2. Dog Bite Prevention Speaker: Gator The English Bulldog Teacher: Joe Penney Hello, My name is Gator and I want to tell all of you about being safe around dogs.

3. Dogs are loveable animals and enjoy all the attention that human’s give us.

4. Sometimes though, we are afraid or just want to be left alone. This can cause us to bite people.

5. Other times we just get so excited because you are playing with us that we get carried away and play to ruff. I mean rough. If you come up to a dog that you don’t know, please do not touch it. We don’t usually like being touched by strangers.

6. We are really protective of our toys and food, so do not take our toys or disrupt us when we are eating.

7. Dogs bark to talk to people. We “speak” for food. We warn you by barking if someone comes to the door. We cry if we are hurt. We howl if we are lonely. Watch our tail movements to check how we are feeling before you approach us. A wagging tail means we are excited. A tail between our legs means we are scared. If we are scared, there is a good chance we will bite.

8. If our ears are at attention or our teeth are showing it means we are getting ready to pounce or are showing aggression. Please stay away from us when this happens. We might be having a bad day.

9. Now that you know what to look for, let me tell you what to do if you approach a dog. Always approach us with your palms up. Move slowly not to frighten us. Remember, only do this with dogs you know. If you are being chased by a dog, stop running and put your hands down to your side. This will make us think you are a tree or non-threatening figure.

10. Here is a video I found while I was in my cage and my owner was at school. It really helped me understand why dogs sometimes do what we do.

11. Now that you know how to stay safe around dogs, I would love to come in one day and introduce myself. Once we get to know each other I would love for you to rub my stomach and scratch behind my ears.

12. The End