5 Ways that shelter volunteers jeopardize dogs’ lives

Are you making these catastrophic mistakes?

In an open-intake animal shelter, a bite incident can be a death sentence for a dog. Unfortunately, well-meaning, but under-trained volunteers often puts dogs in situations in which dogs are significantly more likely to bite.

Here’s five of the most common mistakes.

Misunderstanding or ignoring dog body language

Dogs primarily communicate through their body language. When we interact with shelter dogs (or any dog!), it’s absolutely vital that we are watching for signs of discomfort, fear, and pain in every interaction. Most dogs will display subtle signs of discomfort long before they growl, snap, or bite. The majority of dog bites can be avoided by respecting the dog’s communication.

‘The Canine Ladder of Aggression’ (below) is an excellent resource for understanding common signs of discomfort. Any time a dog displays any of these signs, they should immediately be given space from the interaction that is making them uncomfortable.

Source: Dominika Knossalla-Pado via Instagram

Touching dogs that don’t want to be touched

Many dogs don’t enjoy physical touch, especially from a stranger. This is especially common when a…