The inability to interpret behavior may contribute to an increased likelihood of a dog bite. Given the higher incidence of dog bites in children, this study sought to compare the abilities of children (4-10 years of age) and adults in interpreting dog behavior.
A total of 430 children and 120 young adults were presented with friendly, aggressive, or fearful behavior. Each was shown 3 short video clips of each type of behavior and then asked “How is the dog feeling?” The choices were “happy,” “sad,” “scared,” “angry,” or “I don’t know.” They were also asked “How do you know the dog is feeling that way?” Responses were grouped into 4 categories: movement/posture, sound, tail, or face.
Overall, 65% of responses to “How is the dog feeling?” were correct, and the percentage of correct responses increased with increasing age. The most identifiable state was aggression; fear was the most difficult. This held true across age groups. Findings suggested that dog bite-prevention programs, including instruction on recognizing and avoiding fearful dogs, should particularly focus on younger children.