The Velcro Dog: The Behavioural Science Behind Separation-Related Behaviours

By Dr Tom Mitchell (Help My Dog & Behavet)

We’ve all met them.

The dog who follows their owner from room to room. The dog who gets up every time someone stands up. The dog who appears unable to settle unless they're touching, watching, or shadowing a person.

For many owners, this behaviour is viewed as affection, loyalty, or simply part of their dog's personality. It may be cute and make you feel like your dog really loves you. After all, many of us have dogs to be our companions.

However, for some dogs, shadowing behaviour can be an early indicator of difficulties with independence and separation. To understand why some dogs become "Velcro dogs", we first need to understand how dogs learn about the people they live with.

The Psychology of Dog Shadowing: Why Your Movement Matters

Dogs go through life asking themselves three questions:

• Am I aware?
• Is it important?
• Is it good or bad?

How they answer these questions in relation to your movement is often key to understanding separation-related behaviours.

When you stand up, walk across a room, pick up your keys, or move towards a door, your dog notices. The question is whether they believe that movement matters.

The more important your movement becomes, the more emotional significance it carries. 

If movement isn't important, dogs have little reason to care whether it's good or bad. If movement is highly important, they begin paying close attention and trying to predict what will happen next.

This is where many separation struggles begin.

The Rule Many Dogs Learn: Presence = Access

Dogs are a social species, so for them, access to us matters.

Affection, interaction, play, training, treats, social contact, and shared experiences are all valuable resources. Over time, many dogs learn a simple rule: Presence = Access.

Sending out an S.O.S...
When a closed window feels
like total isolation.

If you're home, they can access you. If you're present, exciting things might happen: play, training, food, affection, interaction, access to other people or dogs – all of the things that they value. The more consistently these things occur when you're available, the more important your presence becomes.

The problem? If presence predicts access, then absence predicts loss. Suddenly, your movements become meaningful because they may signal that access is about to disappear. 

For some dogs, this creates frustration. For others, worry. For others, panic.

The more important access becomes, the more important separation becomes.

Why Velcro Dogs Shadow Their Owners

Many owners assume shadowing is simply about attachment. Sometimes it is.

However, shadowing often develops because dogs learn that staying close is the best way to maintain access to something they value. If your dog follows you everywhere, they're continually practising engagement with you.

Every time they get up and follow, they're learning that your movement is worth monitoring. Especially if it leads to extremely good or extremely bad outcomes. Every time they successfully gain access to something of value or lose access, that behaviour is reinforced.

Over time, a dog can become increasingly invested in your whereabouts and increasingly sensitive to changes in your movement. They may start to sleep by the doorway or stay very close by to monitor any changes in your movement.

This is particularly common in dogs that experience a degree of FOMO (fear of missing out). These dogs aren't necessarily worried about being alone. They're worried about what might happen if they're not involved.

Changing the Rule: Presence Doesn’t Mean Access (PDMA)

One of the most powerful concepts when building independence is helping dogs learn a different rule: Presence Doesn’t Mean Access (PDMA).

The goal isn't to teach dogs that people disappear because this could cause heightened negative emotional responses and trauma based on the perception of losing control. 

 Instead, the goal is to teach dogs that they can be comfortable and relaxed even when access is temporarily unavailable and that there can still be value when they don’t have access to you.

This means helping dogs learn that:

✔ You can be present without being accessible.
✔ Access comes and goes.
✔ Temporary separation is normal.
✔ Not being involved isn't a problem.

When dogs genuinely understand this rule, human movement becomes less significant. Once your movement is less significant, separation becomes easier because it’s no longer a huge predictor of loss and an emotional bombshell for your Velcro dog.

Crate & Barrier Training: Building Independence Through Containment

To teach PDMA, we often need to build value for containment.

For many dogs, a closed door is an emotional trigger. Not because they’re scary, but because a closed door forces disengagement from something they believe is important. The challenge is helping dogs learn that containment is not a loss.

Containment doesn't only mean a crate. Every dog has a containment hierarchy. This may include:

• A boundary or bed
• A lead
• A baby gate
• A puppy pen
• A crate
• A separate room

We want to identify where your dog currently feels comfortable and begin there.

Is a Closed Door a Loss or a Gain?

Many dogs experience barriers as something negative. We want the opposite. We want dogs to genuinely value being in or on their containment area. That means they are happy to enter, happy to remain, not rushing out, showing no avoidance, and willing to return.

Once that value exists, we can gradually progress through different levels of PDMA:

✔ Level 1: Remaining on the same side of the barrier as your dog. You are still present and accessible, but they may be on their bed or inside containment (the door may be open first).

✔ Level 2: Moving to the other side of the barrier. You are present but inaccessible.

✔ Level 3: Removing visual access and moving briefly out of sight.

At each stage, the goal is growing calmness.

Many conventional containment training strategies use the door closing as a punisher for the dog attempting to exit. Unfortunately, this may have the unintended effect of increasing the importance of the door to the dog, making it a more negative experience.

By building value within containment and then teaching the dog that the door closing is a gain, rather than a loss or punishment, we can prevent containment and barrier frustration and create an overall positive experience with separation.

Building Value for Containment

Before containment can help us teach independence, dogs need to genuinely value being in or on their containment area. This is where many people accidentally move too quickly.

A dog who treats a crate, pen, bed, or being behind a baby gate is not necessarily a dog who values it. We want containment to become a place where good things happen and where the dog feels comfortable spending time.

A useful question to ask is: "Is my dog trying to get out, or choosing to stay in?" If a dog immediately rushes out whenever given the opportunity, struggles to return, or avoids entering altogether, we probably need to spend more time building value.

Step 1: Build Value In

Start with your chosen level of containment in your dog’s hierarchy. This might be a bed, boundary, lead, behind a baby gate, in a puppy pen, or a crate with the door open. The focus initially is simple: create lots of value in or on the containment. Food arrives there. Enrichment arrives there. Good things happen there.

Importantly, the dog is not trapped; they can leave if they choose. In fact, we often want lots of releases. The goal at this stage is not to keep the dog in place for a long time. It’s to teach the dog that there’s value in containment. Over time, there should be far more value happening in the containment than outside of it.

Step 2: The Door Becomes a Non-Event

Once value exists in the containment itself, we can begin introducing the barrier. For many dogs, the emotional trigger isn't the crate or pen. It's the moment the door closes. Rather than immediately shutting doors, we gradually teach dogs that movement of the barrier predicts nothing significant is happening.

You can break up the steps by touching the door, moving the door slightly, briefly closing it, and finally, fully closing it. At every stage, value continues to happen in the containment. We’re also releasing the dog often to help relieve pressure and to teach them that being in containment isn’t a bad deal. Just as with Step 1, we are teaching that both the door closing and time spent inside are non-events.

Step 3: Build Time, Distance and PDMA

Once the dog genuinely values the containment and remains comfortable with barriers, we can begin gradually upping the challenge by increasing duration, distance, visual access to us, and by introducing household movement and disturbances.

Throughout this process, we want to avoid creating sudden jumps in difficulty. A useful principle is that we only make one thing harder at a time. If we're increasing duration, we keep distance the same. If we're increasing distance, we keep duration the same. If we're removing visual access, we may want to reduce more than one of the other variables if we have a Velcro dog.

Two Containment Hacks for Success

• Using Employment to Bridge the Gap: Employment can be a powerful tool when building value for containment and helping dogs succeed with PDMA. 

Passive calming activities, long-lasting chews, lick mats, snuffle mats, enrichment items, or other forms of appropriate employment can help dogs remain relaxed while they learn that access to people comes and goes.

Employment should not become a permanent crutch, but it can be an effective bridge while PDMA skills are developing. Over time, we can gradually reduce the amount of employment required.

• From One Containment to Another: To help increase the time a dog is happy in containment, we can use different forms of containment on the dog’s hierarchy. 

For example, if a dog is struggling to get past 10 minutes in a crate, we can come back at nine minutes to let the dog out, but instead of releasing them to free roam, we can move them to an easier form of containment in their hierarchy, such as a puppy pen, a boundary or a lead, for another 10 minutes. This allows them to practice the same skills for a longer time period, which will later transfer back to the harder containment picture.

Calmness is King

The more we grow calmness, the more opportunities we're creating for calmness to happen.

Dogs become more of what they practise every day. If we want independent, relaxed behaviour, we need to create opportunities for dogs to rehearse independent, relaxed behaviour.

One way to do this is through the Calmness Triad:

1. Passive calming activities – stuffed Kongs or bones, lickmats, long lasting chews, sniffy activities like snuffle mats.

2. Active rest – sleeping in a safe area where they’re not disturbed and can access good quality, deep sleep.

3. The Calmness Protocol – rewarding calm when we observe it in our dogs by calmly delivering a food reward.

A dog who regularly practises calm behaviour is often better equipped to cope when access to people changes because they’ve grown the skills for calmness within their lifestyle.

Moving from Movement = Arousal to Movement = Calm

Many Velcro dogs learn that human movement predicts action. Movement means excitement, engagement, or something is about to happen. For our dogs, we want movement to predict calmness, instead.

Two rules are useful to keep in mind here:

✔ Rule 1: Every time you move and your dog doesn't get involved, your movement becomes less important. Every time you move and they do get involved, your movement becomes more important.

✔ Rule 2: Every time your movement leads to an extremely good or bad outcome, your movement becomes more important.

The goal with this strategy is to reduce significance through two main routes:

• Habituation: Provide a passive calming activity while your dog remains grounded (in containment, on lead, on their bed). Family members move around normally while the dog learns that movement doesn't require participation.

• Rewiring: Calmly reinforce your dog (while they’re in or on containment) for remaining settled while movement occurs around them. Ideally, this happens when they're already relaxed and comfortable.

Over time, movement changes from being a cue for action to a cue for calmness.

Growing Disengagement

For many Velcro dogs, independence requires one final skill: disengagement.

Dogs need to learn that moving away or staying away from something important can be valuable. This is especially important for dogs experiencing FOMO.

Growing value for containment and working on PDMA will help dogs learn that choosing not to monitor, follow, or participate can itself be rewarding. We’re growing the dog’s ability to disengage from the owner and from distractions at the same time – both skills they’ll need for successful separation.

An important part of this process and growing independence is adding disturbances. This allows dogs to learn two things: events can happen around them, but these are none of their business, and the art of resettling after being disturbed.

Working on specific disturbances while a dog is in containment is vital to success with separation. This includes adding in purposeless movement from the owner, such as getting up and sitting back down, entering and leaving a space, touching the containment or door, making door noises, and random actions that may occur in a household, such as flushing the toilet.

Targeting the predictors of leaving, like picking up keys or putting on shoes, also forms a vital component of training for independence. However, we need to introduce these at the dog’s pace, starting with the easiest predictors for the dog.

When dogs can comfortably disengage, settle independently, and tolerate temporary loss of access, they become more flexible and often far more capable of coping when separation inevitably occurs.

The Valuable Skill of Independence

For many owners, having a Velcro dog can feel flattering. They provide you with affection, loyalty, and a particularly close bond. However, a dog who struggles to cope without constant access to their people is missing an important life skill.

By helping dogs learn that access comes and goes, that barriers aren’t a problem, and that they can be comfortable and safe without being involved in everything we do, we’re giving them more freedom, flexibility, and confidence in their daily lives – all without taking away the relationship and bond that is already shared.

Growing our dogs’ independence doesn’t create a dog who wants less to do with us. We’re helping our companions feel just as comfortable with us as they do when they need to be apart from us.

Helping a Velcro dog feel comfortable spending time apart is one of the most valuable skills we can teach.

If you'd like to learn more about separation anxiety, building value for containment, and teaching independence through PDMA, visit the Help! My Dog website (www.helpmydog.com) and check out our Help! My Dog Has Separation Anxiety 10-Day Plan course.

About the Author

Dr Tom Mitchell is a world-renowned veterinarian and dog behaviourist and founder of concept training with over a decade’s worth of experience transforming canine behaviour struggles to help people (and their pets!) achieve their dog-owning dreams.

As part of his mission to “help as many dogs and owners as possible”, Tom revolutionised the practice of veterinary behaviour by establishing the trailblazing online canine behaviour clinic, Behavet, making consultations with certified veterinary behaviour professionals accessible to pet parents worldwide over Zoom. As the largest online pet behaviour clinic in the world, every month, Tom and his team of 20+ veterinarian behaviourists help over 700 dog (and cat) owners combat even the most challenging, “no hope” cases by creating transformational plans for the full spectrum of canine behaviour struggles, achieving unbelievable reward-based results where others have failed.

Dr Tom has recently founded Help! My Dog, an online community for dog owners and professionals alongside its #1 dog podcast, empowering dog parents with the knowledge they need to get to the root of their dogs’ behaviour struggles. He is also currently involved in the development of a new professional behaviour training and education initiative, The Canine Behaviour College, aimed at advancing standards in canine behaviour practice for aspiring and current professionals.

Connect on Socials

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The Misunderstood Language of Dogs: How Understanding Canine Communication Keeps Families Safe

Understanding the subtle signs of stress can save a child from a bite and keep a dog in its home, as pet journalist Caroline Zambrano discovers.

Ali, a vet nurse from Victoria, was shocked when her much-loved Border Collie, Moose, bit her 10-month-old son, Thomas, who had recently become mobile.

What Ali initially thought was "out of the blue", she realised afterwards was actually weeks of Moose showing subtle signs of discomfort toward her crawling baby.

"Being a vet nurse, I have always had the thought to ‘never fully trust a dog,’ but you never think your own dog would be the one to bite a child," she said.

Fortunately, the bite wasn’t serious. But it changed the way Ali watched her dog’s behaviour. It all came down to understanding her dog's body language and recognising the warning signs of discomfort before a situation could escalate.

This is not just an important message for the safety of children, but for people and pets alike, especially as we see increased public interaction with dogs in parks, cafes, and community spaces.

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), dog-related injuries resulted in 9,542 hospitalisations in Australia in 2021–22. Adults aged 25–44 and 45–64 made up the majority of these hospitalisations (29% and 28% respectively).

While only 6% of injury hospitalisations due to contact with a dog were for children aged 0–4, over half (61%) of all injury hospitalisations due to contact with animals for this age group were due to being bitten or struck by a dog. AIHW data also shows hospitalisation rates resulting from dog bites have more than doubled over the past decade.

Recent safety campaigns from South Australia's Department for Environment and Water, Gold Coast City Council, and Australia Post have highlighted the need for greater public awareness around safe interactions with dogs. Following Australia Post's controversial rollout of deterrents to delivery workers, pet advocates have stressed that citronella spray use on dogs is not a long-term solution for behavioural issues.

Partners in Training: TV host & author Lara Shannon
with her dogs Darcy and Vinnie. (Image: Supplied)

National animal welfare charity and advocacy group Companion Animal Network Australia (CANA) has joined forces with its Ambassador Lara Shannon to help educate children and adults about safe interactions with dogs as part of responsible pet ownership.

Lara is a certified dog trainer, pet behaviour and nutrition specialist, author, and presenter of Channel 10's Pooches at Play. Through her work with dog owners around Australia, she helps people better understand canine behaviour and communication.

"Public education helps people recognise canine body language, understand when a dog needs space, and make safer choices around dogs. The more we understand dogs, the better equipped we are to prevent incidents before they happen," says Lara.

 "Dogs communicate long before they bite. Behaviour is communication, and when we understand it, we can change the outcome."

The Hidden Cost of Dog Bites

Every dog bite has two victims. For the person involved, the consequences can include physical injuries, fear, and lasting emotional trauma. For the dog, it can be life-changing too.

"Depending on the severity, dogs may face restrictions, behavioural assessments, complaints, rehoming, or surrender. In some cases, they may even be euthanised," explains Lara. 

"Many dogs involved in bite incidents are not ‘bad dogs.’ They are dogs whose communication was missed or misunderstood.”

Understanding dog behaviour helps owners recognise stress, fear, and discomfort before situations escalate.

"When people know how to respond appropriately, they can prevent incidents, strengthen their relationship with their dog, and seek help early if needed. Ultimately, this can help prevent surrender and euthanasia," she adds.

Signs Dogs Give Before They Bite

Contrary to popular belief, most dog bites don't come out of nowhere.

"What appears to be a sudden bite is often the final stage of a conversation the dog has been trying to have for some time," says Lara. "Dogs usually give multiple warning signs through body language before biting, but those signals can be subtle and are often missed, misunderstood, or ignored.”

Common warning signs include:

• Lip licking when no food is present
• Yawning when not tired
• Turning the head away
• Avoiding eye contact
• Whale eye (when the whites of the eyes become visible)
• Ears pinned back
• Freezing or becoming still
• Moving away
• A tucked tail

Recognising these twelve common signs of dog anxiety and distress can help you intervene safely before a situation escalates. (Image: Supplied / Cooper and Kids)

"These subtle signals are a dog's way of asking for space before they feel the need to escalate their communication," she adds.

A range of situations can trigger stress or discomfort in dogs, including unfamiliar people, rough handling, crowded environments, loud noises, other dogs, being approached while resting or eating, or situations where they feel trapped and unable to move away.

“People often expect dogs to tolerate situations that make them uncomfortable. They ignore early warning signs, force interactions, yell at their dogs, and push them beyond their threshold, sometimes overwhelming them with children, strangers, or busy environments,” she says.

“Sometimes advocating for your dog means giving them space, saying no to interaction, or removing them from a situation before they feel the need to react.”

Part of being a responsible pet owner is not just taking care of your dog, but also looking out for the wider community.

“Keeping dogs on lead where required helps owners maintain control in unpredictable situations and avoid unwanted interactions,” says Lara. “Not everyone enjoys being approached by an unfamiliar dog, regardless of their intentions, and not every dog wants to be approached either.”

What to Do if a Dog Shows Signs of Stress

• Stop approaching. Give the dog space.
• Avoid staring directly at the dog or patting them on the head.
• Don't attempt to hug or restrain them.
• Allow the dog to move away and respect their choice to disengage.
• Always ask the owner before interacting.

Pain or an underlying medical issue can also lower a dog's tolerance and affect behaviour, which is why Lara recommends a veterinary check if a dog suddenly shows behavioural changes. If a medical cause is ruled out, it's best to seek help from a qualified trainer or behaviour professional as early as possible.

“If your dog is showing signs of fear, anxiety, stress, growling, snapping, or reactivity, or if you're unsure how to manage a situation safely, don't wait for it to escalate,” she says. “Early intervention often leads to better outcomes for both the dog and their family.”

Lara recommends seeking help from qualified dog trainers who use evidence-based, positive reinforcement methods, are committed to ongoing professional development, and belong to a reputable professional organisation, such as the Delta Institute, Pet Professional Guild Australia (PPGA), and Association of Pet Dog Trainers Australia (APDTA).

Kids and Dogs: Understanding the Risk

Respectful Connection: Family Paws Educator Mel Ritterman with her kids and her two Golden Retrievers, Cooper and Scout. (Image: Supplied / Cooper and Kids)

While dog bite prevention is important for everyone, children are among the most vulnerable groups, according to Mel Ritterman, founder of Cooper and Kids, Family Paws Educator, and certified Family Dog Mediator.

Mel specialises in helping families build safer relationships between children and dogs. She notes that children are at greater risk of dog bites because they often behave in ways dogs find confusing, overwhelming, or threatening.

"Young children move unpredictably, make sudden noises, have little understanding of personal space, and are naturally curious about dogs," she says. "At the same time, they are still learning how to recognise when a dog is uncomfortable and may miss important warning signs."

Another major risk factor is physical proximity.

“Children frequently place their faces close to dogs, hug them, climb on them or approach them while they are sleeping or resting,” says Mel.

“Unfortunately, this increases the likelihood of a bite if a dog feels worried, frightened, trapped or uncomfortable. Most dogs that bite are not aggressive dogs. They are often dogs who are simply trying to cope with a situation they find difficult."

High-Risk Situations for Kids and Dogs

• Approaching a dog while they are sleeping or resting.
• Interacting with a dog while they are eating or chewing a high-value item or toy.
• Hugging, kissing, grabbing, climbing on, riding or restraining dogs.
• Picking their dog up.
• Putting faces close to a dog's face.
• Cornering or trapping a dog.
• Crawling babies and newly walking toddlers approaching dogs.
• High-energy play where children become loud, fast or unpredictable.
• Situations where a dog cannot move away if they feel uncomfortable.

Tolerance is Not Enjoyment

One of the biggest misconceptions Mel encounters is the belief that because a dog tolerates something, they are comfortable with it.

"I hear this all the time, 'It's okay, my dog tolerates my child'," she explains. "Many dogs are incredibly patient. They tolerate hugs, climbing, chasing and handling because they have learned they have no choice."

"But tolerance is very different from enjoyment, and eventually, they may no longer tolerate it."

Spot the Difference: The top row highlights dogs genuinely enjoying an interaction, while the bottom row shows dogs merely tolerating contact while displaying clear warning signs of stress. (Image: Supplied / Cooper and Kids)

Instead, Mel encourages families to ask a simple question: "Does my dog actually want to be involved in this interaction?"

“Our goal shouldn’t be to teach dogs to tolerate children. It should be helping dogs feel safe, comfortable, happy, and respected around children,” she says.

Supervision is another concept that is frequently misunderstood.

"Being in the same room is not supervision," says Mel. "Active supervision means watching the interaction, understanding dog body language, looking for signs of discomfort, knowing when and how to intervene positively and safely, and being close enough to step in immediately if needed."

If active supervision isn't possible, management strategies like baby gates, playpens, and separate safe spaces become vital tools.

"I often tell families that management is not failure. Management is prevention,” she says.

Safe Management: A retractable baby gate creates a secure boundary, allowing dogs and mobile toddlers to comfortably share a space without direct physical pressure.

One simple way parents can help children understand dogs is by bodily narrating what they see:

• “Look, he’s walked away. He wants some space.”
• “She’s resting on her bed. Let’s let her relax.”
• “He looks uncomfortable, so let’s help him.”

Of course, this will look different depending on the child’s age and developmental stage. While older kids can begin learning about body language and boundaries directly, younger children need adults to do the interpreting and advocating for them.

“Modelling and leading by example is key,” says Mel.

Even if your dog appears comfortable being hugged or kissed by you, it doesn't mean they will feel the same way about a child doing it. Teaching children what not to do is important, but we should also show them what they can do instead.

Mel encourages children to ask a dog's guardian before approaching or patting a dog. However, permission from the adult is only part of the picture. Children should also be taught to respect the dog's body language and understand that not every dog wants to interact with strangers.

Families can learn more through Cooper & Kids' free "Tap, Pat, Pause" resource, which teaches children how to safely greet unfamiliar dogs.

“Rather than constantly saying 'no', parents can guide children toward safe, positive interactions such as tossing treats for the dog, helping with training, participating in enrichment activities, or simply observing and learning about their dog's body language. This helps children build empathy, confidence, and a positive relationship with their dog,” says Mel.

“Ultimately, our goal is not just to prevent bites. It is to help children and dogs build safe, respectful, and positive relationships that can last a lifetime.”

Five Golden Rules for Kids and Dogs

1. Never disturb a dog that is sleeping, eating, or resting.

2. Let dogs choose whether they want to interact.

3. Give dogs a safe space where they can retreat undisturbed.

4. Teach children to respect a dog that walks away.

5. Always actively supervise interactions between children and dogs.

Moose and Thomas’ Story

Early Days: Baby Thomas flanked by Moose (left) and Rogue (right) as a newborn.
(Image: Supplied)

For Ali, these lessons became very real after Moose bit her son, Thomas. Seeking answers, she turned to Mel, who reviewed video footage of the incident and helped identify several subtle warning signs that had gone unnoticed at the time.

There was no growling, barking, or other dramatic display.

"The warning signs were present, but they were subtle," says Mel.

Looking back, Ali can now see behaviours she didn't fully understand at the time.

"Moose was often giving us a wide berth if Thomas was on the floor or crawling around," she says. "I also, unfortunately, missed the side-eye that he was giving Thomas right before the bite incident."

Partners in Crime & Complex Companions: While independent black-and-white Border Collie Rogue (left) loves spending time as toddler Thomas's partner in crime, toy-obsessed chocolate Border Collie Moose (right) proved more anxious around a crawling toddler, highlighting the importance of recognising subtle behavioural changes. (Image: Supplied)

For Mel, the case highlights one of the most important lessons in dog bite prevention: recognising the subtle signs before a dog feels the need to escalate its communication.

Since working with Mel, Ali's family has introduced new management strategies designed to keep both Thomas and Moose safe.

"Moose and Thomas do still have interactions, but they are completely supervised and there is never any opportunity for Moose to bite Thomas. We have been able to find a happy balance, and both Moose and Thomas are still very happy," she says.

“This has taught me that you can never be too cautious, and underscores the importance of properly introducing your fur babies to your human babies."

Prevention Starts with People

The good news is that most dog bites are preventable. By learning to recognise canine body language, respecting a dog's need for space, and seeking help early when concerns arise, people can help create safer interactions for everyone involved.

"Dog bites are preventable, and prevention starts with people," says Lara. "Knowing the signs helps keep people safe and pets in homes."

CANA's Dog Bite Prevention Checklist

• Learn canine body language.
• Recognise triggers.
• Respect a dog's need for space.
• Actively supervise children and dogs.
• Always ask the owner's permission before approaching or patting a dog.
• Use positive reinforcement methods.
• Seek help early.
• Rule out pain and illness.

For more information on dog behaviour and bite prevention, visit Lara's training and behaviour articles at Pooches at Play. Families can also access free resources and online education programs through Cooper and Kids. To download CANA's Dog Bite Prevention Poster and access other responsible pet ownership resources, visit the CANA website. Check your local council website for local safety campaigns and dog ownership requirements in your area.

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