Barney Bites Man: White House dog gone wild

Maybe the First Dog is reluctant to leave the White House.

Barney, President Bush's black Scottish Terrier, was in an uncharacteristically foul mood this week, biting a reporter who reached down to pet him. The scene was captured on video and has been a big hit on You Tube.

The reporter, Jon Decker of Reuters, sustained a small bite on his right index finger and was treated by a White House doctor.  Decker is being treated with antibiotics but is otherwise fine.

"I think it was his way of saying he's done with the paparazzi," a spokeswoman for First Lady Laura Bush said.

Although Barney is reportedly a docile dog, the incident brings up a good point. I own a rescue Dachshund, Oscar, who was probably abused by his previous owner. He feels threatened when strangers approach him and attempt to pat his head. His typical reaction is to flinch and, on occasion, bare his teeth.

I always ask people to allow Oscar to smell their hand, then stroke him gently under the chin.  As long as he can see their hand in front of him, he's fine. Sometimes, he even licks as a way of saying hello.

The reporter couldn't have known that Barney would react so violently, but it's a good lesson  to the rest of us. If you don't know the dog, approach with caution.