You could be walking down the street when suddenly a loose dog steps into your path. It doesn’t move toward you but you can tell it’s on edge (bared teeth or raised fur generally indicate an aggressive dog).
Dog attacks don’t happen often in people’s lives, so they aren’t always ready for an unexpected encounter. You may be wondering how you can protect yourself from a dog attack. Here’s what you should know:
Don’t run from a dog
People either have a flight or fight instinct when in danger – you may have a flight instinct that alerts you to run from danger. Reacting to a stray dog could cause it to chase after you. It’s suggested that staying still could be your best option.
Don’t fight the dog
On the other hand, you may have fighting instincts when in danger. This could mean approaching the dog and reacting first before the dog has a chance to attack you. If you feel the best choice of action is to engage the dog, you could end up with serious injuries. You may consider carrying dog spray intended to deter the dog – some dog sprays are made specifically to scare dogs away without injuring them.
Yell commands at the dog
Some stray dogs have just lost their owners and may be scared. If you happen to run into a lost dog, you may be able to shout commands. If the dog is trained or understands the command the dog might settle down and sit or run away. This could give you the chance to put distance between you and the dog.
Even if you did everything possible to not be attacked by a dog, you may still be bit and seriously injured, causing you to have large medical bills. At which point, you may consider reaching out to legal help to recover from your injuries.