We're all feeling the holiday stress and if you have a pet at home, you should know they're probably feeling a bit tense too.
The holidays bring more chaos to the day-to-day. From more shopping to unexpected visitors, you and your pets' daily routine changes.
Doctor Amy Leach, Niagara Frontier Veterinary President, says there are more dog bites this time of year.
"Dogs and cats are creatures of routine and if you are upset their routine, it induces stress," Dr. Leach said.
Leach says this stress is what causes dog attacks.
The stress comes out of fear. Dogs can feel trapped, especially if children are chasing them and tugging at them.
"One of those things that people like to do is pick up animals and introduce them to people or children," she said. "Don't do that."
Attacks can also occur because of territorial aggression, but ultimately the dog will bite out of a response to be wanting to be left alone.
If your dog is stressed, it may be showing these warning signs:
- leaning away from you
- its' ears are back
- tail is tucked
- posture is curved, bent and leaning away
- show their teeth and growling
"If they show those signs of stress, you just want to act ahead of the bite," Dr. Leach said.
If you see your dog showing signs of being stressed, remove your four-legged friend form the situation before an attack.
