Electricity meter reader Kane Minion was killed doing his job when he was mauled by dogs at a property south of Brisbane last weekend.
Two dogs, a bandog bull mastiff cross and a Rhodesian ridgeback cross, were impounded from the property.
Logan City Council says it had no prior indication that the dogs at the Greenbank property were a problem.
Energex advises dog owners to notify them about their animals and requests they sign up to SMS notification that sends a warning that a meter reader is about to attend their property.
However, it also instructs meter readers to stay out of properties if they can’t clearly see dogs are restrained.
The dogs had been registered with Energex as a warning to meter readers.
Here’s what the experts can tell us about dog behaviour.
Are some dog breeds more likely to attack people?
Canberra behavioural veterinarian Isabelle Resch says no.
“I don’t think you can specify that a breed will actually predict how aggressive a dog is — I think the size of a dog gives you a better idea of how damaging an attack can be,” Dr Resch said.
“I don’t think breed is a great predictor of behaviour of a dog.”
Logan-based dog trainer Craig Murray, who works with councils and corporations on reading dog behaviour, said he treats all dogs as individuals.
“I wouldn’t say a particular breed is more dangerous,” Mr Murray said.
Why do dogs attack?
Mr Murray said there are many reasons for this.
“They have natural drives and instincts and some of these natural drives and instincts are inherited from wild dogs,” he said.
“So the drives that I’m talking about [are] the prey drive, the desire to chase, then we have predatory instinct, which is in the wild, or … when they grab hold of something, shake it and pretend that they’re killing it in the wild: it is bite, fight, shake and kill.
“Then we have what we call defence drive where they’ll … kill or defend their food or their territory.”
Dr Resch said attacks or aggressive responses were a way for dogs to say “back off”.
“They’re often attacking if something’s frightening them, and they’re really trying to say ‘back off, get out of my space, go away’.”
What’s the safest approach for entering a space with dogs?
Dr Resch said she doesn’t think there is a safe way to do this.
“And the larger the dog, certainly, the greater the danger,” she said.
Mr Murray said it’s important to remember dogs are territorial.
“We’ve been teaching people for years who have to enter properties … whether they’re meter readers, or whether they’re plumbing inspectors or pool inspectors, or any other building inspectors, is to actually understand dog behaviour,” he said.
“All dogs are different. Each individual situation will need different things.
“But the overall best thing is to recognise what you’re dealing with, to know how the fences and gates work, to announce yourself before you get there, or at the gate, so that somebody comes and helps you [and], if there’s no-one home, then to assess the risk, whether it’s worthwhile going in or not.”
Are there warning signs before a dog attacks?
“You’ll start to see the dog’s behaviour change,” Mr Murray said.
“Start to look at the dog and [if] you’re moving towards the dog and it changes its behaviour.
“We say there’s ‘sender-receiver’ — the dog [is] sending you a message that you know it doesn’t feel comfortable you’re coming any further. If you come any further, it may be sending you a message that it’s willing to fight you.”
What can you do if a dog does attack?
Dr Resch said this is a difficult question to answer and there is no “one-size-fits-all” response.
She said it depends on how they’re attacking and whether there is a way to get out of the situation without being cornered.
“It’s not great to run. However, if you can run and get on the other side of a gate, it’s better than being cornered.”
Mr Murray said the best thing to do if a dog attacks is to “stay calm”.
“Don’t run, scream or panic or go to the ground. And cover your femoral [leg] arteries.
“Stand your ground and hope that being non-confrontational will get you out of it.
“Don’t stare at the dog because eyeballing a dog is like eyeballing Mike Tyson to some dogs.”
How are meter readers expected to deal with dogs?
The Energex website advises dog owners to make it clear their dogs are visibly restrained.
“It’s not adequate to offer to hold a dog by hand … holding part of the dog’s body, or having the dog in your arms.
“We’ll consider the premises unsafe to enter if you offer to do this. For safety reasons, our field staff are NOT permitted to enter unless the dog is securely isolated.”
Energex also asks dog owners to register their animals with them and offers SMS messages that advise when a meter reader is about to attend.
Can meters be read remotely?
Energex spokesperson Danny Donald said currently 30 per cent of Queensland properties — about 690,000 homes and businesses — have smart meters capable of being read remotely.
