What to do when you encounter a violent dog (these tips can avoid serious consequences)

“A dog is man’s best friend.” This phrase seeks to portray the friendly relationship that many dogs have with humans, but we need to remember that this is not always the case. Animals can exhibit violent behavior for several reasons: mistreatment, overprotection and unfamiliarity with people.

The team of awesome.club researched the subject and found out what to do if, by chance, you come across a non-domesticated and aggressive dog. Follow!

It’s not a good idea to run away. The animal’s hunting instinct can be triggered and thus you can be mistaken for a possible prey.

What to do:

Stay at a safe distance and calmly wait for the animal to move away. Slowly back away and watch the dog’s reaction. If he approaches you, stop. If he stays still, keep moving at the same pace. After the animal turns or stops looking at you, walk as normal.

You can also distract him by placing an object between you. Some options: backpack, umbrella, sneakers, coat. The animal will interpret the object as an obstacle that could prevent it from reaching the possible prey. Therefore, he will be distracted.

Violent dogs react to movement and will often attack people on bicycles, motorcycles and even cars. If the dog is following you, it is better to stop: this way he will lose interest in you almost immediately.

Continue moving only after he turns or walks away. What you shouldn’t do is try to speed up: the dog will probably run more and can catch up with you.

If a strange dog barks at your animal, don’t make sudden movements, like picking up your puppy in your lap. The aggressor, in this case, can react to the movement and attack you. If, on the other hand, you do nothing, there is a risk that your pet will be attacked.

There is no ideal solution for this situation. If you don’t want to put your pet in a risky position, try putting it behind a fence, in a bush or on a tree (if you don’t have a cat).

However, there is universal advice: just try to distract the aggressor. If you have any food with you, throw it on the ground. As a general rule, stray dogs are normally hungry and will not refuse food. The best option would be to throw the treat as far as possible: the greater the distance, the better your chances of getting out of there.

Using pepper spray, as advised on many forums, is not a good idea. This can irritate the animal and make him even more nervous.

One of the worst moments is when the dog approaches you and starts growling. If he’s alone, don’t yell things like “can’t!” or “get out of here!”

In such situations, it is better to remain motionless and not look the animal in the eye. Eye contact is seen as a signal to start fighting. If you’re standing still as a post, the bully won’t be as interested in you — in most cases, he’ll just give you a bite and then walk away.

And what to do if he gets close and starts smelling you? Let it. Do not move and in no way try to pet him. He might take this as an attack.

Another common advice, that of hitting the animal, especially on the nose, will hardly help with anything. Dogs move very fast, and you probably won’t be able to keep up. Also, sudden movements will make the animal even more skittish.

Of course, the best way to protect yourself from an aggressive dog is to avoid encountering him. If you hear loud barking or growling in the distance, choose another path, even if it is the longest.

Have you ever been in a situation like this? Tell us what you did to get out of it.