01/12/2026
Hello everyone! Some of you may be wondering where I’ve been for the last couple of weeks. Others probably already have an idea. For those that don’t know, I received a very ✨special✨ New Year’s gift that decommissioned me for a while😂
I figured I would take this opportunity to turn lemons into lemonade, and talk a little bit about dog bites and warning signs to watch out for!
(This post goes over warning signals regarding fear/anxiety induced biting, not general aggression)
First off, it’s important to understand that ANY dog (regardless of size, age, breed etc.) has the capability to bite resulting in serious damage. However understanding canine body language is key to keeping both you and the dog safe.
Some subtle warning signs we can look out for are;
(Note: These behaviors don’t always indicate a dog will bite, however they are signals that a dog is anxious which can lead to aggression)
🦷Avoiding Eye Contact
🦷”Whale” Eyes (kind of looks like this 👀)
🦷Constant Lip Licking
🦷Constant Yawning
🦷Tucked Tail
🦷Stiff Body
🦷Flattened Ears
🦷Lowered Head
More Obvious Signals include;
🦷Raised Heckles
🦷Growling/Snarling
🦷Nipping (and/or warning bites)
🦷Lunging
🦷General Discomfort/Jumpiness
Just because a dog bites DOES NOT mean that the dog is aggressive, or a bad dog. A lot of factors play into why even the best dogs can lash out.
These can include, stress from boarding, grooming, and/or daycare, separation anxiety, untreated or undiagnosed pain from age or underlying illness, lack of respect of boundaries (parents don’t leave children unattended with dogs or truthfully pets of any kind), or disruption of routine can all cause dogs to be on edge.
This is why it is essential to keep your pooches up-to-date on their rabies vaccine to not only protect them, but us who work in the pet industry as well🤍
Edit- Millie (pictured) did NOT bite me, I got bite at work