By Denise Turner
Do social workers need more training and guidance around encountering dogs in practice?
- Yes (78%, 283 Votes)
- No (22%, 82 Votes)
Total Voters: 365
Loading ...Social workers may encounter dogs in their practice in multiple ways.
These include home visits, making court recommendations in which decisions about child placements are affected by whether a family relinquishes its dog, or assessing the suitability of dogs in the homes of foster carers.
In cases of domestic abuse, people may be reluctant to leave a dangerous situation due to their dog, or dogs may have to be re-homed anonymously in order to prevent the perpetrator from locating them.
Lack of training on safety around dogs
Whilst there has been recent professional interest in considering the strength of the human-animal bond (Stephens, 2023) and bringing animals into social work spaces (Stephens, 2024), there is an almost total absence of literature and training on how practitioners can keep themselves and others safe from harm, when that bond breaks down.
This is despite a 21% rise in recorded dog attacks from 2022-23 (Fagg et al, 2024) and recent devastating cases, such as that of a social worker who was struck off for not following up on a child who was known to social care being attacked by a dog (Bagdi, 2022) and another practitioner who was mauled by a dog on a home visit (Atik 2021).
In addition, there are the serious safety concerns that led to the recent ban on the ownership of XL bully dogs other than when the owner has been granted an exemption (Clarke, 2024).
To address this gap, academics at the University of Chichester are undertaking what they believe to be the first research study in this important area.
The impact of multiple stressors on dogs
Due to specific circumstances, for example, the consequences of austerity or abuse, many dogs in homes visited by social workers will be more likely to exhibit aggressive behaviours.
In some cases, dogs may be ‘trigger stacked’ as a result of living in stressful situations (Battersea, 2024). Trigger stacking occurs when a dog experiences multiple stressful situations, without having the time or capacity to calm themselves in between. Triggers can include fear of strangers, or dogs may also be hungry, or in undiagnosed pain.
The result of this is dogs whose stress levels may be increasing throughout the day, leading to a potential aggressive reaction.
Risks around provoking dogs
Social workers, particularly those who are ‘dog lovers’, may think they can interpret the dog behaviour and unwittingly make the situation worse.
This is particularly significant, as owners commit an aggravated offence, under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, if their dog is dangerously out of control and injures a person, including on private property.
Therefore, if a social worker unintentionally provokes a trigger stacked dog, making the situation worse, the owner could also face a substantial fine or a prison sentence, in addition to the potential injuries to the practitioner or anyone else.
About the research
Our research study has university ethical approval and, crucially, the team includes a dog behaviourist, who is a member of the Institute of Modern Dog Trainers and acts as an expert adviser.
The mixed method study involves a brief survey and participants are then asked if they are willing to undertake a follow up interview, although this is not mandatory.
Preliminary findings from the research show the crucial importance of addressing dog behaviours with social workers, with participants commenting:
‘I have been bitten twice by anxious dogs’
“I dislike dogs now due to my encounters during visits.”
“I was attacked by a dog on a home visit resulting in surgery and spending 5 days in hospital.”
“I have been bitten twice by anxious dogs during visits. I think anxious dogs are sometimes more of a threat, as they can be unpredictable. Both dogs were fine and then when I went to leave bit me.”
Those participants who had not been directly attacked by dogs also commented on being intimidated by dogs, or finding it difficult to focus on the purpose of the visit, when dogs were showing aggressive behaviours.
Equality issues
Additionally, early findings have also revealed important considerations around equality issues and anti-oppressive practice. For example, a Muslim social worker commented:
“‘The other aspect is obviously the religious aspect ‘cos for Muslims when you pray, you and your clothes have to be in a state of purity, and with dogs particularly around the nose the saliva has always been considered impure.
“And I know lots of social workers who have had to give up their daily prayers just because they couldn’t do it, they didn’t have a change of clothes, because it’s a lot of hassle having to do that and to rewash your clothes.”
The need for training and support
Despite these important health and safety – as well as cultural – considerations, none of the research participants to date have received any training to assist with dog behaviour, although all have confirmed the importance of increasing knowledge in this area:
Many early respondents to our research also advocate for this to be addressed through national policy, not just through training.
Teaching provided to social work students at the university has also endorsed the significance of this research. Comments from students include:
“To have this extra knowledge is invaluable to keep both social workers and the animals themselves safe.”
‘Being a dog owner, you assume you are knowledgeable and that you know dogs. But that session has taught me ‘never assume’, and to be cautious/respectful of dogs I don’t know, especially in their own homes.’
Take part in the research
Our existing research and early findings demonstrate a critical need for responsible research and education in this area, which is also supported and informed by a trained dog behaviourist.
Our aim is to publish findings from our research and to impact on national policy through developing guidelines and teaching that will better equip social workers to understand dog behaviour, in order to help reduce significant harm or even prosecution.
If you are interested in participating in this research, please contact principal investigator Dr Denise Turner at d.turner@chi.ac.uk, or you can participate in the survey here.
References
Atik, N (2021) Dog will be put down after mauling social worker’s face as owner walks free, The Mirror
Bagdi, A (2022) Social worker struck off after child hurt in Wolverhampton dog attack, Birmingham Live
Battersea (2024) Trigger stacking in dogs
Clarke, J (2024) What is an American XL bully and why are they being banned?, BBC News
Fagg, J, Unia, E and Hattenstone, A ( 2024) Police record 21% rise in dog attacks in England and Wales, BBC News
Stephens, R (2024) Why and how pets matter: bringing animals into our social work space
Stephens, R (2023) Why we need veterinary social workers here in the UK, Social Work News
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I have to say I am unsure what valuable knowledge or practice contribution a piece of research like this would provide. This article feels skewed towards risk and risk aversion and I worry it will stigmatise certain groups more when really we should be taking an understanding and holistic view, with the dog integrated into the environment as a whole and necessary Actions to protect the CHILD identified, as with any assessment.
Social work is not about the social worker or what is comfortable for them, and I take the view that by being social workers we choose to accept a level of risk and uncertainty when going into others homes and lives.
To complain about certain elements of a dog in the home feels really quite tone deaf, and creates a gap between us and our clients even further.
I have found that some families use their dogs are a barrier to professional curiosity, to make the environment so uncomfortable that the social worker feels unwilling to remain in the property longer than is absolutely necessary. Its difficult to conduct a visit when the dog is jumping up and scratching, and humping your leg, and the owners are saying that this is the dogs home as much as theirs, and no they won’t put it in another room.
Agreed. I once telephoned a new family to set up an initial visit to a family following a referral about child protection concerns, and the Father told me if I came around, he would ‘Set the dogs on me’. I went around, and found out the family did not even have a dog, but were using this as a ‘threat’ to keep me from going around. It did not work, I am sure senior management would not have cared if I was bitten, given the general lack of care and support in the job these days.
I agree, I have had dogs encouraged to run up to my car by a parent as i park; four dogs at the door when I arrive and the owner struggling to manage them; and also a dog jumping up behind a baby gate in an really cramped and busy house with several children – these are three separate cases. Parents definitely use dogs to intimidate us, and we currently use a dog safety plan with families ie. They are advised to put the dog outside on a visit, though of course to meet that criteria, we go in unaware initially, plus parents do not like this direction from us. I have colleagues in my team who have been injured by dogs. Its a unpredictable and additional layer to our already challenging role.
This is interesting considering the recent XL Bully Ban there has been very little communication to support social workers when visiting families and have heard some social workers took the view the child is more at risk because of the breed. There should be respect in terms of putting the dog away if distracting or not behaving.
There should be more laws that protect social workers. In what can be a highly charged environment, dogs feed off the atmosphere and behave according. Let’s face it, there are some owners who don’t care about their animals, so even if it bites a social worker. That’s no skin off their nose if the dog is put down and that social worker won’t be returning.