Dr. Sophia Yin: How to survive a dog attack

Comments

• ShikokuSpirit

  December 2011

  Good blog, short and straight to the point. It's true that most dogs aren't actually going to bite if you don't give them a reason to. It's only that small percentage of dogs who will actually bite...provoked or unprovoked. I mean REAL bites...not just a snap or a nip.
  
  I can't find the specific video that I'm looking for. It was a good bite prevention video in case the dog persues an attack. It demostrated throwing out an object between yourself and the dog. Creating a block so that dog hopefully bites that object and not you.
  Then the video said to never hit the dog on the head or the snout as that will accomplish nothing. Assuming the dog already has a grip on you. Instead the video said to grab the dog's front paw and twist it. Since the paw is one of the most sensitive body parts on the dog. This should get the dog to release its grip on you.
  
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  On a semi-funny note. My little sister's teenage brother got bite by a Shepherd on his way home from school. It sucks that he got bit but what happened afterwards was kinda funny:
  
  Okies...so he was skateboarding home from school. Then a dog comes running at him. He got off his skateboard and stood there waiting to greet the dog. For some reason, he thought that the dog might be friendly. So he went to reach out and pet the dog. The dog then jumped up on him, bit him on the back side of his stomach, took his skateboard and then ran off.
  
  I just think it is hilarious that the dog STOLE his skateboard! The bite wound wasn't too bad, it barely broke skin. It just needed daily cleaning to keep it from getting infected. No stitches necessary.
  
  So yeah, I had to share that story because it is the BEST dog bite story ever! I think some kids found his skateboard later though and returned it. I'm not sure if Animal Control ever caught the dog.
• Losech

  December 2011 edited December 2011

  Yesterday I was out trail running with Conker and came around a corner right into a Doberman's face. I scared her really good and the first thing I did was stop, back up and turn sideways. She barked and growled at me but when I did that she quit and instead just stood her ground eying me suspiciously.
  Then a Lab who was with her came bouncing up and was all "Hey, a person! YAY PERSON!" and nearly tackled me, then she saw Conker and took off after him.
  The owners caught up eventually and was all "Oh she's a nice dog, she's nice and won't bite." I imagine most people are scared of her since she's a Dobie but I knew it was my fault for startling her and explained that to them. (I would have taken responsibility for a bite too. I imagine most people wouldn't do that either.)
  
  I generally try not to run around corners like that because of that very reason, startling a dog or other animal, but I honestly didn't think anyone would be going up that trail at that time of day.
  
  @ShikokuSpirit The dog took his skateboard? What a bastard!