Dog Attack Defenses That Work

Much has been written about dog attacks and dog bites. You may have seen or heard suggestions on how to avoid them and how to defend yourself against a dog attack. We have been writing about this topic for nearly a decade because there are so many people who are victims of dog bites every year-nearly one million of them require hospitalization.

It has been estimated that close to 5 million Americans are bitten by dogs annually. And surprisingly, children are the biggest group of victims, followed by letter carriers.

In this article we will discuss some ways to fend off a dog attack and popular dog attack defenses.

It is true that most dogs will not attack you. They may bark and growl but not take it to the next level of a full-fledged attack. Dogs are very territorial, and if you encroach on their territory, the barking and growling is their way of telling you to stay away. A wise and prudent person will do that-stay away.

One of the most common defenses against the dog attack is to use pepper spray. While it is highly effective when you hit the target, hitting the target can be problematic because of windy or even rainy conditions. The slightest breeze can blow pepper spray off target. Furthermore, if you are not upwind from the spray it could possibly blow back in-your-face making you the target, not the dog.

Learn to read the body language of the dog. If he is wagging his tail, it doesn't necessarily mean that he wants to play. If he is showing bared teeth and raised hackles with his ears pinned back, he is ready to charge at you and attack you with everything he has.

Grab anything you can to use as a weapon. If nothing is available, take off your shoe and use that as a blocking device to thrust into his mouth. If it gets down to it, poke at his eyes. It is best if you are walking outdoors to always carry some kind of a weapon such as a walking stick, a cane or something that you can use as a dog attack defense.

Some people believe that a sharp command of "stop" or "go home" will make them back off. Unlike a bear attack where it is suggested that you curl up in a ball on the ground, in a dog attack do everything you can to stay on your feet. If you try kicking a dog, you may lose your balance and end up on your back, then you're in serious big time trouble.

As difficult as it may be, try grabbing the dog's hind legs and throw it into something hard such as a wall, a car or a tree. You have to be very fast to do this to avoid being bitten.