Here's the whisper on dogs

The more you know, the less the chance of being bitten, says Australian dog expert John Richardson.

Mr Richardson - the Dog Whisperer to his friends - is visiting this weekend's Pet Expo in Auckland to deliver talks about the "do's and don'ts" for keeping children safe around dogs.

It might be considered good common sense to look a fellow human in the eye - but do it to a dog and there's a good chance you'll have a nasty encounter with the creature's sharp end, says Mr Richardson.

"If you have a dominant dog, there's a big chance that it will be aggressive."

Don't pat a strange dog on the head, either. It may think you are trying to dominate and "will probably try to bite".

Don't approach a dog too quickly. Mr Richardson says this can trigger the animal's "chase or prey" instinct. In other words, it might think you are a potential meal, or that it is under attack.

Mr Richardson, who runs the multinational dog obedience school DogTech, has been honing his skills since his youth, when he bought a german shepherd.

The disobedient brute "wrecked" Mr Richardson's family home, and destroyed his good shoes.

Eventually his mother gave him an ultimatum: "Get the dog to obedience school or you are both out of here".

That visit sparked an interest that has lasted a lifetime.

Mr Richardson has written two doggie bestsellers: The Dog Whisperer, and Whispers of Wisdom.

He showed off his skills to the Herald at the SPCA shelter at Mangere this week.

Introduced to two-year-old bull-mastiff Hooch, Mr Richardson - armed only with some doggie treats and a commanding presence - had within minutes diagnosed anxiety (Hooch's brow was furrowed), apprehension (her tail was down) and stress (she was panting heavily).

"Dogs talk with their body, they talk with their demeanour," he explained.

Mr Richardson has helped cure behavioural glitches in troubled canines.

He helped one dog that was grossly overweight because its owner allowed it to drag her to the food cupboard.

One great dane had to be cured of an overwhelming possessiveness.

The dane shared a bed with a married couple. One night the husband got out of bed, and the dog would not let him back in.

Mr Richardson claims he can cure most problems in as little as two visits to the home, and has helped several high-profile clients, including "a Spanish ambassador" and media mogul Kerry Packer.

"You get blase after a while, there's just so many."

Mr Richardson will be giving his talks at the Pet Expo twice daily today and Sunday.

Do's And Don'ts

* Do not look a dog in the eye. It is considered threatening.
* Be careful when approaching a dog that is tied up. You may trigger its "flight or fight" instinct.
* Do not pat a dog on the head, it might think it is being dominated. Instead, pat it around the neck area.
* Do not wear a hat, or carry strange objects when approaching a dog. They distort the human shape and can confuse the animal.
* Dogs do not like loud noise, and may consider noisy children a threat.
* Always ask the owner for permission before patting a strange dog.