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One of the common reasons that leads a dog to bite is that they feel threatened. In these situations, they may choose to escape the situation or fight it (the fight or flight response). They also have the option of using appeasement gestures, and freezing or fidgeting (displacement behaviors) may be seen if the dog is in motivational conflict. It's when they choose to fight that can result in dog bites. Even normally calm and friendly dogs can show aggressive behavior if they feel under threat, but understanding and responding appropriately to your dog’s body language can help to minimize the risk of your dog biting.

Dogs express themselves through a complex range of vocalization, body postures and scent. Dog bites can largely be avoided if owners recognize the warning signs that their dog is feeling agitated or threatened. When a dog is feeling playful, their face and body will be relaxed, and their tail will wag (loose and wide as opposed to stiff and narrow) and held low (although not too low as this could be a sign that they are anxious or fearful, depending on the breed). A tense body, exposed teeth, wrinkled muzzle and highly held tail are signs of a dog showing aggressive behavior. They may also have raised hair on their shoulders and back (hackles). They may start to pace, bark or growl, and their ears could be erect or flattened against their head. They may avoid your gaze, adopt a hunchback position, or back up. They may then lunge forward to bite. Not all dogs will show aggressive behavior that escalates in the same way. The dog may show appeasement behaviors and these behaviors, although often ignored, should be responded to appropriately to avoid the dog escalating to using aggressive behaviors.

Dogs that have not been well socialized when they’re young are more likely to find new situations frightening. So when introducing your dog to new people or dogs, do so slowly and keep your dog on lead so that if aggressive behavior starts you can quickly take them away from the situation. Walking dogs with a lead/harness, and muzzle if needed, will help to reduce situations where your dog may feel at threat. You will also have better control of them should a situation arise. Training your dog a 'leave' cue can also be useful. Enrol your dog in some training classes with accredited positive reinforcement trainers - these provide a safe space for dogs to work on trained skills with other dogs and people present. The trainer will also help owners to understand their dog’s behavior and learn how to prevent aggressive situations from arising. Group classes may not be a good fit for your dog as they can be too overstimulating for your dog. Private lessons may be more beneficial.   How to react when a dog behaves in an aggressive way depends on whether the owner is present or not:

• If a dog is showing signs of fear aggression and is threatening someone (other than the owner) then they should just slowly back away or place an object in front of them, such as getting behind a fence or holding a bag up in front of them, and not try to distract the dog.
• If it is the owner who is being threatened, they should take a different approach to prevent the situation from escalating. If the owner knows what is causing the reaction, remove it and wait for the dog to calm down. Don't stand in front of the dog, stand to the side away from the head, in case they decide to lunge forward. This might also be less confrontational and therefore less threatening to the dog.

Puppies nip and mouth to interact with other dogs and people during play. Play-biting is normal in small puppies, but remember as the puppy gets bigger the bites will become more painful. Puppies need to learn bite inhibition, which is the ability to control the force of the nipping and mouthing behavior. This is usually learnt from playmates who will yelp and stop playing if the bite is painful. The puppy will soon learn that biting too hard causes playtime to stop, so they learn to control the force of the nip. Owners can also teach bite inhibition to their puppies by copying this reaction. When a puppy nips too hard, freeze, remain calm and stop playing for 5-10 seconds (depending on the puppy's behavior). Resume play by redirecting the puppy to a toy to play with once they have calmed down. If the puppy continues to nip, walk away from them. Return to your puppy, praise and reward calm behavior with a small food treat and then continue playing with them. Keep play less exciting and add in frequent breaks for a small treat to help your puppy regulate their excitement level. Repeat the process every time they nip too hard. Puppies bite more when they are teething so make sure you always have chew toys. You can give them a toy whenever they look like they may bite or before interacting with them. Remember to reward good behavior with positive reinforcement, like treats, playtime or praise, and never verbally and physically punish a puppy that has bitten.

Here are a few tips on how to prevent dog bites:

• Never approach a dog without prior permission from the owner – make sure your children are aware of this too. Better yet, let the dog choose if they want to interact with you!
• Always supervise children around dogs.
• When approaching a dog, do so slowly and let them sniff your hand before stroking them.
• Avoid stroking the top of a dog’s head or ears.
• Recognize the signs of a dog that is feeling agitated or scared, and leave them alone, rather than try to convince them that you mean them no harm.
• Avoid dogs that are showing signs of aggression, like barking or growling, or that are tied up.
• Do not approach a dog that is caring for puppies, eating, or sleeping.
• Never put your face close to an unknown dog.
• If cornered by a dog, remain still and avoid eye contact. When the dog loses interest, slowly back away.
• Remember that dogs may become aggressive when in pain.
• If you’re knocked over by a dog, cover your head and face and curl in the fetal position. Avoid eye contact and remain still and calm until the dog has lost interest in you.