According to a recent BBC investigation, the number of dog attacks recorded by police in England and Wales has risen by more than a third in the past five years. Last year, there were nearly 22,000 cases of out-of-control dogs causing injury. In 2018, there were just over 16,000.
If you have been unlucky enough to be at the receiving end of an attack (unfortunately Clarence and I have been on 3 occasions now), you will appreciate what a traumatic experience it can be leaving physical and/ or emotional scars.
Irrespective of the extent of the attack, it’s important that dog owners know what to do next to support their dogs and to help them recover & move forward. These events can be traumatising for our dogs and we can’t just expect them to forget it or get over it right away – doing the wrong thing after an incident can quickly exacerbate the issue, compound our dogs’ fear and cause long term problems that might’ve been avoided.
Whether you’re dealing with injuries or coping with the psychological impact, understanding the steps to recovery is crucial to rebuilding confidence in both you and your dog to prevent such encounters impacting on your lives.
Immediate Steps After a Dog Attack
• Ensure Safety First
Move to a safe area away from the dog to prevent further harm. If the dog belongs to someone, try to identify the owner, but prioritize your safety.
• Seek Medical Attention
Even if wounds appear minor, dog bites can cause infections. Ensure wounds are cleaned and dress them appropriately and visit a walk in centre to get checked over.
• Report the Incident
If a dog has bitten somebody, attacked another dog or seems likely to attack, this should be reported to the police on 101. You can also report a dangerous or out of control dog to the dog warden.
• Document the Attack
Take photographs of injuries, note the location, and gather witness information if possible. Try to get details of the owners. The impact of an attack is often more noticeable in days/ weeks after the attack so it is always worth taking details in case yours/ your dog’s injuries escalate.
Emotional Recovery for you
• Acknowledge the Trauma
It’s normal to feel fear, anger, or sadness after an attack. Recognize these emotions and give yourself time to process them.
• Seek Professional Help
Therapy can help you address anxiety, PTSD, or fear of dogs. Support groups and/ or online communities and forums can provide a space to share your worries and experience and learn from others.
• Rebuild Confidence Around Dogs
Start with small, controlled interactions with calm, friendly and familiar dogs. Take time to learn about dog body language to feel more secure in understanding behaviour and why attacks do happen. Take it slow and don’t rush/ force your comfort level
Emotional Recovery for Your Dog
• Allow time to decompress
Stressful events lead to a spike in stress hormones such as cortisol, which take time to leave our dog’s system. High levels of cortisol will make our dogs more hypervigilant and reactive, so it’s a good idea to give them at least a couple of days off (if not more)
• Reintroduce walks with care
Begin with shorter walks in familiar places where you both feel more confident. Keep a close eye on your dog’s behaviour. If they seem more alert/ worried/ reactive then they may need more time off.
• Give them lots of positive experiences
If cortisol levels are still high, dogs may not cope with situations as well as they usually would. As we can’t control the environment, focus on lots of enrichment at home too where the environment is safe, predictable and lots of fun- a good way to ensure fear is not compounded and to re build confidence
• Incorporate feel good activities to help with decompression.
While your dog is having their break, doing activities that promote feelings of calm will boost their feel-good hormones such as scent work and fun food games. Using their nose as much as poss will help them to relax.
• Speak to a trainer/ behaviourist
Having a traumatic experience can easily lead to anxiety and reactivity around other dogs/ people in the future. Speak to a trainer and consider signing up to some group classes, so you and your dog can have positive experiences working together in the presence of other dogs, in a safe and controlled environment.
Preventing Future Incidents
Although we can’t always control incidents like this, you can help to avoid/ prevent the risk by educating yourself on recognising signs of aggression in dogs and avoiding interaction with unfamiliar dogs, especially without owner’s permission or with no owners in sight.
Where you can, use the opportunity to empower yourself with knowledge about dog behaviour, body language and safety.
