I'm curious... What do you do when a dog wants to attack?

Question

I've always been so curious as to what to do when a dog is about to attack... Say you're walking on the streets when a dog comes charging up, but stops... Then the dog stares at you, low to the ground, ready to make his move and attack you. (Yes, this has happened to me before. Thank God the dog was behind a fence.)
So, what are you supposed to do? If you stare him in the eyes, he'll take that as a challenge and attack you. But if you turn and run or even if you just turn your head and stop making eye contact, he'll charge and attack you anyway. So... what do you do? It's like, the second you stop making eye contact, the dog will go after you. That's what happened with the pitbull on the other side of the fence. After I looked away, he jumped on the fence like a maniac barking and snarling like he wanted to kill me, eat me, and use my bones to pick his teeth. I also tried owning him up and stood my ground (but boy was his bark loud!) and showed him I wasn't afraid, but he just kept on.

The only option that I can think of is to just wrestle the dog until you win... well, hope you win, anyway... xD

Oh, the pit who wanted to attack me was just protecting his territory. He actually belongs to my neighbors across the street, and we're cool with them. They're awesome. =) When they're around, though, and you go to pet Haze (the pit) or something, he's fine. It was just a territory thing. Haze is alright as long as his owners are around when you go to pet him. But when he's loose in the street (don't worry, they don't let him loose all the time, they call him back to the house when he goes out the yard) all I've got to do give him a loud "Shhhh!" and act tough and he'll crouch down low and back away. xP

Oh, no no no... You've got it all wrong, draggardevir. xP

They only let Haze out when they're outside watching him. As soon as he leaves the yard, they tell him to get back in the yard, and believe me, he listens to them. And they only let him loose for maybe an hour or something, or less. The only reason Haze came up to me a few times is b/c I had my dogs with me. He's not aggressive towards people. I just didn't know how he'd react to my dogs, which is why I stopped him before he got too close. He's a good dog and he won't attack for no reason. Even I know that and I can easily tell what kind of dog he is, like what his personality is. He's very well taken care of along with their other 2 pits. He doesn't even pay attention to people, even kids, walking on the streets when he's loose. And believe me, about 80% of the people walking the streets are little kids around 5 years old. It seems he's very attatched to his owner and knows that his owner is the boss. =)

Answer 1

Don't look the dog in the eye. Look just beyond him or to the side.
Don't run away or turn your back to him.
Don't smile or show your teeth.
Back up slowly and walk away.
Talk sweetly to the dog and say the word No. Don't shout.
Sometimes holding up your hand in the stop sign and saying the word No will help. Don't shout.
If anyone is around, ask for help. Perhaps a neighbor could spray water from the garden hose. Or a couple people on your side looks like a gang to the dog.

Answer 2

Don't make eye contact and slowly back away, Hopefully the dog will think it won the challenge and leaves.

If the dog does attack, there isn't much you can do other than try to gra it's *ahem* genetalia and squeeze hard (if it's a male) and gouge out it's eyes (either sex). Another suggestion would be to flank it, grab the loose area of skin just in front of the hind legs, it's quite sensitive to dogs there. Call the police immediately when the attack is over.

***ADDED***

After reading additions, there IS a problem here. Sure, the dogs may react to you saying a loud SHHH but does everyone know that? What if some child is walking down the street trying to sell magazines for his school? That kid is dead meat (literally), and once they start attacking, there will be nothing that child can do.

You say your neighbors are "awesome" but they're also extremely irresponsible for not only keeping a dog that has been known to go after people (by your own admission), but they do not try to contain the dog in their own yard along with taking extra percausions when it does get out to try to fix however the dog got out, and no one seems to care that these dogs are running loose in the neighborhood. Defending their territory is fine, but once that "territory" becomes a public area, like a sidewalk, street, then that's where the probelms happen.

Sure, the neigborhood might be fine with it now, and what will it take for people to realize that it is a problem (situations like this with any dog, even small dogs)? Someone getting bitten? Someone being seriously injured? Someone being killed?

FYI - Most fatalities and attacks are from dogs that everyone claimed were "friendly".

Have your neighbors take a course in dog responsibility before someone gets killed.

***ADDED***

For the people who say RUN, that is the LAST thing you want to do. When a dog is acting agressive towards you, it's instincts are kicking in, if you turn your back and/or run, then you are only one thing to them, PREY. Their instincts kick in and all they'll want to do is KILL THE PREY.

Answer 3

If You do come up to a situation like that DO NOT STARE IN THE DOGS EYES AT ALL that makes the dog tempted to attack u do not make a fast movement away from the dog then the dog will obvesly chase you also do not walk slow twards the dog then it makes the dog think they u are going to attack them 1 final thing not to do is dont put ou hand out or do any kind of movement to move to the dog it will scare them and it will inforce them to bite you just leave the dog alone it will lose intrest after a while and walk away but i would suggest not to walk that same way you did to get into the trouble of the dog attacking you

Answer 4

I think it's best to get in a stance ready to kick the dog's teeth out if he decides to attack, but depending on the situation you may or may not want to make the first move. Either way, if you fight a dog like another human, you'll win.

Answer 5

Attack it back, if it doesn't stop , kick it in the nose.. or if is biting you, you can force your hand or arm further into its mouth. Have you ever wrestled with a dog, then you know that forces them to open its mouth. If the dog is on the ground take a knee on its neck and don't stop until it stops moving.

I was attacked by a neighbor's German Shepperd once while walking back from the grocery store, I wasn't even near its territory, it came charging down the road, I tossed a bag of groceries at it to slow it down, kicked it in the nose when it got close, and strangled it. Then I dragged it into the neighbor's driveway and left it there for him to find. These days I could have sued him, and he could even have gotten jail time for his animal attacking me.

Answer 6

You might try carrying a handheld "dazer" with you. I keep one with me every time I approach a person's house that might have a dog. You never know what might come flying out of the back yard just as you reach the front steps.

Answer 7

Most dogs are back biters, very few dog will bit if you stand up to them. Stand tall. making your self look as big as possible and scream as loud as possible. that's why he is barking, he is trying to scare you into ruining. If you are big and loud he will be afraid of you. Then back away slowly, never look away or turn away. Make him think you will kill him if he bits you.

Answer 8

Stop and face the dog. Don't show fear. Dogs don't like to attack people or things that face them.

Answer 9

Well I think that you should just freeze, and if the dog does attack you curl up into feetle position and protect your head and face.

Answer 10

Just pick up a stone and throw it at the dog. most of the times it works. and well if it doesn't work, you can always try to wrestle it! hehe...