Defending against a dog

this is an excellence topic and i find this topic informative. Learning a lot from reading this thread.

i personally own and like dog but never thought of fighting with another BAD and MEAN dog
 
It has been thousands of years since mankind has had to fear for its collective safety from animal attack. In today's urban society, threat of animal attack has been all but snuffed out; except for dogs which, in spite of a vast majority of those gentle and domesticated, continue to be the biggest animal threat to urban dwellers. Most dogs are pleasant animals, deserving of the name: "man's best friend". The following advice is for those rare but terrifying moments when a dog attack does occur.

Avoid eye contact with an aggressive dog.

If you are jogging, stop jogging and walk by the dog, avoiding eye contact and sudden movement.

Avoid the temptation to rebuke the owner of an aggressive dog for allowing their menacing and unleashed dog to remain in your direct path. Aggressive dogs are often a reflection of their owner's character.

If you notice the aggressive dog unleashed again, contact the police with a good description of the dog, the owner and time of day. Try to remember the dog's name if it was called during your presence.

If the dog runs towards you exhibiting aggressive behaviour (growling or barking), stand your ground without sudden movement. Brace yourself and command the dog as if you were its owner: "No!" "Down!" "Sit!" "Stay!" Do this repeatedly. Do not raise your hands in a fight stance prematurely as this may antagonize the dog and you might lose your one chance at stopping the attacking dog through commands.

If the dog is small and presents no danger for your neck area, you may want to try to kick it. A good blow to the nose or to the body will stop most small dogs.

If a large dog attacks, take a fight stance with one leg in front of the other to maximize balance and protect your inner body. If you are athletic, you may want to use your foot as a primary weapon. This response could mean jeopardizing your balance. Should you fall, you lose your height advantage to a dog.

Special note for pit bulls: these dogs can be unusually aggressive. Some experts recommend that the best response to an attacking pit bull is to fall to the ground, roll into a ball with your chin tucked in and cover your face, ears and backs of your neck with your hands. Keep your knees pulled up into your chest. The idea is to play dead and hope that the dog will give up the attack.

{Editor's note: we have received many e-mails on this topic. Typical is the following: "When (pit bulls attack) a person or other animal, their first instinct is to grab ... and hold on. If laying down on the ground, there is a higher possibility of the dog biting in to a fatal spot. Standing upright is a much better strategy."}
A large dog may lunge for your throat. Protect this area of your body first and foremost with your arm tucked into your throat as far as you can without pulling back.

Punch the dog on the nose as hard as you can. Twist or pull the dog's ears. The dog's eyes are another soft spot which you should attack if required to defend yourself. Another stregy is to kick the dog in the rib cage. This will wind it and could stun it enough to ward off any more attacks. Yell for help.

If you frequently encounter stray or aggressive dogs, pepper spray or electronic whistles (adjusted at a frequency to cause dog's extreme discomfort) are inexpensive and excellent safeguards against dog attack.

If an attacking dog appears to be aimlessly wandering, biting at stationery objects, wild-eyed or with a thick ropy saliva covering it's chest, it may have rabies. Note that dogs may have rabies even if not exhibiting these symptoms so in all cases of dog bites especially if the skin has been broken, seek medical attention immediately. Rabies is a universally fatal disease if left untreated. You must first ensure that the dog is quarantined and observed for symptoms of rabies. Don't try to corral the dog yourself; call the police. If you have any doubts about rabies, consult a doctor for possible anti-rabies injections.

If not then get one of these:

http://www.selfdefensearmory.com/dogattackkit.htm
 
As far a wrestling your fathers 150lb German Shepherd, you may want to double check the breed, cuz German Shepherds aren't that big unless you have a mixed breed or it's a Shiloh Shepherd, or possibly a King Shepherd. Unless you're just exaggerating, in which case makes me wonder how honest you are in the rest of your posts.

At last check, he was around 140, so I did stretch it a bit. He came from a K-9 camp at a correctional facility as a pup. So he's purebread. As for coming on MT and calling someone you do not know ignorant, I'd have to question your motives and validity of your posts.

I've been attacked by dogs since I was a kid and was never bit. I'll stand by my record.

If I'm at the beach, kicking with bare feet is an even worse idea. If you're on the beach I bet you'd have a towel. You can improvise, it doesn't have to be a jacket. If you're a martial artist your best asset should be your ability to be creative yet smart about defending yourself and attempting to kick a big dog that's coming after you is going to get you hurt.

Who said anything about being barefoot? I chose the beach scenario to put you where there would be no sticks and most likely wearing no coat. The question was posed without specifics as to environment, and as I said before, being posted in a Kenpo forum, implied to me that the answer would have to do with defending yourself with the use of your hands and feet. Which is why I answered the way I did.
 
Thanks everyone for your viewpoints :)

There's alot of healthy good information in here and there will always be controversy amongst people .. how to handle any situation.. how to pronounce a word will vary from state to state, country to country.. Nobody is wrong.. :)

It's fantastic to have such varied information and again .. I thank you .. :)

Tess
 
MisterMike,

I didn't call anyone on this board ignorant.

I cannot believe how ignorant most people are when it comes to dogs attacking.

I was making a general statement, and not about anyone here so don't think I have a hidden motive.
 
The sure fire way of a great defense against dogs of all sizes is..

Carry the biggest raw T-Bone Steak in you pocket, Back pack or purse..Make sure it is approved by the USDA...;)

This is a 100 percent guarantee...:p
 
Originally posted by kenpo12
MisterMike,

I didn't call anyone on this board ignorant.

I was making a general statement, and not about anyone here so don't think I have a hidden motive.

No problem. I found your original post was pretty informative too. :cheers:
 
Originally posted by Akashiro Tamaya
The sure fire way of a great defense against dogs of all sizes is..

Carry the biggest raw T-Bone Steak in you pocket, Back pack or purse..Make sure it is approved by the USDA...;)

This is a 100 percent guarantee...:p

Beef Jerky is easier to carry.:D
 
Originally posted by Akashiro Tamaya
The sure fire way of a great defense against dogs of all sizes is..

Carry the biggest raw T-Bone Steak in you pocket, Back pack or purse..Make sure it is approved by the USDA...;)

This is a 100 percent guarantee...:p

Not necessarily Tamaya-san. When I train a dog it's all the way and that includes turning down tasty tid-bits from strangers or even friends. It's hard to do but possible. Police and Military K-9's are trained this extensively so that they don't receive a poisoned bait. So one doesn't know if the dog has that extensive training or not... odds are in your favor that they didn't.
But it's like the guy you meet on the street... you just don't know their training until you get right down to it.

:asian:
 
Originally posted by Akashiro Tamaya
True, just makes sure its a spicy one...:)
heh heh... ya, you can put it in a zip-loc baggie soaking in Dave's Gourmet Insanity Sauce (or any other SUPER-hot sauce) ... those habenaro peppers are killers. :xtrmshock
 
Originally posted by Akashiro Tamaya
The sure fire way of a great defense against dogs of all sizes is..

Carry the biggest raw T-Bone Steak in you pocket, Back pack or purse..Make sure it is approved by the USDA...;)

This is a 100 percent guarantee...:p

what will you say when people ask you why you carry it ALL the time ?

I hope you don't say It is my "SNACK BAR"?:D :D

T=BONE steak can be a deadly weapon if you throw it to somebody instead of DOG
 
I dont know about the dog but I'd fall for the T-Bone steak trick.
 
I've been in law enforcement since 1977 and am also a police training officer and was involved in the training of police dogs. The Calibre Press (Charles Remsberg & Dennis Anderson) have put on many Street Survival seminars only for law enforcment officers and military since the 1980's. They also have published several books. They really research their subjects and are pro martial arts for police training as seen by their many guest instructors. They state that a black belt karate expert would stand about a 90 per cent chance of surviving an attack from a trained Doberman. Now, they say survive, not win. I have raised German Shepards and have had Dobbies and Rotties in the past and I'll say this through the experience of breaking up dog fights. If they animal is totally committed and I mean COMMITED, then good luck! Animals are like people. We all know that if an opponent is totally committed then we have our work cut out for us just to survive. Even bullets have been known to be unable to penetrate the skulls and will glance around it instead, not only in animals but even humans. One suspect was shot 33 times with a 9mm in an armed robbery before he stopped returning fire. All I can say, if the dog goes for your throat, feed him your arm, at least you can survive that (just like knife defenses). We were also told that you can hold him in such a way ( behind his front legs) so that his jaws can't reach you, get him off the ground ( they become disorientated), throw him (if possible from high ground to a lower point) and run like hell! I've seen committed dogs take blows from shovels and not go down. One pit bull took 13 rounds from a 9mm before dropping in a committed attack. So, believe me, some of the techniques you hear about are ludicrious, they'll never work unless the animal is not really committed. Hey, some big, tough looking guys with one minor whack go running, some dogs are the same way. The key word is committed and you really won't find that out untill its too late. Respectfully, Shihan Joe Shuras
 
Not necessarily Tamaya-san. When I train a dog it's all the way and that includes turning down tasty tid-bits from strangers or even friends. It's hard to do but possible. Police and Military K-9's are trained this extensively so that they don't receive a poisoned bait. So one doesn't know if the dog has that extensive training or not... odds are in your favor that they didn't.
My ex-wife's dad had a trained shepard that would not take anything from anyone unless it was offered in the left hand. The reasoning being that the majority of the population is right handed and should they attempt to poison the dog with a treat before breaking into the house they would offer it with the right hand.

I have a boxer that I fight with on a regular basis. I've found my aikido training great for blending with his attack and getting out of the way of his lunge. I've even been able to redirect him about 90 degrees while he is still in flight. The raw power possessed by some of the larger breeds is truly amazing. I just don't want to have to defend myself against one of them but the suggestions given thus far in this thread have at least given me somethings to think about.
 
Thanks for the insight. It is good to hear from someone with experience in this arena.

By feeding him the arm, (assume I know the drill they do for attack dogs on the arm), are you actually trying to force the arm down his throat or lock the jaws? I am assuming a bite and tear, not just snapping jaws.

-MB
 
I've got a 154lb Bullmastiff with a 32" head. There really isn't much short of a gun or knife that'll stop him should he decide to move on you, I don't care how much MA training you have.

Have a great Kenpo day

Clyde
 
Hi Michael, No, not at all. Feeding the arm is just the lesser of two evils, in a sense. If you feel you are definitely going to be bit as he lunges for your throat, you give him the arm and hope even though you're bit you can get do something to get free and run. Obviously, if he takes it to the throat, its lights out! It's like defending against the knife, you're most likely going to be cut defending yourself so you utilize the areas of the hands and arms in protecting and defending that if cut are survivable. Same premise. In the stress & realism of the situation, ramming your hand down is throat would most likely never happen. Respectfully, Shihan Joe Shuras
 
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