DENVER - Max the dog will be going home on Saturday when he finishes his 10-day quarantine after biting 9NEWS Anchor Kyle Dyer last week.
Kyle was interviewing Max, an 85-pound Argentine Mastiff, his owner, and a firefighter, who rescued Max from an icy pond, when she was bitten in the face on Feb. 8.
Max is being held on 10-day quarantine at the Denver Animal Shelter, which is standard procedure when an animal bites someone to ensure the animal doesn't have rabies or a history of biting.
Doug Kelley, the director of the Denver Animal Shelter, told 9NEWS on Wednesday that Max will go home with his owner on Saturday.
After undergoing extensive medical treatment, Kyle was released from Denver Health Medical Center Thursday afternoon. She is resting at home with her family and will return to 9NEWS once she has recovered.
To further educate 9NEWS employees on the safest way to interact with dogs and other animals that come into the station for events like Petline9, certified applied animal behaviorist Suzanne Hetts, Ph.D. came to the station on Wednesday.
Hetts says there 10 tips that everyone should remember when meeting a strange dog:
1. Let the dog come to you - don't reach for the dog
2. Keep your hands near your side
3. Avoid eye contact
4. Avoid facing the dog - turn the side of your body to the dog
5. Stand up straight or sit on the floor - don't lean over the dog
6. Keep your face away from the dog's face
7. No hugging or kissing unless you know the dog very well
8. Pet the dog under the chin
9. Limit speaking to the dog
10. Always watch the dog's body language
Hetts says dogs that feel threatened will show many signs through their body language including baring their teeth and growling, avoiding eye contact or staring someone down, flattening their ears against their head, wagging their tail slowly or leaning more on their front legs. She says rapid changes in body language indicate that the animal is more uncertain and therefore can be more unpredictable.
For more resources on animal behavior, visit: http://www.animalbehaviorassociates.com/rmn_articles.htm#dpagress
9NEWS will continue to help animals from across Colorado find loving homes through our Petline9 program.
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