Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

Why do so many of us feel the need to put our faces near a sleeping dog?

I have witnessed a child receive a warning scratch above and below the eye when startling a strange sleeping dog.  The dog cowered afterwards as if to ward off punishment as the child screamed.  This scream was enough punishment on the dog, I did not need to do anything except help both child and dog feel safer in each other presence after this incident.

How would you react if you were sound asleep and something startled you?  For a shy or fearful dog trying to sleep with a strange person or dog in the house can be very unsettling.  They may drift off, yet still be on guard.  This dogs first emotional response when startled is to protect him/her self with it's best defensive weapon, its teeth.  Unfortunately, many owners and sometimes guests are bitten when they startle a sleeping dog.  If a person is bitten by a dog, there is ALWAYS a reason, we just need to determine what that reason is and work to desensitize or modify it's behavior.

Success lies in determining if the dog was reacting out of fear, guarding a resource or being dominant and biting his owner.  Treating one will not fix another, so getting a good history is the key to preventing this incident from happening again.