In a new regular column, dog behaviourist Alyssa Ralph at Winsford-based Holistic Pet Services is going to look into issues surrounding our canine chums.

Dog bites have been hitting the headlines like never before, leaving a trail of chaos in their wake.

But did you know that a dog will usually give some warning before going in with their teeth?

The vast majority of dog bites happen for a very specific reason: the dog in question is trying to protect itself or something it values.

There is a misperception that this is the dog trying to ‘dominate’ us, or be the ‘alpha’, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.

In reality, the bulk of dog bites happen because the dog is scared.

Northwich Guardian: Dog behaviourist Alyssa RalphDog behaviourist Alyssa Ralph (Image: Alyssa Ralph)

If you think about it, a bite is the most effective thing a dog can do to get someone (or something) to leave it alone. But before this point, the dog will likely have changed its behaviour and body language in an attempt to get this same result.

When a dog starts to feel uncertain or unsafe in a situation, it will often try to diffuse it using body language.

These are typically subtle movements, such as licking their lips or yawning. They may also pinch their ears into their heads, hold their eyes wide open (so you can see the whites of their eyes), or hold their tail down.

If the thing that is making them uncomfortable doesn’t go away, they may start to wag their tail.

This wag isn’t a loose, swishy wag that we associate with happy dogs; this is a wag that is stiff, fast, and staccato, and means they’re really quite unhappy about something.

Northwich Guardian: The 'Ladder of Aggression'The 'Ladder of Aggression' (Image: Alyssa Ralph)

Around this time, you may also start to see your dog trying to move away from the ‘scary thing’.

If it follows, they may start to use even more obvious signals that they want to be left alone. The dog may start growling, or even show their teeth in a snarl.

If they’re still not listened to, many dogs will then snap towards the scary thing, or even deploy a real bite.

When we’re considering these signals from our dog, it’s really important that we don’t ever punish them – they’re simply telling us how they feel!

Instead, we should work out what it is that’s bothering them and offer them a safe retreat.

If we can keep our dogs feeling safe, the chances are we’re also keeping ourselves, our families, and our neighbours safe.