If a dog attacks.....?

Question

I was once told that if a dog attacks you when you are on the floor and he is biting at your face. One technique to get him off is to grab hold of the front legs and pull them apart. I know that the front legs are attached to the heart.
Is this false or does this work? I do love dogs and would only do this if I was attacked. Any answers appreciated

Answer 1

Grabbing a dog's front legs while he is trying to bite you is difficult and will probably get you bit even worse. Think about the physics - if you are pulling his legs out sideways, your arms are going out sideways and his teeth are getting closer and closer to your FACE!

Every dog attack is different - it depends on the breed of dog and how many there are. The best thing to do is to prevent an attack. Be aware of your environment and avoid areas where dogs run loose. Carry a cane or a stick and pepper spray to ward off any dog that might charge you. NEVER run from a dog - you'll trigger an attack that might never have happened. Keep your back to something so the dog can't get behind you. Don't stare directly at the dog - you'll be challenging him to a fight. Move slowly away from the dog on an angle.

If you are on the ground and can't get up, the best thing to do is hold still, curl up in a ball protecting your face and neck, and hope he goes away. If you can get up, it's much better to kick the dog away or hit it with an object than to try to grab him. Climb a fence or a tree, or get on top of a car or inside a house - anything you can do to get away.

Answer 2

The problem with dog attacks is they happen so fast.

I have always been taught being around many dogs my whole life that if a dog is biting you or has a hold of your body with it's mouth- shove your fist down it's throats hard as you can. This will cause the dog to vomit/choke and will make the dog release you and give you time to get away from it.

I have done this once and it does work. For smaller dogs- just put your finger down it mouth like a tongue depresser until it release it grip.

Answer 3

Your best bet is to keep a can of Mace or Pepper spray. If you don't have these, ball up your fist & shove it in their mouth. Scary for you to do, yes, but it works. The dog can't close his jaws around your fist, so will back off. Your forearm will also work, but the dog will still have some leverage to close its jaws & there is some risk of getting hurt. Best bet? Use your fist.

Answer 4

Well, I'm not sure. However, I can tell you that typically when you grab a dogs front paws, he'll try to bite your arms and hands. It might be a good idea to try to divert the biting from your face to your arms.