Attacked by a dog

I'd think a bunny would attract more doggies.. j/k

I had the pleasure of suffering the wrath of several different 'guard dogs' over the years. My grandparents thought it was a great idea. My cousin got on with them okay as she was around them lots... so one day we took this massive creme dog (I don't remember any of these creatures names) out 'for a walk' (we were what, 12?, at the oldest). Something happened, and the dog started pulling at his leash. I was walking a few feet ahead and my cousin screamed that the dog was about to rip away from her. I start running down the driveway (downhill, on gravel) and hear the dog running up behind me. Opps. Just before the dog reached me I instinctively stop dead and drop my eyes. The dog ran around in front of me and barked in my face a bunch until my cousin saved my arse (good on 'er). Not quite the scenario you described, but just throwing it out there for ya.
Lucky for me the dog prefered to cuss me out than rip me to shreds. Good doggie.

Then there was the dog that nearly ripped my face off when I was a toddler (no memory of that of course). I have a scar (crater like) next to my left eye. WTF? What kinda idiot dog lunges at a toddler? (And yeah, toddlers can pull on tails and waddle threateningly, but normal dogs just nip their hand or something, sheesh)

Oh wait, am I rambling again? Not me, no. This is all valuble research material, right? right? Sassee?

So yeah, stopping dead last minute and getting not-bitten or less-bitten is a possibility for your character...

Cheers,
Christina

It depends on the dog/breed/size.

Your average angry pup will either go for your hands or your ankles, depending on what he can reach. A large dog, coming at you from behind, will launch into your back, knock you down and go for your throat. A small, annoying little guy is gonna grab your ankles and trip you up.

Again, depending on the breed - you're looking at nasty puncture wounds coupled with serious bruising, or death.

I've had a chihuahua bite my hand and cause serious damage, and a bull terrier latch on to my forearm to let me know he could rip it off if he really wanted to.

I've had one come straight for my throat, but he was taken down by my co-worker with a plank of wood. (for the record, he was in to be put down, but we hadn't intended to use the wood.)

i have been bitten twice--once i was on a bike. the dog, german shepherd, broke his chain and there was no getting away. i was about 14, terrified, but i could not stop pedaling because i didn't want us to fall in a ditch.

my friend and i were on a double bike. she picked up her feet and wouldn't pedal so i had to pedal. he hung on for a pretty far piece and ripped up my wranglers. it hurt so badly that i got the chills and it was a summer day. then i vomitted. it was a weird dull throbbing pain--i rate it worse than the first pains in childbirth but not quite as bad as those last three hours -s6

Hi Sassee - I haven't been bitten in a confrontation with a dog (always managed to convince the dog I was meaner). But, we had a husky-cross, 65lb, lovable, playful mutt. Our neighbors kids sneaked down through the woods and the dog went charging out to find out who the intruders were. The kids ran (bad mistake). And, of course, the dog was in hot pursuit. He knocked the last one in line down flat (hit her in the middle of her back) and stood on her, didn't try to bite, but it scared the --- out of her anyway).

Now on bites - we had a young pup and one of our rules is that we always must be able to take a bone away from a dog when they're chewing on it. My husband reached for the pup's bone and had his hand ripped open requiring four stitches. Not fun. And, of course, convincing the ER that the dog wasn't rabid wasn't much fun either. Puma

Eighty pounds is a pretty big dog. I bet you're looking at stitches, at the very least, but it depends a bit on the breed. I once had a half-chow, maybe seventy pounds at her fattest, and I'm fairly sure she could have broken bones. Not that she was ever vicious, you understand---at her worst, she was just arthritic and jumpy---but she did a real number on marrow bones.

I've been told that it's sometimes a good idea to carry something in your hand (walking stick, bag, etc.) because a dog will latch onto that first. Certainly my mother's dog (mostly Blue Heeler, a cattle-herding breed) needed to be trained out of nipping and tugging on hands. So if you want a nonfatal but potentially serious injury, you could have the dog latch onto the character's arm.

Izunya

Well, my neighbor once found himself ganged-up on by three dogs that circled and barked at him. While two kept his attention up front, one of the buggers sneaked up behind him, bit him in the bum, then, for good measure bit through the back of his thigh. Had to go get the holes in his leg stitched up. (He didn't mention whether or not he had to have his bum sewn back together.) The dogs of the trio were about the size of your hypothetical one...

When I was in high school I tried to stop a dogfight--big mistake, and I still have the scars. I was walking a neighbor's dobie (a really sweet dog) when another neighbor's dog, a red setter who was known to be very dog-aggressive, got out of his fence and attacked the dobie. When I tried to separate them I was bitten on my right hand--the setter grabbed my hand in his jaws and punctured the back of my hand in two places and the palm in two places--and on my left wrist, where a slashing bite opened an inch-long gash that required two stitches and resulted in some (temporary) nerve damage to my hand. I don't really remember feeling pain at the time, but I was really scared once I saw all the blood.

I'm happy to report that after I ran off to get help, the dobie beat the setter up pretty efficiently. The setter had tried to kill several other (smaller) dogs in the neighborhood before, so he deserved everything he got from picking a fight with someone his own size.

Of course, this isn't really what you needed, but maybe it'll help. Be careful what breed you decide to use for your story. I have a 110-pound Newfoundland who would never, ever for any reason EVER bite anyone. I'm serious. Newfs aren't aggressive, and my dog is a particularly soft-hearted individual. When he thinks I need protection he puts his big self between me and the perceived threat (for instance, the Goodyear Blimp) and just stands there. If he thinks the threat is getting too close, he'll give a thundering woof. So far, it's worked. I have yet to be attacked by a blimp.

I can give you an eyewitness to a dog attack that happened to my mother of all people. It was pretty bad. I don't know what it is about Irish setters, I read the previous post, but my mom used to live across the street from me and one day she comes out of her door holding her little dog, a dachshound I believe (not sure on the spelling) anyway from out of no where this setter hit her at a full gallop and snatched her dog from her arms ripping a huge gash in my mom''s arm. The setter jumped at her with such force that his momentum carried him into the brick wall of the house she had just exited. Now mind you I'm watching this from across the street in my driveway stunned. The impact with the wall cuncussed the setter enough that he lost the grip on my mom's dog and the little guy managed to run under a nearby parked car for safety. As quick as I could I picked up a rock or stick or something, I really can't remember but I managed to run up and whack the setter really good in the side, and he took off yelping back to a neighbors yard where he escaped. Okay, the damage. My mom ended up with a couple of dozen double stitches up and down her arm ( you know the ones that get sewn inside as well as outside) She got some nerve damage in her fingers but eventually got the feeling back, and her little dog suffered a partial de-gloving, which is a fancy way of saying that his hide was ripped exposing raw tissue across her back.. My mom lost a lot of blood and for an elderly woman actually was really lucky that she survived the strain of the ordeal. We sued the dogs owners and after a lengthy court battle won a settlement I think in th 10-15k range. It happened about 15 years ago and unfortunatly my mom departed a few years after. My point in telling you story is that dogs can do serious serious damage, and really quick. I wouldn't have believed it had I not seen it up close and personal.....

FYI, I was told that if you insist on breaking up a dog fight, do so with your feet, not your arms (and make sure you are balanced). Not the nicest image, but better than what the two dogs will do to eachother...

Slightly OT, but a friend of mine was attacked by a doberman years ago… it did a fair amount of damage to his forearms as he tried to protect his face and neck. Anyway, from somewhere he managed to summon the presence of mind to yell “SIT” – and the dog actually stopped and sat while friend got up and walked away.

Now thats a dog that had good training. I've heard people explain that dogs need to do as they're told, when they're told, no matter what, but that takes the cake! Lucky for your friend.

Cheers,
Christina

Bahamutchild said:

Now thats a dog that had good training. I've heard people explain that dogs need to do as they're told, when they're told, no matter what, but that takes the cake! Lucky for your friend.

Cheers,
Christina

Click to expand...

Yeah… I guess it must have been one of those contract-killer type dogs that does the job, nothing personal you understand, and then just moves on to the next mark…

You never want to run. If you want proof of how much this stirs dogs up then go to a dog park and watch what happens when one dog takes off running. My dog who is very meek likes to get the other dogs stirred up for whatever reason and she is fast enough that she can get quite a following before being bowled over. Lots of instinct kicks in though and it's a good catalyst for a fight to break out, generally between two followers not between the runner and a follower.

Eye contact also equates to challenge to a dog so you wouldn't want to make eye contact with an aggressive dog.

When I was in the sixth or seventh grade, (about 18 years ago), my brother, sister, cousin and I were attacked by a neighbor's Rottweiler. It is probably one of my scariest moments, actually. We had been playing out in the yard, and Samson walked over. He had always been friendly, plus we had two Rottys in the neighborhood, Samson and Goliath. Goliath was just a big friendly pup. We thought it might have been him. My brother approached him, and he growled. We shooed him away and went back to playing. All of a sudden, the dog came out of nowhere. He chased down my little sister, who was six or seven at the time. He knocked her down and held one paw on her back. She couldn't get up. My brother ran for our neighbor's house to get the owner, and I ran inside our house to get my parents. The dog was confused about who to run after. He chose to go after my brother, luckily for me. I was slower, and my brother had a head start. He was able to make it over there before the dog lost interest and went back to my cousin and my sister.

We had an above ground swimming pool, and my cousin got my little sister up against it and stood behind her to protect her. The dog grabbed my cousin's leg in his mouth just seconds before my parents got out there. Luckily, my stepdad was able to pull him off before he did any damage beyond extensive bruising.

We found out later that the owner had been training him to fight. The owner insisted the dog was just playing, otherwise my cousin wouldn't still have her leg. My aunt took my cousin into the hospital to make sure it really was bruising, and the hospital insisted on calling animal control. The dog was put down.

Southern_girl29 said:

When I was in the sixth or seventh grade, (about 18 years ago), my brother, sister, cousin and I were attacked by a neighbor's Rottweiler. It is probably one of my scariest moments, actually. We had been playing out in the yard, and Samson walked over. He had always been friendly, plus we had two Rottys in the neighborhood, Samson and Goliath. Goliath was just a big friendly pup. We thought it might have been him. My brother approached him, and he growled. We shooed him away and went back to playing. All of a sudden, the dog came out of nowhere. He chased down my little sister, who was six or seven at the time. He knocked her down and held one paw on her back. She couldn't get up. My brother ran for our neighbor's house to get the owner, and I ran inside our house to get my parents. The dog was confused about who to run after. He chose to go after my brother, luckily for me. I was slower, and my brother had a head start. He was able to make it over there before the dog lost interest and went back to my cousin and my sister.

We had an above ground swimming pool, and my cousin got my little sister up against it and stood behind her to protect her. The dog grabbed my cousin's leg in his mouth just seconds before my parents got out there. Luckily, my stepdad was able to pull him off before he did any damage beyond extensive bruising.

We found out later that the owner had been training him to fight. The owner insisted the dog was just playing, otherwise my cousin wouldn't still have her leg. My aunt took my cousin into the hospital to make sure it really was bruising, and the hospital insisted on calling animal control. The dog was put down.

Click to expand...

Gee… your cousin had guts to stand up to one of those. You know the old joke: What do you say to a rottweiler that’s humping your leg? Good dog.

Stressed said:

Gee… your cousin had guts to stand up to one of those. You know the old joke: What do you say to a rottweiler that’s humping your leg? Good dog.

Click to expand...

I hate those dogs now. When my step-dad got him off her and started pulling the dog home, my cousin fainted. She said it was from fear more than pain. She still doesn't like big dogs at all.

If you want to know what to do about a dog that's going for your throat: Put the forearm of your non-dominant hand crosswise as far into the dog's mouth as you can, put your dominant forearm across the back of the dog's neck, and lever to break its neck.

You may take damage to your abdomen from its claws while this is going on, so be fast.

Then go to the hospital to get stitched up and get antibiotics.

For multiple dogs a pump-action shotgun is about what you need.

My brother was attacked by a pit bull. We lived in a duplex and the owners were the people next to us. The dog was kept on a lead in the front yard. They trained to attack the tire swing in their yard and their kids threw rocks at it. I don't think the adults knew about the rock throwing.

My brother was coming home and didn't see the dog on the lead and it got a hold of him. I know it scratched up his back and maybe bit him on the shoulder. The doctors said it was a good thing the dog was just a puppy or my brother would be dead. He has no scars physically. He is very afraid of dogs now of all sizes. He just now able to come to a friend's house and they own two dogs. But if they bark then he jumps out of skin. Not that I blame him for any of it.

We could never get the neighbors to pay for medical bills either. Although I believe the dog was put down.

Never been bitten by a dog. I always froze when the dog charged me as a kid. I think I got good survival instincts hardwired. If you run, the dog's chase reflex is triggered.

I thought I posted this before but it looks like it got munched.

I used to ride my mare in a rural area with a noted problem with dog packs, both "domestic" and "feral" -- the domestic ones being the packs owned by resident(s) and arguably better fed and in better shape. Some of these dog packs were known to take down large livestock -- horses, cattle.

Anyway.

One thing I discovered is that, when I was on horseback, a lot of dogs are more bark than bite. A big show of aggression back and they'd bolt. I'd generally turn my mare around, scream like a madwoman, and charge the dogs and they'd take off in a hurry -- though it helped that if they didn't run, the mare could and would go after them with her teeth and hooves and I rode with a dressage whip that was long enough to nail them. She was an old range mare who didn't think much of dogs and knew she was bigger and meaner than they were ... it got to be quite a game to chase the dogs across the desert.

I am not sure how this would translate to a person on foot, but it's worth noting how quickly dogs can turn from "I'm going to eat you!" to tail-between-the-legs fleeing in a panic if somebody calls their bluff.

And if I'd run from them on horseback I'm 100% sure some of the packs would have given serious chase.

Leva

Where a dog bites depends largely upon whether it is trained or untrained, and what sort of training it has had. I've done schutzhund training with my German shepherds, which is protection dog work. It's very similar to what the police use. In schutzhund, the dogs are trained to bite the person on the arm, so that his where they will bite when they attack someone. There is special training done with people running away to ensure that the dog takes them by the arm.

Most of the dogs I've seen in schutzhund have been sixty to ninety pounds, all German shepherds. A full grown man, running from the dog, will often get dropped when it latches onto his arm, but not necessarily. Usually, when chasing a person, the dog will lunge, grab the arm, and hang. The smaller the person and the bigger the dog, the more likely the person will go to the ground. The schutzhund and police dogs are trained to hang on to that arm once the guy is down, and not do anything else. So, if it's a trained dog, multiple bites are much less likely than an untrained dog.

I haven't seen any untrained dog attacks, so I'm not sure how that would go down. However, I find it likely that the dog would go for the legs in that scenario.

As to self-defense scenarios involving dogs, the police canine handlers I've talked to all recommend not running, and kicking the dog with the point of your toe (if you're wearing shoes). You want to kick the dog in either the sternum or the ribs, as dogs have less muscle in those places to protect them. A good kick to the sternum can kill a dog, and a kick to the ribs is likely to break them. However, if you have a dog that is dead set on killing you, then it will probably take significantly more force than that to deter it.