EDITOR – Watching children and adults greet my little dog, she shows different reactions to different types of touches, irrespective whether she knows them or not. Certain rough touches she likes and certain not. When they pat her on top of her head, she either tolerates it or pulls her head away.
The same goes for most big dogs I observed. Years ago it was explained to me that stroking the top of their heads, is to dogs a gesture of dominance – alpha dogs will not stand for it. A logical explanation.
I heard a new reason for dogs’ dislike of this touch from a lady who works with dogs. The brain with its nerve endings is just under thin skin, especially with small dogs, so they experience some pain relative to the hardness of the stroking. I accept both reasons.
I can back this up with a true story. A 7-year-old boy reached our kitchen before I could get there where our trained German Shepherd was behind the stable door. The boy’s hand went over the stable door and came down to pat the dog from above. Immediately the dog nipped him on his finger so that a little blood trucked out.
It cost me a trip to the doctor and an injection. I planned to be in front of the child. What I have not told you is what the child did before I let him in through our gate – something you should never do with a dog, especially if he had man work training as with this German Shepherd. This boy played hide-and-seek behind-and-out of a tree, teasing the dog. The dog’s reaction showed me he was suspicious. That made me decide to keep the dog on a leash in the backyard while he entertained the child with ‘tricks’ – actually basic obedience he could do.
The child arranged with me to come for this purpose. The other dogs were inside in the lounge. After his ‘show’ I put him off-lead into the kitchen, but the child wanted to see my mother in her wheelchair and didn’t wait for me to put myself between him and the dog as I planned, and to command the dog ‘leave’ which he would’ve , he was well trained at that stage. So all humans must never tease a dog – it makes them aggressive, and not pat a dog hard or at all between his ears. The top of your hand can be presented to a new dog, slowly and stroked on his side/s but always watch the dog’s body language.
Martine
Escombe
