Never walk into a house or yard without the owner. 7 steps to treating a dog bite. We also keep it at our horse and carriage stop. Nothing in a small container can have a similar effect. Last week, she brought home a puppy. No amount of “how to read dog behavior” advice can overcome the consequences of normal dog behavior having long been systematically bred out of pit bull lineage. A dog attack is very scary. Most dogs will quickly stop fighting if their hind end is in the air. A walking cane, a broom stick, a fence slat, or any other long, sturdy object can do the same job. Flashbacks � the victim relives the event as if it is happening again3. When entering a property, announce yourself and wait for someone to come let you in. Merritt, thank you so much for this timely article. Dallas is adorable. Using a knife against a dog is at best like trying to use one big tooth against two jaws full of big teeth; requires exposing hand, wrist, and forearm to a bite; lowers your face into closer proximity to the dog’s jaws; and your chances of stabbing effectively between the dog’s ribs on your first try are relatively slight, while the chances are rather high that the dog will redirect when poked with your weapon. Facing Your Fear of Dogs Look at pictures and videos of people interacting with dogs. Many people carry a knife, but a knife of any sort is next to useless against a charging dog, especially a pit bull. Kick the dog in the front shoulder joint the way you would if you were trying to break a 2x4 laid back against a wall at a 45 degree angle. One second a dog wagging tail, and before I could say “nice puppy” it was on me. Apparently the owners laughed. Frank Avila is identified at the web link he gave as the developer of this gadget, which appears to be basically an electronic cattle prod formatted as a blunt instrument which might also be used as a bludgeon or bite stick. The thing backed up and came on like a rocket. See how it responds. Dogs that are fearful or in pain may bite - even if they're normally very gentle. Pit bulls (and dogs generally) don’t tend to care about lights. With my right arm I would take a baton or possibly a small knife to attack the dog on the side, while he’s biting my backpack, in order to discourage further attacks, because in the woods it is unlikely for me to carry a fire extinguisher; it’s just too heavy. Instead, quickly grab the back legs of your dog and pick them up in the air. Part of what makes fire extinguishers effective is that the foam comes out under pressure and rapidly expands,  so that the volume actually helps to form an olfactory and visual barrier between the dog and victim(s). As we have discussed, bites can vary in severity, but almost certainly, bites usually get worse over time (more frequent and/or more virulent). A sudden approach or touch could trigger a reaction. Of course, if you are the injured victim this method could prove impossible. We have been logging fatal and disfiguring dog attack data for nearly 37 years now. Most people could not do that well, lacking the wrist strength to drive the knife through the pillow cover. Dogfighter & pit bull breeder Earl Tudor, circa 1951. Constantly pet and praise your pup for being calm. I wondered if the bear spray would be better, but now I think I’ll go get a fire extinguisher and just leave it under our cart. Has worked every time for me. This may just help save someone a lifetime of heartache. Almost always, when you hear about someone using a knife successfully against an attacking dog, the scenario involves striking from behind, while the dog is fixated on attacking another person or animal. The inherent risks in trying to choke an attacking dog are that it necessarily involves very close contact, and requires that the person trying to choke the dog be stronger, with better leverage. Have never needed to try it on a dog attacking me, but I can see how it could be successful. Once the attack is over, immediately get yourself, your dog or your child away. that you might use to free someone else or an animal from a pit bull’s grip. Start small … Enter the dog park with your dog and go to an area with fewer dogs. If your dog is shocked after a dog attack, it is very important that you take several measures to protect your dog from any future negative encounters and that you help your dog eventually recover through some remedial socialization using the right type of dogs. After a dog attack that results in a dog bite, getting your dog back to her normal, happy self may take some time. When walking alone I make sure I have something with me that could be used as a choke device. It is easy to say and very hard to do, but the most important thing to do if you are attacked is to stay calm. You should become prepared early to take action – getting a physical object between the pit bull and it’s intended target, such as getting behind a closed door, behind a trash can, etc. Getting Back to Normal. It has worked for me on four separate occasions with pit bulls. A charging dog is coming much faster than a pillow,  and the number of places where the dog can be stopped by slashing or stabbing are very few — and even if one happened to hit one of those vital spots,  momentum would carry the dog on forward. If your dog does attack someone else, stay calm. Obviously the “Sit!” command won’t always save the day, but it did that time. Find out what your cat is trying to tell you with a new cat app, Princess Diana died when Harry was just 12 years old, Engineer Creates App To Translate Your Cat, The Sweetest Photos of Princes Harry with Diana, Sean Connery's Cause of Death Revealed Weeks After He Dies at Age 90. Unless, as you wrote at the time, you might manage to put a bicycle or something else between yourself and the attacking dog or the attacking dog and the victim to help the dog/person. Even if the bite isn’t serious, it’s still a good idea to have a doctor examine it. Taking that chance is obviously not recommended. Most dogs bite defensively,  and will bite, let go,  and retreat,  but pit bulls and other “bully” breeds bite offensively,  and will not let go. . Of course, it’s easier to keep your dog from being over-excited if she doesn’t … Tasers are often useless against fur-covered animals. Merely showing a dog a knife, moreover, means nothing to the dog. Pits and Rotts,  together with their recognizable mixes,  make up about 7% of the U.S. dog population,  but account for more than 70% of the fatalities and 80% of the disfigurements. When walking my dog I’ve always got the leash handy. Dogs in general evolved to hunt and scavenge by night as well as day, and “see” mostly with their noses. Pretty good mix, I thought, since she has two females (one intact and one spayed) and an elderly neutered male, and everyone gets along. The most frequent mistake made by people trying to stop a dog attack, contributing to serious injuries almost every day now, is attempted use of blunt force, typically by swinging an object such as a baseball bat or a golf club at the dog. Good work Merritt. I have to wonder if Clifton’s vegan animal rights agenda isn’t biasing him against using lethal force against the poor pitties. These include:1. Further, using the “wheelbarrow” technique with a dog who uses a grip-and-hold attack method, meaning any pit bull, Rottweiler, or other “bully” breed, can mean that the person lifting and pulling is actually helping the attacking dog to tear the victim’s flesh from bones. But whether this is your dog’s first bite or the most recent of many, the results can be very serious. Good information. Stay off of the ground. Reality is that even firearms in the hands of experts stop a charging dog with the first shot only about 80% of the time — which means that the only real answer to stopping bully-breed mayhem is effective political action that stops breeding more & more bully-breeds, stops campaigns to popularize them, and ensures that those bully-breeds who remain in homes stay there, instead of running amok in streets, parks, other public places, and other people’s homes and yards. What are the signs that a dog may attack? And it can be used as a bite stick, if necessary. 3. It confuses and changes their balance/orientation. But whether this is your dog’s first bite or the most recent of many, the results can be very serious. Wheel barrow, wheel barrow, wheel barrow. Your Dog was Provoked Your dog may have finally snapped after being provoked by the other dog for a prolonged period of time. Hope I never have to attempt it. However, our law firm does NOT handle cases when a dog attacks another dog.We only handle dog bite … Cesar Millan (National Geographic TV photo). If there is a hose nearby, spraying the dog with water can also help stop the attack. I learned from the late Humane Society of the U.S. investigator Guy Hodge many years ago to push against a bite,  instead of pulling away. Thank you. No. A backpack makes an excellent shield against an attacking dog, especially a pit bull or Rottweiler, whose attack modus operandi is to bite, hold on, and shake. But in order for the shield/bite stick to continue to be effective, you have to maintain control of it, to keep it between yourself and the dog. And in a pack situation, which was when I first began searching for a solution and remember asking for your ideas, you are just doomed if you’re solo.