Not all dogs are friendly and welcoming to people they don’t know. Some are overly aggressive and may attack and injure a person. There can be several reasons for this: from an aggressive breed of dog to the wrong education that the animal received from its owner. So, let’s talk about how to behave if a person finds himself near a belligerent dog that can attack and bite.
But first of all it is worth realizing that the dog is an animal that has the right to feel safe, and therefore acts in accordance with its instincts and its life experience. This is not surprising, because in the animal world such behavior is justified by the fact that aggression contributes to survival.
Causes of dog attacks
Factors because of which a dog can attack a person are associated with various features of this animal – breed, education, habitat. It is generally believed that domestic dogs are less prone to fear of people because they are more socialized. Single stray dogs are more afraid of people, unlike those street dogs that belong to a pack.
A domestic dog’s aggressive behavior is often brought up by the owner himself due to improper training and physical punishment. It is the lack of professional training and proper care that causes mental harm to the animal and makes it aggressively attack others for no reason.
Stray dogs may attack if they are hungry – this is how they try to get food for themselves. Also, these animals may behave aggressively because a person has entered their territory and they are forced to defend it in this way.
How to protect yourself from an attack by an aggressive dog
Never try to approach an unfamiliar dog that is walking alone, much less touch it. This can only be done with the permission of the owner of the animal. Even if a stray dog waves his tail when meeting you, it does not mean that he is happy to see you and wants to socialize. It usually indicates that he is excited.
If the dog suddenly comes close to you and starts sniffing, try to stand still, because in most cases it will move away on its own, provided it does not feel threatened by you.
In case you are just passing by and the dog starts to behave aggressively, you need to stop and, without making any sudden movements, slowly retreat from the territory, which the animal considers its own. At the same time, retreat with slow steps, do not turn your back to the dog, carefully follow his movements, but do not look directly into his eyes. At this point it is very important to calm down, because it is known that dogs feel the increase of sweating and adrenaline in the blood of a person and get even more irritated. And in no case should you run away from the dog, so as not to be even more endangered by its hunting instinct. Usually such your actions will be enough for the animal to calm down.
Always avoid packs of dogs during the so-called “dog wedding” period. Here we mean the mating period, which lasts from March to April and during which the males can be very aggressive. In such encounters it is better to change your route and avoid such places.
What to do in case of a dog attack
If a dog is very aggressive, approaching you quickly and looking to attack, try pretending to pick up a rock from the ground. On an instinctive level, some dogs, especially solitary stray dogs, are frightened by such an action and retreat. An alternative to this method is to throw an object in a different direction away from the animal in order to distract its attention, but under no circumstances throw the object at the animal itself. It would be great if you have something edible to give to the dog to distract him from your presence.
In case the above actions did not help and the dog continues to approach you, barking, showing his grin, then there is a possibility that he is preparing to attack. Under these circumstances, you should still not make sudden movements, turn your back to the animal or run away. If you have an umbrella, bag or bag with you, it’s worth using them to keep the dog at a distance. It is worth trying to hide from the animal behind a fence, tree or indoors to get out of its reach.
Worst case scenario, if none of the above works and the dog doesn’t back off, you need to cover your most vulnerable parts of your body such as your face, neck and stomach. Try to move away from the animal so that your back is against some sort of support, such as a wall or tree, so that the dog has no chance to tackle you to the ground. If an angry dog grabs your sleeve, try to drop the item of clothing directly onto his face.
If you do end up on the ground, lie face down, bend down and hide your arms and legs underneath you. At all times do not stop calling for help from others around you.
Be sure to explain these rules to your children!
What to do after a dog attack and how to prove it
After a dog attack, you should go to a medical facility to have your wounds treated and receive the necessary medical services.
If the dog has an owner, he or she must be held responsible for the attack of his or her pet on a person. Liability can be civil, administrative and criminal.
Civil liability provides for compensation for material and moral damage caused by the animal to the injured person.
Administrative responsibility comes for violation of the rules of keeping an animal.
Criminal – may be applied in cases of cruel treatment of domestic animals, which resulted in severe consequences.
In order to prove the attack of a pet dog and make its owner bear responsibility, you need to perform the following actions:
- Take photographs of the scene of the attack, wounds, damaged property and, if possible, keep witness contacts;
- contact a health care facility to obtain a certificate of the fact of the dog attack and the presence of bodily injuries;
- call the police from the scene of the incident or come to the police station to write a statement about the attack and record the consequences in the form of bodily injuries or damaged property;
- file an application with the court where you are registered;
- keep all receipts for medical expenses and property repairs if there is a need for reimbursement.
If the dog is stray, it is worthwhile to encourage its capture to avoid a similar attack on another person in the future.
Remember that the best defense against an attack by a stray dog is to keep a distance between you and the aggressive animal. Always avoid unwanted contact and conflict with a stray dog if you can.
We very much hope that the information we have outlined will never be of practical use to you. We wish you to always stay safe and never become a victim of attack by aggressive dogs. At the same time we ask you to remember that you should treat any animal with sensitivity and try not to harm it.
