Dog attacks can be terrifying; fortunately they’re also relatively rare. By understanding your dog’s behavior and recognizing aggressive triggers, you can protect yourself from serious injury.
When approaching an aggressive dog, try distracting it with something on your body (such as a stick, notebook or sleeve). This should give you enough time to back away safely.
Avoid eye contact.
Dog bites can lead to serious injury and infection, tearing flesh from bones, inflicting head trauma, and leaving deep scars behind. Even domesticated pets that appear friendly could suddenly turn vicious and attack.
Most animal attacks begin with an animal startling or startling you, then escalate into aggression or biting. There are ways you can defuse the situation and reduce injury to both yourself and the animal.
Avoid eye contact as dogs find eye contact to be intimidating and will interpret it as an act of aggression or challenge to their territory. Furthermore, do not smile or laugh as the animal may interpret that as baring its teeth. Instead, stand sideways towards it before slowly backing away until out of sight.
If you can’t flee, try placing something between you and the dog such as an umbrella, car, garbage pail, jacket or stick. Or curl into a protective position – protecting your neck, face and groin area in this manner.
Stay calm.
Dog bites can be extremely dangerous and could result in broken bones, punctured organs and bacteria being passed onto you from an aggressive dog. Therefore it’s critical that we remain calm around an aggressive pup as fear will only increase his or her aggressive tendencies further.
Citronella spray and stun guns can help deter an attack, but understanding your dog’s behavior and aggression triggers is also key in order to gain the confidence needed if ever faced with potentially hazardous circumstances.
Whenever faced with an attack from a dog, it’s best to remain as calm and avoid eye contact as much as possible. If possible, put something between you and the animal (an umbrella, cart, garbage pail) or lie in fetal position on the ground to reduce movements; eventually they’ll tire of watching for you altogether and become disinterested in attacking.
Don’t run.
No matter their running terrain – be it trail running or street jogging – runners may unexpectedly come upon an unfamiliar dog that bites them unexpectedly. Dog bites are serious injuries requiring medical treatment and must always be avoided at all costs.
Running away can only aggravate an aggressive dog’s prey drive and escalate into an attack, so to reduce this risk it is better to create a physical barrier between you and the pup.
Use anything available as a shield; such as trees, fences, benches or any other objects which can serve as barriers between yourself and the dog, providing them with something else to focus on besides you and keeping yourself safe. In addition, carrying pepper spray is also recommended as an improvised defense measure; quickly scaring away an attack will provide enough time for escape. In case of injury to you or someone else from an aggressive animal such as a dog a victim defense lawyer may help secure medical treatment and compensation from those responsible.
Get away.
If a dog approaches or chases you, it is crucial that you move quickly away from that area. If possible, create a physical barrier between yourself and the animal by leaning against a fence or tossing something such as a sweatshirt in front of its face to temporarily limit its sight.
Assist the dog in distancing itself from you by providing it with something else it can chew or bite on, such as umbrellas, bags, or pepper spray. This should provide enough of a diversion from attacking to allow you to escape safely from this situation.
While dogs may bite you, more commonly they will act aggressively as a warning for you to get away. Most attacks never escalate into full-on assault; however if attacked by one it is crucial that you contact both a physician and firm that specializes in dog victim defense as soon as possible.