A quick question – which breed of dog is the most dangerous? And if you want to avoid a dog bite, which ones should you steer clear of?

No doubt a list of the usual suspects appears in your mind right away, but I wonder if amongst the line-up you have put the Black Labrador? Well, if you are an electricity meter reader in New Zealand, the answer is a definite yes.

Power board readers – as they are known over there – have a list of “dangerous dogs” and the winner by a nose (well a mouth really) is the Black Lab, their version of Kaiser Soze.

But surely, I hear you cry, the Labrador is one of the most loveable, cuddly dogs around.

As one TV vet in Australia said, “There are two things you need to know about Labs. One – they eat. Two – they love children”. He did not specify whether he meant that they love children as a snack…

The reason for virtually every dog bite that happens (minus accidents, dogs defending or reprimanding their pack members or naughty people thinking they can outrun a police dog) is simply down to people not understanding one rule a dog lives by, even though (and this is the ironic part so get ready) WE ALREADY KNOW THE RULE AND LIVE BY IT OURSELVES!!

If someone you did not know suddenly looked you in the eye, approached you and started to touch you, how would you feel? Unless you are Russell Brand, maybe not that well I imagine.

Personal space needs to be respected, and although we know about this instinct for people, it seems we expect dogs to accept it. Not every dog will tell someone to get lost, but those that do are responsible for 97% of dog bites. Most of the time the dog responsible is of a breed we deem to be “cute”.

So my gift to you today is the Dog Listener fool-proof way to avoid 97% of dog bites.

Check out the quick clip below, then enjoy the comic master Peter Sellers as he shows how not to do it.  Cheers, Tony