Even though dog bites are relatively common, full-blown dog attacks are not. Learn what to do in the unlikely event an attack does occur.
Dog attacks are “expensive” for the dog so they generally do not attack unless they feel they absolutely must.
Signs that a dog is about to attack
Dogs generally give off clear signals that they are about to attack, even if those signals are quite subtle. These signals can vary a great deal, but we can always watch for common signs of aggression (such as growling, snarling, baring teeth and lunging) and concerning changes in behavior:
- A moment of tension, where the dog’s whole body gets stiff.
- A small freeze or a slowing down of forward movement. A dog that is about to attack will slow down in order to give themselves time to think about if they are going to attack or move away. They are considering the distance they need to cover to accomplish their goal and how they are going to “get in and get out” with the least amount of injury to themselves.
- A change in pitch of a bark. If a dog is barking a high pitched, staccato bark, he might begin a low, intense growl that is generally is accompanied by him baring his teeth and/or drooling.
What do I do if I find myself in a situation with a dog that looks like he will attack me?
- Avoid eye contact. Lower your head and turn your gaze away from the dog.
- Turn your body slowly to the side but do not turn your back to the dog.
- Cross your arms across your chest and remain standing still.
- Do not speak to or yell at the dog.
- Be still for a short period and if the dog is not moving toward you, slowly back away.
- If you are carrying treats, you can very slowly and calmly throw some treats behind or over to the side of the dog. This does need to be done slowly and calmly as too much movement might make the dog fearful and prompt him to keep approaching. If you don’t have treats with you, but have a backpack, water bottle or anything else, toss that off to the side so the dog goes for that instead.
- Do not run but try to get to a place where there is a barrier between you and the dog. You can use environmental barriers like trees, bushes, big rocks, parked cars, etc.
If that does not work, what do I do?
- Stay completely still with your arms crossed on your chest. If the dog does not perceive you as a threat, he will move away. If there are people around you, without shouting, calmly ask someone nearby to help. If you feel confident enough, ask them to throw a jacket, scarf or blanket over the dog’s head.
- If you are in the ground slowly curl into a ball on your knees with your hands clasped behind your neck protecting your head and throat.
- As hard and counterintuitive as it may seem, resist the urge to yell or fight back. If a dog has gotten to the point of attack, they are no longer thinking and are just reacting. Therefore, they are going to fight until they feel you are no longer a threat. If you are quiet and calm, you are no longer a threat and they will stop.
Should I try to talk to the dog so they know I’m friendly?
- No. The more you attempt to communicate, the greater the chances are of provocation. Dogs don’t speak our language, so they won’t understand any words that we use to explain that we won’t hurt them and that we’re not a threat.
- The less interaction you have with the dog, the more likely they will assess and decide to move away.
Is spraying pepper spray in a dog’s face a good idea?
- If the dog is not yet attacking you, spraying him with pepper spray might be the trigger for an explosion. As always, treating aggression with aggression only makes things worse.
What do I do if the dog lunges at me and begins to bite?
- Find a barrier to put between you and the dog – a purse, rolled-up jacket, or a backpack. Try not to wave the item around or in front of the dog’s face, you are merely trying to put a visual barrier in front of the dog, not entice the dog to attack. .
- Find higher ground and try to move to a position of height away from the dog. You can use the hood of a car, a large rock, a tree with low branches, anything that will get your head and body higher or even better, off the ground. It is much harder for him to bite effectively from below.
- Try not to scream, yell at or try to punch or kick the dog. Any sound or movement you make might antagonize the dog further.
- Cover the dog’s head with a shirt or blanket so that he cannot see. If you block his eyesight for a moment, it might provide you a window to escape.
- In the very rare event a dog is mauling you viciously (as opposed to just trying to bite or landing a few scattered bites), curl up into a ball on the ground, protecting your head and neck while waiting for help. If you are all alone, you are unlikely to get the dog off you by yourself until the dog loses interest.
What do I do if I see a dog attack?
- Call 911. Do not try to break up an attack as you might end up getting bit in the fray.
- Throw a jacket, scarf or blanket over the attacking dog.
- Do not yell, hit, or kick the attacking dog as this might raise their arousal level even more.
- Do not pull the attacking dog off. Pulling the dog might make the wounds even worse. The dog may also redirect their aggression at you.
What do I do if I’ve been attacked by a dog?
Seek medical attention immediately and be sure to follow the doctor’s wound cleaning and care orders.
- Call 911 or your local animal control.
- Get the owner’s contact information as well as the dog’s history (of vaccinations, bite history, age, breed, etc.).
- Document the incident as soon after the incident as you can. Waiting too long after an attack can lead to forgotten details that might be relevant. Include things like location of incident, what was happening in the environment, what your or your dog was doing, what the attacking dog did, etc.
- Document the wound. Take pictures and write out the description of the wound.
Focus on prevention
- The best way to deal with a dog attack is to try to not let it happen in the first place. Learning dog body language can go a long way to identifying a dog that looks like they could quickly escalate their aggressive behavior into attacking.
- If you see a dog that you are afraid of, stop moving immediately, do not make a sound and avoid eye contact or any type of engagement completely.
