Few things are scarier than your dog seemingly turning against you to attack you.
With a 21% increase in dog attacks recorded by the police in England and Wales from 2022 to 2023, according to Statista, these incidents warrant close attention. While many believe a dog’s aggression toward humans happens unpredictably, there are actually several warning signs that could help prevent such attacks.
According to Lorraine Smith from the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT UK), “different dogs will have different signs according to whether their signs were listened to previously”. Nevertheless, there are a few common signals that dog owners should know means their furry friend has had enough.
“If they find that their low level signs were not listened to, they might then escalate next to the next level, and if those aren’t listened to, they might [snap], Lorraine explains as she stands at her APDT UK booth at the 2025 Crufts. The dog educator noted that your pooch might climb the ‘ladder of aggression’ if they feel like their boundaries have been breached for too long.
Here are low-level signs, according to Lorraine, that indicate your dog is trying to communicate warnings to you:
Out of context, these little signs, especially added up, might indicate that your dog is warning you to perhaps stop a certain behaviour or action, Lorraine says. She adds: “What you might find is that those low-level signs have always been there, it’s just that you haven’t noticed.”
As a result, a dog most likely actively tries to communicate with their owner or a person in general, before they decide that ‘it’s the last straw’. Lorraine concludes: “Dogs put up with so much with humans you wouldn’t believe,’ as she refers to the overstimulating environment of the Crufts.
