‘We’re not professionals when it comes to dogs:’: Social work encounters with dogs and their implications for education and practice

In the past few years, there has been a rise in UK dog attacks, including fatal harm to children and detriment to social workers who were not able to adequately assess risks or were the subjects of direct dog attacks. This rise in attacks is accompanied by a growth in UK dog ownership, partly as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, making it increasingly likely that social workers will encounter dogs through their routine work. However, despite this, a literature search returned no results for specific social work research in this area, which appears to be neglected as a topic, within both academic study and social work education. This article addresses the gap by reporting the findings of a mixed-methods research study involving forty-three social workers. Five themes, drawn from the data, highlight concerns around direct dog aggression, but also around religious and health considerations, together with a lack of education and training in this area. Respondents agreed that further support and training were vital to support encounters with dogs, alongside opportunities to share narratives in this previously under researched area.