South Yorkshire dog trainer warns looking for 'likes' can end in 'bites'
Kirsty Chamberlain - from Brilliant Barkers in Dinnington - is concerned by some of the recent social media trends involving dogs
A dog trainer in South Yorkshire's warning 'likes' can result in 'bites' - saying social media's a big factor in the rise in dog attacks.
We've been speaking to Kirsty Chamberlain after our investigation found there's been a 71% increase in dog attacks reported to South Yorkshire police in the last five years.
She tells us a recent social media trend of 'kiss your dog on the lips' is a prime example of an accident waiting to happen:
"I don't think televising some of the really awful things that people do with their dogs and then spreading it around and getting 'likes' on social media is a particularly good thing.
"People have posted online to try and be funny, which carries on the trend.
"Some of these dogs have got a massive bite and can cause some real damage.
"For example, there was a challenge where people were kissing their dogs on the lips to see how they'd react.
"If that isn't tantamount to disaster, then I don't know what is.
"Some dogs, if they're in pain or frustrated might end up attacking - and getting them to do social media challenges can lead to that kind of thing."
The statistics from South Yorkshire Police showed there had been a 71% increase in dog bites on humans from 2021-2025.