BBC Focus Magazine

[jpYB3Gq]

I have recently been bitten by a dog on the thigh, luckily not the genitals. I bled and have to take injection and eat antibiotics.

Is there anyway I can defend myself against dog attacks?

Thanks.

[Lateralman]

Carry a bone!

[The Beige Avenger]

....
Is there anyway I can defend myself against dog attacks?
....

Get a dog?

If you don't want a dog, avoid the nuisance dog.... why did it bite you? Cross the road etc.

Carry some treats with you? Dogs tend to become compliant when there's bacon involved.

Carry pepper spray or something offensive to canine senses? You probably won't be allowed to in Singapore though...

[Lateralman]

On the other hand, any one of these should do the trick; Carry a ball! Carry a Postman! Wear a Gillie suit! Adopt a Rottweiler! Buy an armoured truck! Wear chain mail! Move house! Don’t walk! Buy stilts! Become a Doctor Do Little and talk the dog out of biting you!

[Shadowwolf]

Well I wouldn't imagine they are all too common so chances are this is your one and only experience.

That said, if a dog is attacking and you have no reasonably safe means of escape or substantial ad-hoc weapon then I - in the comfort of my living room with no prior experience of such - would suggest offence. Do not turn and run unless you are absolutely certain you can get somewhere the dog cannot, do not shield with your arm thereby presenting a bite and hold object, do not recoil keeping your arms raised over your head. Make your self as large and threatening as possible, if you have a coat or jacket remove it and use it as an ad-hoc net, if you have keys you can keep a grip on like car keys use them, if it gets in close I can only imagine that your best objective is to keep the teeth away by going for the head and wrestle it to the ground. Subjugate it until help arrives and / or attempt to inflict as much damage as possible so it is the one trying to flee.

[Doonhamer]

The manly way is to stand and let it bite your leg. Once it has a good grip, grab it round the neck and squeeze as tight as you can until it's dead...

[M Paul Lloyd]

Sounds like a very Scots sort of solution Doonhamer.

[Lateralman]

If you are in crowded Singapore, you should report the attack to the authorities right away. Children may be hurt.

[jpYB3Gq]

thank you all so much for the kind suggestions, i will consider all the options . thanks so much.

[M Paul Lloyd]

Just take care of yourself Mr.J.

[MrIsaksson]

The manly way is to stand and let it bite your leg. Once it has a good grip, grab it round the neck and squeeze as tight as you can until it's dead...

Now that is a very manly way!

[Doonhamer]

There is a degree of truth in it though. Obviously you want to prevent it biting in the first place, sometimes just standing you ground, trying to look as big as possible helps. That's what some cats do. But if it's going to bite you, you probably don't want it to get your arms, particularly your stronger arm, or your face/neck area. You could quickly wrap a coat/jumper around your weaker arm and let it go for that, might win you some time until help arrives.

[Thinker]

I don't mean to sound like a ruffian, but surely kicking it really hard in the throat should disarm it for a short while.

[Doonhamer]

I don't mean to sound like a ruffian, but surely kicking it really hard in the throat should disarm it for a short while.

Yes, it's just difficult to do if a crazed dog is biting chunks out of you. That's why, if you can bear it, to let it get a good grip around your shin is a good idea. It gives you a chance to throttle it. The hard bit is you have to keep squeezing until it actually dies, or it'll likely just attack again...

[Thinker]

I don't mean to sound like a ruffian, but surely kicking it really hard in the throat should disarm it for a short while.

Yes, it's just difficult to do if a crazed dog is biting chunks out of you. That's why, if you can bear it, to let it get a good grip around your shin is a good idea. It gives you a chance to throttle it. The hard bit is you have to keep squeezing until it actually dies, or it'll likely just attack again...

I find your response disturbing!

[Shadowwolf]

Tis the likely requirement though.

[MrIsaksson]

There is a degree of truth in it though. Obviously you want to prevent it biting in the first place, sometimes just standing you ground, trying to look as big as possible helps. That's what some cats do. But if it's going to bite you, you probably don't want it to get your arms, particularly your stronger arm, or your face/neck area. You could quickly wrap a coat/jumper around your weaker arm and let it go for that, might win you some time until help arrives.

Having kept dobermans for many years and currently got two male dobermans, I can tell you if a large dog properly goes for you, you are a gonner.
There is just no way you can stand and fight and hope to get away unless you have a weapon of some sort.

I love playing rough with my dogs but one thing I have learnt from having large dogs is that you would never win if it was real.
Dobermans natural attack tactics, as with few breeds of dogs, is not to first bite you. It is to hit you with their chest, which knocks you over. Then they bite.....
Even when I know one of them are coming to try to play knock me over, it is really hard to withstand 45 kg of dog hitting you in full speed.

[Shadowwolf]

I would imagine that one would not actually stand and receive their charge.

[Lateralman]

Letting the dog bite you isn’t such a good idea if it is rabid.

[Shadowwolf]

There are drugs for that but I'd still not be inclined to let it bite down just so I can get an unobstructed hold on its neck.