Any person, at any moment and for any reason, can be experience a dog attack. Domestication does not rule out the possibility of an animal attacking another animal, or, more crucially, a person.
The Attack Mindset is present in all breeds
It’s crucial to remember that all dogs have the potential to attack. Even the tiniest breeds have the potential to be deadly. It may appear to be absurd, but it is true.
In October of 2000, for example, a news item claimed that a family’s pet Pomeranian mauled their 6-week-old newborn. The baby perished as a result of this. Los Angeles Times, Monday, October 9, 2000, Home Edition, Metro Section, Page B-5, “Baby Girl Killed by Family Dog.”
So, if you assume only larger canines can cause fatal wounds, you should reconsider! While larger breeds are to blame for the majority of dog attack fatalities, smaller breeds should never be overlooked. Children and the elderly account for the vast majority of fatalities.
Between 1979 and 1996, there were an estimated 304 dog attack-related deaths in the United States, with about 30 distinct breeds of dogs involved. Unfortunately, the number of fatalities appears to be increasing.
Your spouse, children, parents, grandparents, and friends are all important to you. Life is full with surprises. It’s impossible to predict what might occur. In the blink of an eye, a dog can strike, altering your life forever.
Of course, these suggestions do not guarantee that a dog will not attack or that a dog attack would not result in a fatality. However, it is always preferable to be equipped with knowledge that can alter the eventual result.
All of the advice and suggestions shown here can be used to any current or potential dog attack. Even the ones that might happen to your own pet. The majority of dog attacks (77 percent) occur at or near the home of the dog or dogs, according to both reality and statistics.
Never Base a Dog’s Temperament on Its Outward Appearance
You should never judge a dog’s “niceness” based on its outer appearance or the breed it belongs to. Even if the dog’s tail is wagging, it doesn’t necessarily mean he wants you to approach him and pet him.
All dogs, regardless of breed, are still animals. Animals, too, have natural instincts. These instincts can influence their behaviour, but unless you’re a dog psychic, don’t assume you can tell what’s on their thoughts or what they’re doing just by looking at them.
A strange dog is similar to a strange person. Even if a strange dog appears nice, never approach it. You are a stranger to it, just as it is to you, and anything could happen in this situation.This is especially true for a family pet.
They are still animals, and while most pets can be trusted, some circumstances may cause abnormal behaviour not previously seen in the dog.So just because you’ve had Fido for years and he’s always been the nicest dog in the neighbourhood doesn’t mean he can’t have a “Jekell and Hyde” moment.
An animal could be triggered by anything. Any animal will do.
Here are two examples of how things can go badly:
Situation #1: A Potentially Catastrophic Situation
You notice a dog, or several dogs, strolling down the street, heading right for you that you’ve never seen before. So, what are your options? To avoid a possibly fatal situation with an unfamiliar dog, you must first grasp 1) What You Should Not Do and 2) What You Should Do. Learning what not to do is the best way to learn what to do!
It’s best not to look a dog in the eyes.
They frequently interpret this as a challenge or a kind of violence on your behalf. Always glance away as though your attention is dragged away from the animal, but don’t lose sight of it entirely.
With your head turned away from the dog, use the “looking out the corner of your eye” technique to keep an eye on what he’s doing and prepare for a confrontation if one develops.
Never run away from a dog that is approaching you.
The general rule is to keep your hands by your sides and to remain as still as possible. When youngsters come across stray dogs or canines they don’t know, they are often instructed to “BE LIKE A TREE.”
If you begin to back away, the dog may see this as an act of aggressiveness, similar to a “showdown.”
Don’t Flee from a dog
This is never a good idea, and it may make the attack even more fatal. Because of dogs’ predatory nature, they interpret this as an indication that you are a possible target victim. As a result, they will treat you just as they see you: as prey. Do not flee; this will just make things worse.
Do not scream at a dog
This is interpreted by the dog as evident aggression, and they will most likely attack for the simple reason that they, like you, have no idea what you will do to them, even tiny children. As a result of their panic, instinct kicks in, and they attack.
Situation #2: A possible Dangerous Scenario
It’s a beautiful day outside, so you decide to let your children play with your dog while you finish some vital tasks inside. The yard is enclosed, so neither can get away, and the dog will keep an eye out for intruders.
Furthermore, the assignment will only take you less than 10 minutes to complete. What might go wrong?
Yikes! A lot can happen in that amount of time!! It makes no difference how long you’ve had the dog, how nice he is with your kids, or how much faith you have in him. He still has the power to bite and injure your child severely.
When you consider other considerations, such as your children having friends over, or the dog being another family member’s pet and you are only “keeping an eye” on him while Aunt Sadie runs some errands, this situation becomes much more dangerous.
The dog may even escape from the yard, creating a potentially deadly situation for both your children and other children in the area.
If you or your children have visitors, keep your pet in an area where they won’t be able to bite someone.
If other unknown youngsters are coming to your house to play, it is in everyone’s best interest to put the dog up in a specific room, such as a home office or a bedroom.
Your kids may know how to behave around a dog, but that doesn’t imply other kids will. And just because your dog gets along well with your kids doesn’t imply he’ll get well with someone else’s.
Playtime with family pets and children should always be supervised.
This may seem self-evident, but some parents believe that their children are always safe with the family dog. It’s simply untrue. Anything can happen at any time. And if you’re not there to witness what happened, you’ll never know what prompted the attack, no matter how trivial the offence.
Some canines enjoy “roughhousing” and find no problem with doing so with the humans they see as brothers and sisters (part of their pack).
Similarly, youngsters can “play rough” with one another, which, depending on the circumstances, may drive the dog to bite since he believes it is his responsibility to protect another member of the pack.
Either make your kids wait until you finish the task before they go outside, or keep the dog inside with you until you finish.
Just because a new dog has arrived in the neighbourhood doesn’t mean it will be nice. It’s never a good idea to approach an unfamiliar dog and try to pet it. Even puppies have the ability to bite hard enough to open a wound that aches.
And the greater the puppy’s size, the more damage it can cause.When it comes to touching or petting another person’s dog, there are some guidelines to follow. Before approaching a strange dog of any size, you should always follow these guidelines.
Never approach an isolated dog or group of dogs by touching, calling to, or approaching them
Before touching a dog, you should always try to locate its owner. STAY AWAY FROM THE DOG IF IT IS ALONE AND NO ONE IS WITH IT! Even if it’s just a tiny puppy, strange dogs you don’t know should be regarded dangerous to you.
You don’t know a lot of information about the dog in question. Is it equipped with all of the necessary shots? Has it been subjected to child or adult abuse? Is there a breed that is more hostile towards people than others?
The list could go on and on. The point is, no matter how cute it is, if the owner isn’t around, don’t touch it without permission and supervision beforehand.
If the owner says it’s okay to pet the dog, proceed with caution
The easiest technique to introduce yourself to the dog is to stand still in a sideways position and let him to approach you first. Allow him to sniff you for a few moments. If he approaches you first, the next step in the “socialisation” process is to offer the back of your hand to the dog.
This will allow the dog to get to know you without being fearful of you hurting him. Slowly and gently stretch the back of your hand to the dogs nose in a steady, low rising motion, fingers under your palm, somewhat of like a fist, but keep your fingers relaxed.
If the dog starts to growl or snarl while you’re doing this, slowly pull your hand away. Avoid making any sudden or “jerky” movements, as this may encourage a dog to snap at you. You should also avoid wriggling your fingers while doing this. It may also encourage the dog to bite.
Keep them still and tucked into your hand.
Petting a dog’s head is not adviseable
Dogs usually dislike this and prefer it if you first give him a little scratch under his chin. This is more comfortable for the dog and less aggressive than a head pat, for example. If the chin scratching is well received, you could do some “behind the ear scratching.”
When first socialising with a new dog, use “Calming Techniques.”However, never do this with an unattended dog. It’s possible that the outcome will be dangerous. As a result, make sure the dog’s owner is present at all times. Certain “calming” tactics allow you to socialise with a dog without instilling fear or distrust in them.
Walking slowly in an arc, sitting, squating, and sniffing items close to you, such as the ground, flowers, and so on, are some basic relaxing strategies. This type of “calming” behaviour reassures the dog that you are only trying to make friends with him, just like any other canine would.
Abuse leads to further violence. No one should ever hit, kick, hurl things at, or torment a dog in any way, including with food. This type of action just serves to agitate the dog, causing it to become more hostile against individuals who are involved in the maltreatment.
Whether it’s your pet or someone else’s, you should never tease or strike an animal.
There isn’t any need to do so. Don’t hit it, even if it’s doing something that irritates you. Even if you indulge in “rough play” with your family pet, this might lead to the dog demonstrating undesirable behaviours with people or animals the dog is unfamiliar with, so try to prevent it.
Rough play includes things like tug-of-war and slapping the dog on the head or in the front of the mouth in an attempt to persuade him to “play bite.” Even if no harm is intended, actions like these should not be taken since they may result in potentially hazardous situations for others.
If you’ve tried everything above and the dog, or dogs, have still attacked you, there are still some things you can do to defend yourself and fight back.Any one of these, or a combination of them, could spare you or someone else from becoming a fatality statistic due to a dog attack.
Arms should be used to cover your head and neck
A dog will most likely attack you in these regions initially. Protecting these regions with your arms makes it more difficult for the dog to get to crucial locations like the neck and head, where significant injury can occur.
If you are knocked to the ground, stay in the foetal position
During a dog attack, being in the foetal position with your arms protecting your most important locations (head and neck) makes it more difficult for the dog to generate deadly bites in these areas.
When it comes to bears and other wild animals, if you just lie down and pretend to be dead, they will usually stop assaulting and leave you alone.But don’t move even if they stop! They may still be lurking about, and if you move, the attack will begin all over again.
If you’re being attacked by a more vicious, larger dog breed, don’t immediately drop to the ground when using this tactic. As if you were a tree, try to stand up straight with your arms protecting your head and neck.
If you are knocked down by the dogs, cover your head and neck as much as possible and get into the foetal position as soon as possible to protect your midsection.
Stay Calm and Don’t Panic Until Help Arrives!
It’s fine to be terrified. Who wouldn’t be if they weren’t? But, no matter how terrified you are, try not to panic. Simply remain in the foetal posture, head and neck covered, and do not move.
Do not pull your arms away from your head and neck to try to fight off the dog attack, no matter how intense the pain is (and I know it’s bad). This will expose vulnerable places, and the attack might quickly escalate into a lethal situation.
PLEASE DO NOT RUN!!
This provides a very strong signal to the dog that you are prey and should be pursued. You must maintain your position, but you must not “charge” the dog. There are far too many things that could go wrong. Keep going in the same direction.
Despite the fact that climbing a tree may appear to be a smart idea, some dogs can also climb or jump rather high. Dogs can also outrun you. That is a proven fact. If you can scream the word NO!! at the top of your lungs as loud as you can while the dog is still chasing you.
If the dog is terrified of you, it will most likely come to a halt or flee. However, this is not a sure thing. Although yelling the word “NO” loudly has deterred several attackers.
If you can, go for the eyes, ears, and nose. Avoiding an attack by hitting a dog in the snout or on the top of its head as hard as you can, pulling its ears, or poking it in the eye can be helpful.
Inflicting pain on the animal will usually stop an attack, at least for a short time, giving you just enough time to get to a safe location and seek assistance.
When going outside, bring animal pepper spray, a whistle, or a stun gun.
Several stores sell items that you can use to defend yourself if you are attacked by an animal, such as a dog. When confronted with aggressive or attacking dogs, items such as animal pepper spray, a whistle that does not emit high pitched sounds, or a shock gun can be extremely useful.
Always keep these on hand when you’re out and about and there’s a chance you’ll end up in a potentially dangerous situation with a dog or dogs.
To defend yourself, use anything sturdy and close to you as a weapon.
If you have enough time, take a broom, rake, shovel, baseball bat, or other sturdy object with which to protect yourself against an attacking dog. But respond immediately since the dog, or dogs, are coming towards you and you won’t have much time to react.
If you can’t think of anything else, utilise the strategy mentioned in number 2 on this list.I hope this guide has provided you with some useful knowledge that can assist you in the event that you ever find yourself in one of these circumstances, which I hope you never will.
