Tail-wagging tips to ensure dog safety

Dog Safety Week (July 3-7) is the ‘pawfect’ time to focus on creating a nurturing and secure environment for your furry friend, as well as everyone who interacts with them.

Dog training is not just about teaching your old dog new tricks, it is also about educating pet owners to manage dogs responsibly, keeping pets and the community safe.

Team from Sunshine Coast Positive Paws Dog Training.

Sunshine Coast Positive Paws Dog Training shares their top five tips:

Tip # 1

Leave dogs alone when they are eating, chewing, or enjoying a high-value item or treat. Like humans, canines don't like it when we get between them and their food.

Tip # 2

Learn how to read dog body language. Apps like Dogdecoder can help. They can provide pointers on how to 'speak dog' and understand what your dog is feeling or communicating.

As you get to understand their signals you can intervene and prevent incidents before they happen.

Tip # 3

Always supervise children and dogs, they will need assistance reading signs of stress and interpreting your dog’s body language. You will also be able to intervene before an incident occurs.

Did you know hugging, a common sign of human affection, is not something our pooches enjoy? It is often a go-to way children will show love.

A dog trainer can assist with age-appropriate training, tricks and games for kids and dogs to enjoy, building happy and safe bonds for life.

Tip # 4

Ensure your dog is on a leash when you leave home, even if you are only going a short distance.

We cannot control what happens in the outside world, prevent incidents by teaching your dog to walk on a loose leash.

A dog trainer can help you and your canine learn the skills required to master this behaviour.

Tip # 5

Let them sniff butts!

Avoid on-leash greetings between unfamiliar dogs wherever possible as restrained canines cannot use appropriate etiquette when greeting.

Engage a dog trainer to assist, they can explain how to manage the '3-second meet and greet' so you can become a master at avoiding issues when you are out and about enjoying our many dog-friendly beaches and parks across the Sunshine Coast.

Remember, it is never too late to focus on being ‘dog safe’ and it is not just about the actions of your doggo. The actions of pet owners are important to keep their dog’s tail-wagging and our community safe.

Visit the Sunshine Coast Council website to learn more about the pet awareness programs available to the community.