One of the UK’s largest veterinary groups is encouraging dog owners to recognise the early signs of anxiety and stress in their pets, aiming to support safer interactions at home following a series of high-profile incidents involving dog aggression.

VetPartners [https://www.vetpartners.co.uk] a group of veterinary practices and animal healthcare businesses across the UK and Europe, says many incidents can be prevented by understanding how dogs communicate as they rarely act without warning and instead display a series of subtle, escalating behavioural cues that signal stress or unease.

While such incidents are rare, they often occur in the home and can be prevented through greater awareness, education and seeking support from your veterinary team.

Amy Jennings, a vet with VetPartners highlights the importance of recognising behavioural signals that dogs may display when they feel uncomfortable or threatened.

Amy said: “Dogs are constantly communicating with us, but much of what they say is quiet and easily missed. By the time a dog growls, they may already have tried several more subtle ways to tell us they’re uncomfortable. Recognising these signals early – which include yawning, lip licking, turning away, avoiding eye contact or moving away to create space - gives owners the chance to step in, reduce the pressure on their dog and prevent the situation from escalating.

“If a dog learns that their early signals don’t work, they may skip straight to more extreme behaviours because that’s what gets a response. That’s when situations can become more dangerous.”

Amy is keen to stress that these behaviours are not signs of a ‘bad dog’, but a form of communication and that aggression is not linked to any single breed.

Amy added: “Any dog, regardless of breed, size or background can display aggressive behaviour if they feel frightened, unwell or unable to cope with a situation. Dogs are part of the family, and like us, they can sometimes feel anxious or overwhelmed. If we learn to recognise these signs, we can help our pets feel safe and reduce the risk of incidents.”

VetPartners has issued advice to help improve awareness of dog behaviour including early socialisation and positive training, regular veterinary check-ups to rule out pain or illness, providing a safe, calm environment and seeking professional advice if behaviour changes.

Amy added: “Many incidents happen in the home, often involving familiar dogs. Children in particular may not recognise when a dog needs space.

“Simple changes such as giving dogs a safe, quiet area to retreat to and teaching children not to disturb them when they’re resting or eating can make a huge difference.”

VetPartners is urging owners to take simple, proactive steps to keep both people and pets safe:

• Learn your dog’s body language and watch for early signs of discomfort

• Give dogs space when they show signs of stress or anxiety

• Never punish warning signals such as growling

• Allow dogs to move away rather than forcing interaction

• Supervise children closely and teach them to respect a dog’s boundaries

ENDS

For further information contact Carolyn Small - VetPartners PR & Communications Manger - carolyn.small@vetpartners.co.uk

Notes to Editor:

Established in November 2015, VetPartners is made up of some of the UK’s most respected and trusted small animal, equine, mixed and farm practices and animal healthcare companies.

Led by vets, VetPartners has 11,000 employees working in more than 700 sites across the UK and Europe and from its headquarters in York. Following European expansion in 2019, the group now has practices in Italy, France, Germany, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Netherlands and Switzerland. After being established as a safe home for veterinary practices, VetPartners diversified and now includes pet cremation services, an online retailer, a small animal veterinary nursing school, an equine veterinary nursing school and laboratories.

Because no two practices are the same, VetPartners encourages its practices to embrace their independent spirit, while supporting them by investing in people, facilities, equipment and latest technology so they provide outstanding care for patients and an excellence service for clients.

VetPartners aims to be a great place to work, focusing on the development and wellbeing of its people.

In 2022, VetPartners was ranked the UK’s number one company for senior leadership by Glassdoor [https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/index.htm]. It was also awarded a 1Star accreditation from Best Companies [https://www.b.co.uk], reflecting ‘very good’ levels of workplace engagement.

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