ARIES83
Posts: 3648
Status: offline
|
I do a lot of dog walking and over the years I have had to fight off the occasional dog attack, I don’t remember the exact number but I can tell you it's happened a fair few times, and I have found that there are some general do's and don'ts.
So i'll thought i'd share for those that may be interested.
I've never come across a dog attack as a result of a stray dog yet, so far every time it's been caused by a negligent owner not having full control over their dog, and I have a dominant male dog which I think may be a factor as well, my general advice is:
Avoid getting into the situation first, A indication that a dog approaching you may be up to no good is, the tail and the hair on it’s back (if it has long hair), a waggly tail means he’s coming up to you happily, A stiff tail means he at the very least cautious, the hair on the back will stand up a lot of times if the dog is in attack mode also. The ears aren’t always a good indication, even though a attacking dog will usually flatten them back, this can sometimes not happen until it’s just about to strike.
When you spend a bit of time around dogs you may pick up on other body language signs as well. If you can see a way of avoiding having the unfamiliar dog approaching to close, then do it.
Obviously most dogs will just want to say hello to your dog, so if you don’t want to avoid it or aren’t sure then there are a few pointers to be in a position where you are ready and in control should ‘saying hello” turn into a fight.
One way is to take hold of your dogs collar or hold the lead down close to it so you can control where your dog is. Just stand next to him like that while they say hello and see if they get along, If they do get into a fight, DON’T pull your dog up so he’s feet are off the ground or expose his underside. The objective is to maintain close control while holding it back and at your side, letting your dog face off against the other dog, otherwise you are just offering up your dogs vulnerable spots to attack. If you don’t have this close control over your dogs position you will have two dogs running around you and be in a very awkward position to take any real action, you might even kick your own dog accidentally.
Some dogs will just charge in like a cannon ball, it’s usually easy to tell if they are running up to attack so if this happens, take the above posture before it arrives. Shouting at it hardly ever has much effect on an attacking dog as most don’t factor the human into the equation. You simply aren’t an issue to them unless they have reason to fear you, but I still try to shout it away at first, can’t hurt, and if the owner is around it will alert him at least to what’s about to happen, and if he is the least bit competent he will try and call it back or come quickly to control his, then you can both hold your dogs and see if they can get use to each other.
Even if the owner is close by, unless he has direct control of his dog you can’t rely oh him for help, at least for the initial instant so be prepared to deal with the situation yourself. You should make yourself known to the other owner and don’t be shy, if the dog is attacking I believe GET YOUR FUCKING DOG ON THE LEAD is appropriate language.
So say a dog has come up and things have turned nasty, a lot of snarling, biting ect… DON’T attempt to pull apart two dogs locked together in a fight. STAY ON YOUR FEET and while you have control of your dogs position (while letting him face the other dog) pull him back and deliver a hard kick to the side of the attacking dogs head.
This will shock a lot of people, the fact I am advising kicking a dog in the head, but let me assure you I am a dog lover and I HATE ANIMAL CRULTY, it’s the safety of yourself and your dog that is at stake now and if you have already done what you can to avoid the situation, it’s now time to put your sensibilities aside and protect your wellbeing. DON’T try and grab the other dog!
Most dogs will not attack you when your dog is their focus, If you continue to kick and yell hard enough (in most cases) they will back up out of your range while still being focused on your dog, your kicks are a deterrent for them to approach within your striking range which your dog is within, under your control. DON’T crouch down or kneel, you will become a target.
Continue to pull back your dog while both facing the attacking dog, if he ventures in again repeat the above, DON’T KICK LIKE A GIRL the only way the dog is going to be deterred by your presence is to give him a really solid kick, don’t hold back and one or two should be enough.
With the controlling posture you adopt, the attacking dog should be directly in front and facing you both, you must kick the head, your goal is to drive the attacking dog back. A head blow will make it want to back off especially when it can see the foot coming in. kicking it in the side or ribs isn’t an effective deterrent. And you have the added chance of breaking a rib.
While kicking a dog in the head may seem cruel, it is the most humane choice and the only really effective one.
Remember Hold back, Kick, Pull back. Hold back, Kick, Pull back.
Remember Kick like you mean it, Hard, to the side of the head.
Remember Don’t kneel down and grab the other dog.
This was meant for owners of medium to big dogs facing a medium to big attacking dog. Maybe if you have a small dog you could pick it up but I don’t know how the attacking dog will respond to that.
I’d be interested in anyone else who feels like they can add something or who has had a lot of experience, with a different approach to throw it up as well.
These general strategies work well for me and I’ve had a lot of encounters (some recently) and since I’ve been using this technique, both me and my dog have come out of every incident unscathed.
Stay Safe,
-ARIES
 Attachment (1)
_____________________________
530 DAYS
|
For Dog Walkers (Dog Attack Advice) - 
Profile
New Messages
No New Messages
Hot Topic w/ New Messages
Hot Topic w/o New Messages
Locked w/ New Messages
Locked w/o New Messages
Post New Thread