separate rooms when needed โ management is not failure, it is responsible ownership
๐ด Respect your dogโs sleep, food, toys, and personal space
๐ง Advocate for your dog by stepping in when they are showing signs of stress
Dog bites are often the result of human behaviour and unmanaged environments, not just โdangerous dogs.โ When incidents happen, it is the dogs who ultimately pay the price.
๐๐ผ๐ด๐ ๐๐ผ๐ปโ๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ โ๐ช๐ถ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ดโ – ๐ช๐ฒ ๐ ๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ถ๐ด๐ป๐๐พ
One of the most effective ways to prevent dog bites is learning to recognise stress signals especially during busy, unpredictable times like Christmas, New Year, or other bank holidays in the year.
Dogs almost never bite โout of nowhere.โ They usually show multiple warning signs first, including:
๐ Turning their head away or avoiding eye contact
๐ โWhale eyeโ (showing the whites of the eyes)
๐ฌ Lip licking, yawning, freezing, or stiffening
๐พ Pacing, trembling, hiding, or trying to escape
๐ฆท Growlingโฆ this is communication, not bad behaviour, growling is a warning. Punishing it removes the warning, not the stress.
๐ฆ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐น๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฝ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ
Accidentally or intentionally jump-scaring a dog can be extremely dangerous:
๐คApproaching or touching a dog sleeping in a dark room who is unaware someone is there.
๐ฑ Jumping out at a dog โas a jokeโ or prank
๐ Startling a dog already resting, eating, or cornered
A frightened, half-asleep dog can react instinctively before they even know who is there. That reaction is not aggression, it is fear.
๐๐น๐ฐ๐ผ๐ต๐ผ๐น ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ด๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐บ๐ถ๐
Drunken behaviour can be unpredictable, loud, invasive, and overwhelming for dogs. This includes:
โกIgnoring a dogโs attempts to move away
โกInvading their space, hugging, or looming over them
โกRough handling or teasing
โกMissing or dismissing stress signals
Even the most tolerant dogs have limits.
๐ก ๐๐ฑ๐๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ด ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐น๐:
โ Separate dogs from guests who are drinking
โ Ensure your dog can rest undisturbed
โ Never allow pranks, teasing, or forced interaction
โ Remove your dog from situations they cannot cope with
Children, visitors, and adults often donโt recognise stress signals, that responsibility sits with the owner.
Understanding and respecting these signals doesnโt just prevent bites.
It prevents dogs being blamed, seized, or lost forever for situations that were entirely avoidable.
๐๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐น ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐. ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ณ๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ด๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐๐ฎ๐ณ๐ฒ, ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ต๐๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐.
