The parents agree to shut the dog in ­another room, but it starts barking and the noise upsets the children.

Expert Advice (by Jan Fennell)
“They won’t be able to stop the dog from barking, because the dog believes it is responsible for the family and perceives you as a danger. The dog wants to be with its pack, so for the parents to shut it out on its own is the ultimate punishment. Tell them you don’t want the dog to feel worried, so they know you respect the fact they love the dog, and suggest they bring it in on a lead. But they should only do that when the dog stops barking; that way it will learn the consequences of its actions.”

Carespace comment
dogsbestfriend on CareSpace: “I always tell the family I’m a dog person too, and ask them to bring the dog into the room. Making a fuss of the dog helps establish a working relationship with the family.”

Two dogs are visible through the window pane of the front door, running up and down the corridor. They bark when the social worker rings the doorbell.

Expert Advice
“People usually know you are coming, so step back from the door and phone from outside. Say the dogs are distressed and ask them to pop them in another room before opening the front door. If you criticise the dogs, you start off on the wrong foot with the owners, so tell them the last thing you want to do is cause the dogs any further stress.”

Carespace comment
f1oss1e on CareSpace: “Dogs barking at the doorbell are not necessarily aggressive; they’re doing their job by letting the owners know someone is at the door.”

An older man has an old English sheepdog. It is his best friend, but it is fiercely loyal and bares its teeth whenever the social worker goes near him.
 

Expert Advice
“Ask the man or his carer to put the dog into another room before you arrive. The dog is like a parent protecting a child; it sees itself as being responsible for the man and his safety. Again, the dog could be brought in on a lead once you are there.”

Carespace comment
Bindirott on CareSpace: “Don’t get between the dog and its owner because the dog may perceive this as a threat. If a dog approaches you in a boisterous manner, turn your side to it and ignore it; the dog will lose interest if you don’t interact with it.”

A family deliberately sets their two angry Dobermans on the social worker and she is forced to run out of the back door, where she is trapped in the garden.

 

Expert Advice
“Never look into the dog’s eyes but watch it with your peripheral vision. Carry something like a sturdy clipboard. A dog will rarely attack unless provoked but, if it does, aim the clipboard straight into its mouth.
Or you could carry a squeezy bottle containing a mixture of lemon and water.
Have it in your hand and if the dog comes at you, squirt it in the eyes.
Avoid eye contact and ask the owner to control it. Never turn your back.”

The social worker cannot find one of the children they are there to visit. They try to go upstairs to look for her, but a dog appears on the landing. It is small but definitely not friendly.
 

Expert Advice
“Avoid confrontation with the dog at all costs; it’s like someone standing at the top of the stairs with a loaded shotgun. Tell the owner that you will have to call the police if you can’t get past the dog. Try to talk them round by explaining the last thing you want to happen is that the dog bites you, because the law says it would have to be destroyed. Shift the guilt on to the owners.”

Carespace comment
tricky on CareSpace: “I always ask for the animal to be removed from my workplace, which, in the case of home visits, is the vicinity of the room.
If it is an emergency, I call the police for support.”

The family has a lhasa apso; it seems reasonably friendly, but the social worker knows this breed has a reputation for snapping at children.
 

Expert Advice
“A dog is a dog ­ breed is totally irrelevant. The most dangerous dog I ever encountered was a three-year-old Labrador. People buy certain dogs because they think they will intimidate people, but try to avoid visiting someone’s home with a pre-conceived idea. You have nothing to fear from a nice lhasa apso. Show interest in the dog by asking the owners how long they have had it.”

A friendly-looking dog rolls over on to its back, so the social worker reaches down to stroke its belly. But it turns and snaps at her hand.
 

Expert Advice
“Are you going to the house to play with the dog? No. So ignore it and don’t make eye contact; it will leave you alone and go and lie down. If it rushes up and jumps all over you, just keep blocking and ignoring it until it gets bored.”

Carespace comment
Bindirott on CareSpace: “Avoid eye contact because the dog finds this threatening. Never bend your body over the dog; many dogs find this uncomfortable and threatening. Don’t touch the dog but allow it to sniff the back of your hand.”