# How to defend against dog attacks **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 14, 2009, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-defend-against-dog-attacks/481342 "2009-01-14T23:04:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-defend-against-dog-attacks/481342/41 "2009-01-16T12:37:00Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I’ve heard that the ideal way to control a dog is to grab both sides of its head by the muzzles and hold it at arms’ length. It can’t turn its head to bite either of your arms, it won’t be able to reach your body with its claws, and you’re not causing any injuries to the dog. The problem is that it’s got to be a really difficult manuever to put into effect. Not only that, but then you are in what the Italians call “having the wolf by the ears”. Yes, you might be in control of a stalemate situation but there is nothing you can do to extricate yourself from it. > [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > My husband is a letter carrier and his office (might be a more widespread regulation, I’m not sure) requires you to have it on your person on your route; if you’re attacked by a dog and it’s found that you didn’t have it, you could be disciplined because you didn’t take proper precautions. All carriers are required to carry it. My wife uses hers at least 5-10 times a year. And we had a friend gets seriously disciplined when he was attacked by a dog and didn’t have his spray with him. The dog didn’t bite him but he twisted an ankle fleeing from it and was out for weeks. > [@](#): > > He’s said the “fist down deep in the mouth” bit works too, if it comes to that level of fighting. The thing with this is, look at the size of your fist. At least in my case, if a dog is big enough for me to put my fist in its mouth, it could probably stomp me to death. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-defend-against-dog-attacks/481342/42 "2009-01-16T15:48:02Z")
One of the most bizarre conversations I ever heard was a guy talking about how he was going to sue the guy who shot his pit bull and blinded the dog in one eye because said dog was attacking a child. I would have considered myself lucky that he didn’t kill the damn dog. But nooooo…That was a prize dog and he had no right to shoot it just because he was biting some kid. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelQReilly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@MichaelQReilly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelQReilly)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-defend-against-dog-attacks/481342/43 "2009-01-16T17:28:50Z")
I admit to being somewhat bemused by threads like these. Unless you are very small person and the dog is very large breed, you are likely far bigger and stronger than any dog attacking you. Best case scenario is to kick the dog repeatedly before it every gets near you. Wosrt case scenario is grab the dog, throw all your weight on top of it, and punch it repeadedly in the head. ---
**Author:** ![percypercy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8baadc/32.png) [@percypercy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/percypercy)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-defend-against-dog-attacks/481342/44 "2009-01-16T17:46:13Z")
My sister and her (former) deadbeat boyfriend had an American bulldog. He was big, about 100 pounds and poorly socialized. They’d adopted him from the humane society after he’d been found tied up in a backyard of an abandoned house. Then to finish him off, the boyfriend encouraged him to chase after rakes and shit. Still, he was, at his heart, a really sweet dog. He never meant to be mean, but of course, someone who didn’t know him wouldn’t know that. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-defend-against-dog-attacks/481342/45 "2009-01-16T17:58:01Z")
> [@MichaelQReilly](#): > > I admit to being somewhat bemused by threads like these. Unless you are very small person and the dog is very large breed, you are likely far bigger and stronger than any dog attacking you. > Best case scenario is to kick the dog repeatedly before it every gets near you. Wosrt case scenario is grab the dog, throw all your weight on top of it, and punch it repeadedly in the head. Sure, a dog’s smaller than you but don’t underestimate how fast they are. A dog in full attack mode will come at you so fast that you’ll only get one chance to kick it before it’s biting you. And that first kick has got to be pretty accurate – as other posters have attested, dogs don’t seem to feel pain when attacking. Virtually nothing will stop a vicious dog in mid-attack. * * * Further to the idea of extending one’s arm just to distract the dog from biting your face/neck/privates, I wonder if picking up a stick might be a good option. Not to fight with, but to hold it out in the hope that the dog will bite and rip at it instead of your arm. I guess it would only buy you time though – you’ve still got the problem of how you’ll actually get away. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-defend-against-dog-attacks/481342/46 "2009-01-16T19:25:47Z")
> [@MichaelQReilly](#): > > I admit to being somewhat bemused by threads like these. Unless you are very small person and the dog is very large breed, you are likely far bigger and stronger than any dog attacking you. Best case scenario is to kick the dog repeatedly before it every gets near you. Wosrt case scenario is grab the dog, throw all your weight on top of it, and punch it repeadedly in the head. I think you are dramatically underestimating the potential threat a dog can pose. Usually most dog attacks the dog is not very committed to the attack. Run in for a bite, show-em who’s boss kinda thing and generally are not down for mauling or killing you. These dogs can be dissuaded a number of ways as mentioned above. However, a dog that has committed itself mind and body to ending you is a very dangerous thing. It is a sight to behold to see a dog (or cat for that matter) in full on attack mode. They are blindingly fast, a whirling dervish of teeth and claws and are near immune to pain or anything short of outright incapacitating injury. The teeth on even a modest sized dog can do real damage to even the biggest humans as they take chunks out of you. Even if you live you will be a right mess afterwards. And the size difference is not all that much sometimes. My dog is 100 pounds. My last girlfriend was maybe 110 pounds wet. In short you minimize the threat a dog can pose at your own peril. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-defend-against-dog-attacks/481342/47 "2009-01-16T19:36:28Z")
Two of our constructions workers were working on the outside of a house when they saw a woman being attacked by two aikas. In the two minutes it took them to run to her and start hitting the dogs with a board and a hammer, the poor women’s legs were reduced to hamburger. She had over 100 stitches to close the wounds and the doctors said if the workers hadn’t gotten the dogs off of her and taken her immediately to the emergency room, she might have been killed. Dogs can be very very dangerous. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelQReilly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@MichaelQReilly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelQReilly)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-defend-against-dog-attacks/481342/48 "2009-01-16T19:40:04Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > However, a dog that has committed itself mind and body to ending you is a very dangerous thing. It is a sight to behold to see a dog (or cat for that matter) in full on attack mode. They are blindingly fast, a whirling dervish of teeth and claws and are near immune to pain or anything short of outright incapacitating injury. The teeth on even a modest sized dog can do real damage to even the biggest humans as they take chunks out of you. Even if you live you will be a right mess afterwards. Yeah, I didn’t mean to imply that you wouldn’t get a couple of nasty bites on your hands or arms, just that most people are fully capable of dishing out enough punishment to make all but a deranged or rabid dog turn and run for the hills. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-defend-against-dog-attacks/481342/49 "2009-01-16T19:54:08Z")
> [@MichaelQReilly](#): > > Yeah, I didn’t mean to imply that you wouldn’t get a couple of nasty bites on your hands or arms, just that most people are fully capable of dishing out enough punishment to make all but a deranged or rabid dog turn and run for the hills. In most situations, you’re probably correct, but as always there are exceptions. What if you have a kid in a stroller with you, as I did? What if you’re attacked by more than one dog, as I was when I was in high school? In those situations, you simply can’t take the chance that you can dance around and kick until it gives up. You have to either head off the attack before it starts, or find some way of ending it very, very quickly. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-defend-against-dog-attacks/481342/50 "2009-01-16T22:17:54Z")
I read somewhere that guard/police/military dog trainers know that it’s somewhat instinctual to offer your forearm to an attacking dog. They call it “feeding the arm.” The ones I was reading about trained the dogs to feint for the offered arm and at the last second go under it for a crotch bite. (Don’t ask for a cite, I read that a long time ago and it always stuck with me.) ---
**Author:** ![MysteryFellow63427](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-defend-against-dog-attacks/481342/51 "2009-01-17T00:43:09Z")
> [@River\_Hippie](#): > > I read somewhere that guard/police/military dog trainers know that it’s somewhat instinctual to offer your forearm to an attacking dog. They call it “feeding the arm.” The ones I was reading about trained the dogs to feint for the offered arm and at the last second go under it for a crotch bite. > > (Don’t ask for a cite, I read that a long time ago and it always stuck with me.) Jeeeeeeeez… remind me not to mess with any military dogs any time soon. ---
**Author:** ![FandL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/46a35a/32.png) [@FandL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FandL)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-defend-against-dog-attacks/481342/52 "2009-01-17T01:19:16Z")
It’s a brutal situation that must be dealt with harshly. Most of us outweigh any dog and should be able to overcome any attack. Beyond that, the eyes and throat are the most obvious means of defense. Remain calm, offer your arm and go for the kill. ---
**Author:** ![dactylic\_hexameter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d26b3c/32.png) [@dactylic\_hexameter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dactylic_hexameter)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-defend-against-dog-attacks/481342/53 "2009-01-18T00:11:59Z")
Best I heard (only works if you are on pavement/concrete), and never tried it myself, but here you go: Allow dog to grab your forearm. Use other hand to grab dog’s opposite foreleg (ie, let dog grab left arm. use your right arm to grab dog’s right paw). Flip dog over and slam his back/hips into the ground. If you get enough velocity, you can break the dogs back. I guess this assumes that you don’t care if the dog continues to live, but if he’s attacking you… ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-defend-against-dog-attacks/481342/54 "2009-01-18T00:52:37Z")
I randomly saw today a bit of some documentary about police officers in charge of dogs-related issues (dangerous dogs, abused dogs, etc…). They were asked the OP’s question. Their answer was to never run away from the dog. Also, they added that if you had the opportunity, you should wrap your arm in whatever cloth you can (a coat, for instance), and when the dog bits it, abandon the cloth to him. According to him, there would be a good chance that the dog would then declare victory and let you alone while tearing apart your coat or sitting on it. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-defend-against-dog-attacks/481342/55 "2009-01-18T00:54:25Z")
> [@FandL](#): > > Beyond that, the eyes and throat are the most obvious means of defense. Remain calm, offer your arm and go for the kill. Yeah! Brace your jaws and go for the throat! Shake your head furiously once you get a good grasp. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-defend-against-dog-attacks/481342/56 "2009-01-18T01:13:16Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > Further to the idea of extending one’s arm just to distract the dog from biting your face/neck/privates, I wonder if picking up a stick might be a good option. Not to fight with, but to hold it out in the hope that the dog will bite and rip at it instead of your arm. > > I guess it would only buy you time though – you’ve still got the problem of how you’ll actually get away. Makes sense to me- the dog’s evolutionary adaptation to hunting involves using its low center of gravity, speed and jaws, while your evolutionary hunting style is to pick up a rock or stick and beat your prey with it. Seriously, a solid stick would give you a chance to keep the dog out of reach for a moment, and might let you break its charge. I’d take that as an excellent choice. ---
**Author:** ![Alex\_Dubinsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dbc845/32.png) [@Alex\_Dubinsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alex_Dubinsky)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-defend-against-dog-attacks/481342/57 "2009-01-18T04:56:34Z")
> [@MichaelQReilly](#): > > I admit to being somewhat bemused by threads like these. Unless you are very small person and the dog is very large breed, you are likely far bigger and stronger than any dog attacking you. Best case scenario is to kick the dog repeatedly before it every gets near you. Wosrt case scenario is grab the dog, throw all your weight on top of it, and punch it repeadedly in the head. The dog is packing a switchblade to a fistfight. You do _not_ have the advantage. But I think you have a good point. You can’t be a pussy about it. It’s like in human fights. The winner isn’t the bigger guy, it’s the one who hasn’t got hangups about hurting his opponent. Give it all you got. If putting your best into the offense (go for the eyes, the nuts, slam it against the pavement) doesn’t make the dog back off, then I’m figuring you haven’t got a chance either way. Maybe you could give it the 'ol deepthroat. (Though I’m having trouble imagining how that works.) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-defend-against-dog-attacks/481342/58 "2009-01-18T07:38:20Z")
> [@mmmiiikkkeee](#): > > This is a common claim… Steve Irwin (the crocodile hunter) said his strategy for getting away from a crocodile that bit him would be the same. I’ve no doubt that it has worked a couple times throughout history, but it sounds like a pretty good way to get your fingers or hand lopped off to me. Imagine someone trying to kill you by shoving a few carrot sticks into your mouth. Are you just gonna lay there, or are you gonna simply bite them off, yank your head away, twist your body, and resume the attack? It doesn’t matter how much you can bench press, you stick your hand into an aggresive medium-to-big dog’s mouth with less than ninja-like precision (or luck) and it’s coming out a bloody mangled stump… _when_ the dog decides to let go for a better grip. Steve Irwin knew how to handle big mean crocodiles and venomous snakes. Beautiful little manta rays, not so much. ---
**Author:** ![Miscue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8491ac/32.png) [@Miscue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miscue)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-defend-against-dog-attacks/481342/59 "2009-01-18T07:50:18Z")
In the course of entering people’s yards for utility repair purposes I have twice had to empty cans of animal pepper spray, both of different makes, into the eyes, mouth, and nose of two Chao dogs probably under 60 pounds. Neither time did the spray do anything. In one of the attacks, even my 6’6 ex-gangbanger coworker banging on the damn dog with a pipe didn’t help me much. I have seen the macho ‘don’t you dare mess with me’ things work a LOT of times. But not every time. I think that in the case of animal attacks, as in people attacks, believing that there even **is** an ‘every time’ shows a lack of experience, and is setting yourself up for failure. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-defend-against-dog-attacks/481342/60 "2009-01-18T08:03:43Z")
Would a attacking dog be frightened if I shot out my hands forward and above me, made a fierce face, leaned forward, and growled in a “I’m a big scary dude!” kind of way? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-defend-against-dog-attacks/481342.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-defend-against-dog-attacks/481342.md?page=4)