What do you do when a dog attacks you?

Pict is spot on. A dog can only process attack distance and time its leap ( which is what they tend to do to take things down) if that prey is moving away. The best thing to do is to turn and go at it, keeping your face and throat away. get hold of its front legs ,one in each hand and cross its legs over as hard has you can. This will do some major damage to it chest/heart, this can the be followed up with a kick to the guts which will cause even big dogs lots of pain. A police dog handler I know lost one his German Shepherd's to a Ex-Para turned Football Hooligan like this (he finished it off by crushing its windpipe in a armlock). Check out Escape & Evasion army manuals but its standard stuff. Scary to read all the replies that involve guns and shooting dogs some of you guy's sound to irresponsible to be allowed knives let alone GUNS... :confused:
 
Okay. . .

So what do you do if you can't have a gun? Maybe you are in a park, where they are illegal, or maybe it is hot outside and you don't want to wear a jacket or an "I-HAVE-A-GUN-IN-MY-BAG" fanny pack holster?

Sometimes, even when I am carrying my gun, I would not shoot the dog. I mean, you don't have to shoot very many dogs before they revoke your permit and throw you in the looney bin. Other weapons will do the job without getting you into legal trouble.

There are times when a gun is appropriate, but not very many. It is pretty poor form to go around shooting everything that looks at you cross-ways.

Scott
 
I've chased a couple of dogs away from my brother, big ones, but then I had a big khukuri too.

I've kicked one of those same dogs after it got out and I was taking out the trash. I didn't think about getting bit on my leg, because other than chucking a full trashcan at it I had nothing else but my boots.
 
i think, as with many things, it depends on the circumstances. There have been a couple of occasions where if i could have done I would have shot the dog. These occasions have involved very very large dogs like one time when I was out with my dad and a couple of rhodesian ridgebacks started on us

other times anything other than a swift kick would have been an over reaction

just depends on the animal and the circumstances.
 
For those who follow Terrill's philosophy of shooting the offending dog, check out the chest holster made by Survival Sheath Systems. There's a marathon runner who carries a Kel-Tec P-32 in one of these on her training runs to deal with problem dogs that want to mess with her. In a .32 auto like the P-32 you may want to shoot a fast round like RBCD brand ammo (32 ACP, 37 gr., 1815 fps, 271 flbs).

Survival Sheath Systems holster page: http://www.survivalsheath.com/holsters/index.htm
Kel-Tec's P-32 webpage: http://www.kel-tec.com/prod02.htm
First page of a P-32 review: http://www.a-human-right.com/p32/
RBCD ammo: http://www.rbcd.net/ (jump links & buttons are toward bottom of page :rolleyes: )

Photo courtesy of Robert Humelbaugh at Survival Sheath Systems, who is a very amenable person to talk to about getting a custom holster or knife sheath made to your specifications:

keltec_chest.jpg
 
Nick, sorry mate I'm one of those folk's that ain't
gonna let an attacking dog get close enough to...
"grab his front legs". Like I said , and no I don't
hate dogs, IF I had a gun I shoot the dog then
worry about who owns it.

However, I don't carry or even own a gun anymore so
ANYTHING I can get my hands on will have to do.
Like it or not during a dog attack we'er talking
gut level suvival & I don't ever intend to be doggy
lunch :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:
 
Originally posted by dizos
Was that a joke? A dog will never attack a human as prey. Use of a firearm would be very irresponsible in my opinion if there are other options available.
I don't think kicking is a good idea. People often sustain nasty bites when they try to kick a dog.-- Jeff
Click to expand...

No offense but have you ever actually been attacked by a dog? My first encounter was while bowhunting on the ground in Georgia. A pack of wild dogs was "hunting" (Nose to the ground searching for deer to run) when they came across me. The lead dog spotted me and turned all eleven dogs in my direction. They all came at me together and I shot two of them, including the lead dog, at a distance of about five feet with cedar arrows from my longbow. The lead dog was yelping as he died and the rest of the pack turned off. I had a similar situation happen two years later on the same property with a wild Rottwieler. I yelled and screamed at that dog in the middle of the woods to try to get him to turn away as he charged me and finally had to begin firing my .22 into his head. I emptied a ten shot clip into his head and shoulder area and had to turn to run in order to get more rounds in the gun before turning to fire five more times before he fell. (Yes, he continued to chase me.) No one will ever convince me that they did not consider me an acceptable alternative to a deer.
BTW, if you have nothing else . . . work boots are considered "protective clothing" for kicking the crap out of a dog trying to get a kid who is sitting quietly studying in a classroom in a third world country.:mad:
 
I was ripped off a 10-speed once by a large shepherd/demon mix. It got a good hold of my lower calf and sunk one fang in deep. the other three fangs were on a work boot. After this incident I studied dog attacks a bit. The same dog tried it again and I attacked it with a buck folding hunter in hand, it bolted. I used pepper spray on another dog another day and turned it into an instant whipped puppy. I have since rushed several dogs and it has always worked.

In rural country if a dog is giving you a hassle reach down at the ground like you're picking up a rock. The dog will bolt before you can stand back up laughing! I have done this so many times in rural Brazil that is is now second nature.

I only drew a gun on a dog once. I was backpacking and a Rotwiler came flying around a bend in the trail with about a gallon of snot wrapped around his head. He stopped short when he saw me and went to a heads-up guard dog pose. My Glock 19 appeared as if by magic in my hand. I seriously do not remember the draw. We stood motionless for a while and he suddenly bolted back the way he came. When he returned he was with his owners. If he had attacked I would have shot him but I'm glad we gave each other the benefit of the doubt. Mac
 
Dogs do attack humans as prey, they are pack animals. I would think shooting is preferred, especially when there are more than one.

I have a friend in DC whose best friend was attacked by a large dog last year. He yelled at the owner 3 times to get it off, the owner just stood and watched. After the 3rd and final time, he killed the dog, I don't know how. It seems that he was an Army sniper, and that was part of his training, as the enemy often uses dogs to root out snipers. He was kind of surprised that it worked, he's not big, and he had no weapon. I am going to ask about the technique. He was glad there weren't 2 dogs, though.
 
Jason,

No offense taken. Clearly your dog encounters required a lethal reaction. I wouldn't hesitate to unload whatever I had if being attacked by a pack of wild dogs in the wilderness. I can't imagine combat with a longbow. Very impressive. Gets my adrenaline going just thinking about it. I'm curious if that pack attacked you because they saw you as a rival predator or if they planned to hunt you as prey. It is my understanding that there has never been a documented case of a wolf hunting a human, but now I am wondering if a pack of feral dogs would do so. Scarey thought.

The situation golok was describing is a single dog in a neighborhood environment. Use of a firearm would be irresponsible because of the danger of hitting a person. Also, in my experience, many people have a terrible fear of dogs and could easily, in a panic, mistake a barking dog for a threat to his or her life. Firearms, arms and legs should be used as a last resort only. In giving advice to someone who wants to prepare for a neighborhood dog encounter my list would be:

1. Control fear
2. Mace/Pepper Spray
3. Staff, walking stick, club or other blunt instrument (longer the better).
4. I'm all for responsible use of a CCW. But it should always be a last resort.

-- Jeff
 
The main thing I've come to discover is DON'T RUN!. I've also found that bending down as if you are picking up a rock works. If the dog attacks kill it.
 
Ive been bittin by a Rott while trying to get between it and a little girl it was trying to eat.........Man when that basterd bit my hand:eek: It hurt like hell,Left a nice size hole in the top of my hand.
It felt like someone had taken a ball peen hammer and smashed my hand:eek: Man it hurt like hell for about 3 days.
My dog saved me and the little girl by killing that dog,It would have been hell if my dog hadnt haved saved the day.
 
The owner who lets their dog run loose is irresponsible, not the person shooting in self-defense. I have been dog bit three times in my life. Two walking and once riding a bike. Each time the dog came up behind me and had its' teeth in me before I knew it was there.

Dogs do attack people. Attacks frequently make the news. People want mean dogs for protection but whimp out on responsiblity when their dog eats a kid or person walking.

I watched a man and his wife walking a large German Shepard down our road one night. The dog came 150 feet into my yard and started attacking two of our goats. The people stood at the road watching and laughing, making no effort to call off the dog. They didn't think it was funny anymore when I shot the dog.

There seems to be a lot of irresponsible dog owners allowing dogs to run loose these days.
 
I had a buddy who was a park warden in Jasper, Canada and was also a black belt. One time he was attacked by a big German Shepard in a Camp Ground. The dog lept up at him. He grabbed both or the dogs front legs and forcefully them both out to to his side and broke the dog's sternum. The dog had to be put to sleep. The owner (unsuccessfully) sued him.

He said this was the way to quickly subdue any large dog who jumps up on you.


;) A swift boot to the snout works well for lap dogs.
 
I've heard that you can feed the dog your left forearm, and hook your right forearm behind it's neck. Pull in with the right arm and push the dogs head back over the top with the left (in it's mouth, ouch!). Then fall forward onto the dog snapping it's neck (Crunch). Or you can use your Glock. Mac
 
Simple fact...there are over 500,000 dog attacks in the United States, EVERY YEAR!

As someone who works outside, for a utility company, I'm second only to Postal workers in winning odds at the Dogbite Lottery.

I've almost gotten the winning ticket, once. The company-issued pepper spray worked, sort of. The two would-be flesh gnawers backed off long enough for me to exit the back yard and close the fence gate.

Would I have preferred a handgun? Hell yes. Would I like to keep my job even more? Heller yes.

Circumstances vary. Your mileage may differ. Firearms may be out, even if justified. Do I carry a readily accessible folding knife at all times now? Hellest yes.

A large dog, moving @ top speed towards you is a formidable and frightening creature to behold. So be holding, and use: spray, stick, knife, and as a last resort, if possible, gun (in that order). Of course, as other posters have mentioned, try aggressive posturing of your own first...but be prepared for the 3% alpha hounds of hell that laugh @ death.......
 
mjolnir, I think you hit the nail on the head. You don't want to lose your job, screwing up your life, over someone else's out-of-control dog. You would be physically safe, but you would be damaged in other ways. The dog would have won with a calssic animal defense: "you can defeat me, but you will pay for it." Hence the need for a measured defense like a good knife.

Scott
 
lots of posts about guns and sticks, but has anyone tried a
myotron or other type of stun gun? just curious if they are
effective against animals?
 
I started carrying a gun back in '89 for two reasons.

#1 A man nearby was beaten to death while his wife watched. His crime, taking too long to parallel park. He defended himself with a trash can lid while his attackers pummeled him with a pick handle. Result, one dead, one widow, three in prison for life. I figured if I'm living in the middle ages I might as well up the technology level.

#2. My neighbor had a Rotty that lived in his back yard. A fence of about 50 cm seperated my yard from this out of control, badly abused, slavering beast. The guy insisted that his pup didn't know she could jump the fence. I figured that on the day she did she would learn she wasn't bullet-proof too.

Be warned, if you kill someone's family pet the public will look down on you. It happens to police officers all the time. On the other hand I grew up with a kid who had his face ripped apart by a German Shepherd. He had to live with severe scars and nerve damage and a nose with a big chunk taken out of it. Dogs don't fool around, neither should you. Mac
 
I don't know when exactly you all feel its ok to shoot a dog, but if my black lab got away from me for a moment and came trotting up to someone wagging her tail and that person put a bullet into her, even if it was on private property, that individual would have a lot more to worry about than a dog attack. The letter of the law doesn't always spell out whats right and wrong, and that is clearly wrong. I can not explain in words how I even feel thinking about it. Some people are very close to their dogs, many consider them part of the family, I understand its your life and body at risk, however you had better be damn sure that dog means you harm. My dog is part of my family and I'd act accordingly. If my dog clearly was attacking someone I would understand their right to protect themselves, although it goes without saying, after an attack if the person didn't kill it, I'd have to. However if someone just thought my dog might attack them because she was approaching them, and he shoots her, I'd be more than a little upset. I'm not a violent person, but that individual might want to take a second before reholstering his gun because it's just about the only thing that would stop me from beating the hell out of him that second. And by the way, if kids are riding by on their bikes calling you names like "dog killing bastard", you've probably got a problem with the way you approach things.
 
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