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Curtailing a dog�s power source Mail Tribune / Drew Fleming Trainer Deb Walker holds back "Gator" from attacking Pacific Power meter reader Don Heaney during a demonstration Wednesday at Jefferson Elementary School in Medford. Meter readers get safety tips on pooch patrol By John Darling When Pacific Power workers enter a yard, they read the dog before they read the meter. If they find a dog is wagging its tail � but not wagging its hindquarters � they know they�re eyeball-to-eyeball with a "dominant aggressive" type dog. Ditto if the dog�s mouth is closed between barks, it stares at them and its ears are forward or erect. Pacific Power meter readers know these signs from often harsh experience. About 20 of them attending "The Dangerous Dog and You" seminar Wednesday in Medford got a dramatic refresher when "Gator," a company German shepherd � all 85 eager pounds of him � put the bite on them. They got to wear a thick arm protector, but when Gator hit them at a gallop, they felt it. And they tried to follow instructions: Keep the protector between you and the dog, present a slim profile, don�t pull away from the bite, back away slowly until you�re safe. "If you fight, he�ll just bite you more," said Deb Walker, Pacific Power trainer from Portland. "If you stop pulling, he�ll let go. It�s a natural thing." When they walk in a yard, Pacific Power workers speak to the dog to get an immediate "read." They�re trained to take charge by assuming a confident posture and commanding "stay!" Workers should be able to quickly identify less-threatening dogs, called "subordinate-aggressive dogs." They offer an open-mouth threat with baring of teeth, ears back, head and tail low, lack of eye contact, keeping distance or lunging and retreating, said Walker. The more serious threat is the "dominant-aggressive" dog. He�s pushy. He monitors you. He�s rigid. His hair is up. He�s got that stiff tail wag and the closed mouth between barks. This is where you make a judgment call, said Debi Wright, Pacific Power metering manager in Medford. Maybe you smartly pull out your baton and see if he retreats. Or maybe you just leave and send the customer an estimated bill. "It�s kind of amazing, but most customers think their dogs don�t bite," said Walker. "They only see the dog being friendly with the family. "But all dogs want to protect their yard." With all their skill at reading dogs, the meter readers in class � total experience 250 years � reported 26 bites. In its four-state region, Pacific Power reported 106 bites last year. "I�ve been bit on the knee by a German shepherd who came out from under a boat," said Don Heaney of Medford, "and also by a mutt on the hand. So I�ve learned to be pretty aggressive when I come into a dog�s territory. I let them know who�s boss. I jump toward them or pick up a rock. Most aggressive dogs have had rocks thrown at them and they know what it means." Arnie Waldron, Medford, has been bit on the leg and arm in his seven years of meter reading. "You learn personalities of dogs. You know it�s a danger if the dog doesn�t react to you saying "stay" or "no." That means an unpredictable dog. But you don�t run. You move away slowly." "I�ve never been bitten," said Debbie Watkins, "but I�m very careful. I make a lot of phone calls the night before to the customers with dogs, asking them to put the dogs inside. I also use binoculars to read the meter when I can. For the most part, you can psych out dogs, but you can always have a surprise. They can be nice for 10 years, then one day you have a problem. They have good days and bad days, just like we do." Mace and pepper spray aren�t an option, said Walker, as they just make the dog angry and meaner next time and "a really aggressive dog will go right through it and get you." Batons are better because they make a nasty snap when you open them, she said, and if the dog keeps coming, you can "feed" him your baton, as you slowly leave the scene and live to read meters another day. Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA