What to do if you're attacked by a dog

[TrishB]

Rottsville posted an interesting question in another thread:

Originally posted by ROTTSVILLE
But i'd be interested to hear how people would handle this situation if there was no bone or assistance.
What steps/action would an experienced dog person take, to deal with this immediate threat. A rott hanging onto your arm, presumably oblivious to any commands ?????

I'd like to expand it a bit....

What would you do if you were attacked by a dog?

My understanding was that the best thing to do is to lay down and curl up in the fetal position. This will protect your throat, chest and stomach (vital organs). In this position, the dog *should* get bored / realise you're not a threat and move away from you.

We've been told of what to do in other threads if your dog is attacked (grab the offending dog's hind legs and pull backwards, in a circle). But what would you do if YOU were attacked?

I found this article (can't post the link, it's a breeder site) that has some good points:

Preventing Dog Attacks
Never go near a strange dog, no matter what the conditions. And most especially avoid dogs that are tied up to leashes or confined behind a fence or in a car. Don't ever attempt pet a dog (even if it is your own) without first letting them see you and sniff you. You should never turn your back to a dog and run away. Dogs naturally try to chase and catch their "prey". Do not disturb a dog while they're sleeping, eating, chewing on a toy, or caring for their young.

Be extremely cautious around strange dogs. You must always assume that a dog who doesn't know you may see you as an intruder or as a threat.

If you are approached by a dog who may attack you, follow these steps:
- Never scream and run.
- Remain completely motionless and keep your hands at your sides.
- Avoid any eye contact with the dog. Once the dog loses interest in you, slowly back away until they are out of sight.
- If a dog does attack you, you must try to "feed" the dog by getting anything that you can between you and the dog. Use a jacket, purse, briefcase or anything that you can put between yourself and the dog.
- If you fall or are knocked to the ground, curl into a ball with your hands over your ears and remain motionless. Try not to scream or roll around.

If you are bitten or attacked by a dog, try not to panic
- Immediately wash the wound thoroughly with soap and warm water.
- Contact your physician for additional care and advice.
- Immediately report the bite to your local animal care and control agency.

Tell them everything you can about the dog. If you know the owner, give them their name and address. If the dog is a stray, tell the animal control official what the dog looks like, where you saw it, whether you've seen it before, and in which direction it went.

Teaching children to be safe around dogs
Children should be taught never to chase or tease dogs they know and to avoid dogs they don't know.

In addition, children should know:
- Remain calm and motionless when approached by an unfamiliar dog (e.g., "be still like a tree").
- Always protect your face, neck and arms.
- If knocked over by a dog, roll into a ball and lie still (e.g., "be still like a log").
- If you're attacked, give the dog a book or backpack to chew on. -- Cover your head and neck, and protect your face.
- Never play with a dog unless supervised by an adult.
- Immediately report stray dogs or dogs displaying unusual behavior to an adult.
- Avoid direct eye contact with a dog.
- Never approach an unfamiliar dog.
- Remember that not every dog that wags its tail is friendly.
- Always ask the owner's permission before petting a dog.
- Always approach dogs slowly and carefully.
- When meeting a new dog, let it come to you and smell you first.
- Know where the dogs in your neighborhood live.
- Keep away from stray dogs.
- Never run from a dog and scream.
- Do not disturb a dog who is sleeping, eating, or caring for puppies.
- Do not pet a dog without allowing it to see and sniff you first.
- Do not make loud noises around dogs.
- Do not ever tease a dog.
- Never reach through a fence to pet a dog.
- Never put your hand between two dogs.
- Never put your face close to a dog.
- Never try to help a hurt dog; get an adult to help.
- Never enter a yard with a dog in it unless the owner is ther with you.
- Never leave newborn babies alone with a dog.
- If bitten, tell the first adult you can find.

[delila]

Great topic. I work for the animal shelter, and have contact with dogs that I have little or no known history of.

Just two weeks ago, we had a volunteer attacked by a dog. She was a dog walker.

No one witnessed it, but here is what she told us:

The dog was on the lead, and she was walking him back into the kennel. He jumped at her and put his paws on her shoulders. She pushed him back, he jumps at her again. This time she throws treats on the ground for him, and then tugs the lead to get him inside. He jumps and bites her three times, she said she screamed the entire time. He bit her left forarm, chest, and hand. She was in bad shape and rushed to the hospital.

What would I have done in this situation.
#1 - Keep walking the dog, I would not have stopped long enough to be jumped on.
#2 - Talk in a no-fear voice
#3 - DO NOT SCREAM!!!!!
#4 - NEVER throw treats or any other high value item to the dog.
#5 - Worse comes to worst, let the dog go, curl up fetal.
#6 - At the first sign of danger, I would have walked him calmly to the building and call for backup.

This dog had a history of not wanting to return to the kennel.

[Vicki]

Do not drop to the ground, USE your superior height. People should be cautious around unknown dogs, and watch for body language that signals aggression, but if worst comes to worse tell the dog "NO". If the dog seems oblivious try "SIT". Running and screaming will provoke an attack, try not to encourage the dog to see you as prey.

[ROTTSVILLE]

Well i am only speaking from personal opinion, but i dont think i would lie down on the ground in the fetal position.
There must be a more effective technique.
I understand that maybe being submissive(fetal position) may passify the dog but if this dog is acting so unreasonable then maybe it wont, ...would you take that chance, i'm not sure i would.!
i agree with the forming of a barrier, with a briefcase etc but failing that humans have many weapons at there disposal in an emergency, belt, dog chain, chair etc. This could be a matter of life and death, you just dont know.
Quite a few years ago i remember an aquaintence of mine,had a gsd and i was in his garden with it while he went inside the house, all of a sudden the dog jumped up a put his teeth on my arm, didnt apply much pressure, but wouldnt let go,i began to tell the dog to stop it but he just stared at me, he wasnt in a listening mood, so i managed to pulled my arm away but it still had hold of my jumper and was pulling it quite hard,so i pushed it off, only for it to start round 2, only harder so i did the same, now it tries round 3 so i thought(god wheres my mate gone,so i call out but he's also in a non listening mood) and i then thought to myself "i've had enough of this" so i slapped it across the face, what does it do, tries for round 4,so i whacked it harder, result...no effect so i thought that i have to try something different so for some reason i grabbed to dog by the neck and threw it to the ground, pinned it there and had it in a strangle-hold(well it was me or him)......and guess what................ after a big struggle....the dog literally submitted. It just gave in, (thank god as i dont know how much longer i could have held it )and i let go and shouted at it to lay down and it did it.Then i shouted stay down and it did, then my friend returned and the dog was still down by my side and he must have thought "oh they are getting on well" !!!!!
Now i'm not suggesting this is the way to do things but it was the only thing i could do, and i am not saying that this will work but it did in this case, thank god, because i was getting more and more afraid and exausted.!!!!
but some dogs are just like humans if you back down they see it as weakness and that can encourage their aggression or attack if they are not attacking for dominance.
Someone out there must have had similar situations and must have handled it much better and generally have far better solutions. It will be interested to hear.

[TrishB]

Originally posted by Vicki
Do not drop to the ground, USE your superior height. People should be cautious around unknown dogs, and watch for body language that signals aggression, but if worst comes to worse tell the dog "NO". If the dog seems oblivious try "SIT". Running and screaming will provoke an attack, try not to encourage the dog to see you as prey.

Please know that I didn't mean that if a dog snaps at you, you should 'drop to the ground'. It was more to say that if you get knocked down, curl up into the fetal position to protect yourself. I don't think that was what you meant either, but I wanted to be sure. ;)

[ROTTSVILLE]

>>>>>>>>Thanks barbara, for th P.M. i must admit i was pretty petrified, because although i seem to have "won the battle", it left me so exausted, that i thought, "if he tries for round 5", then i may have won the battle but he would probably win the war, because i was spent.
And the funny thing was i said to my friend what had happened and he said "yeah, he's bloody done that to me before"!!!!!
I remember thinking " and you choose now, to tell me "!!!

[Vivianne]

I unfortunately killed a doberman with my fist when I was 13. I was walking my own doberman puppy at the time, on a leash, 5 steps from my front walk when I saw it running at full gallop towards me and my dog.
When it was 15 feet or so away from us he leaped in the air for me, baring his teeth and its mouth wide open.
Luckily from the position I was standing in, I'm a lefty, I swung my arm up, my hand balled into a fist. As hard as I could I hit the animal broad side in the head. It landed on the street dead.
I didn't wait for the dog to get up. I scopped up my pup, ran back to the house jumped over the fence and ran in the house.
I can only attribute it to raging hormones (you know 13 years old) and enough adrenalin to put down a moose.

I don't recommend my technique at all. I'm just glad I'm alive to talk about it and it never put me off from ever owning a dog as an adult.

[ROTTSVILLE]

VIVIANNE, or should i say MRS TYSON, Or The south paw sledge-hammer !
As the saying goes, YOU HIT THAT DOBEY SO HARD, THAT HIS ANCESTORS IN GERMANY FELT IT, INFACT IT PROBABLY SHOOK MR DOBERMANNS RELATIVES AS WELL !!!!
I wouldnt like to get on the wrong side of you!,
I think i'd rather fight a RABID ROTTY !
Thank god, my wife doesnt pack a punch like that !
I'd never refuse to do the washing up again!,
I d be constantly wandering around , nervously mumbling "nothing is too much for you dear, whats my next house hold chore you want me to do, darling? "

[Vivianne]

ROTTSVILLE

I'm really not proud of that moment in my life.
I also think I was lucky that he hit the asphalt and probably his head at the same time. I just got him off balance.
And by the way, I'm harmless;)

[ROTTSVILLE]

;) ;) ;)

[Orville Story]

This will depend on the circumstance as to what the correct response would be. If you are strong enough to get to higher ground, do it. If you are being attacked by one dog, and you can't manuever with the dog gripping you then balling up will protect your vital areas. If you are being attacked by two dogs or more, you must make every effort to get to help or safety.