Ted Taylor writes:

Very informative article Nev. I have previously mentioned my own dog attack while in the Himalayas. The locals later told me that the act of squatting down as if to pick up a stone will often drive them away. Of course, not all dogs will have that negative reinforcement conditioning.

Japan is going a major dog boom at the moment. The majority are small ‘accessories’ that would probably strain their necks if they tried to bite higher than an ankle. Yet I can realistically imagine a time after the popularity wanes, when the abandoned animals roam wild and hungry in the mountains outside cities. Dog attacks will surely increase.

Charles Warren writes:

Most dog “attacks” are simply vigorous ways of signalling that the dog(s) is (are) displeased with your presence. It or they are doing their job to at once herd you out of the territory and notify their owners of your presence and their diligence. Nonetheless, nipping at ankles is a real possibility. I have found that rocks work well, particularly in the daytime. If you own a dog, you may have to defend it. Particularly these days the law favors self-defense by dog over armed self defense. This fact has been lost neither on drug dealers nor attractive young women. The difficulty with having a dog as a weapon is that it, unlike a pistol, has its own agenda. Defending my cocker spaniel from a pit bull I found that pepper spray is very effective. Effective on the owner as well, if as was the case it’s a drug dealer. Actually the owner knew pepper spray well and got his animal under control without its stimulus. Other than that, most dog attacks, naturally, occur below waist level, so kicks work. Don’t expect to connect very often. Dogs are excellent judges of distance. But you will clear some distance. On two occasions at night I found that the sound of an opening pocket knife was an excellent deterrent. One click and the whole pack left the scene.

Stefan Schröder writes:

Dear Nev Sagiba,

thank you for sharing your insights into dog assaults. I like to add some observations and notes to your blog article.

First of all, your scenario is really scary, but - who knows - reality is not a picnic. Anyway I think there are some measures against dogs that are not quite as dangerous as those in your essay. Let’s think a minute about the reasons why a dog should attack you. Three reasons come to mind immediately. First, you might have entered his patch. Your fault, simply withdraw - leave his “castle.” Second, dogs - like all animals and human beings - attack out of fear, this imposes the question: Did you scare the dog or attack him involuntarily? Third, the dogs might have been sent after you deliberately, well then, what did you do to attract the dog owners anger? Did you really act according the aikido principles before the attack command was yelled?

Now these are many if’s and when’s that will not help you when under attack. Let’s look at statistics. Most dogs attacks are against their own family! This is a consequence of mis-education and ignorance of the dog owners, resulting in mistreatment of the dogs. Not all, but many dog owners do not accept the responsibilities that come with living with a dog. Often, dogs are mere toys or tools and their natural behavior and requirements are not met.

I can only speak for my own country, but here in Germany, packs running wild are rather scarce. We have a problem with dog assaults, but mostly because of the reasons cited above. Let me provide an example. Parents of small children think it is cute to have their toddler sitting in their dogs basket, but their is a great chance, that the dog does not share their enthusiasm. On the contrary: Dogs do not accept small children as authorities, they are expected to “follow the rules”. One of the rules is: My dog basket is my territory. He will growl and bare his teeth. Reaction of the parents: “Bad dog!” The dog learns from this, that to give the child warning of his intention to fend of the intruder will result in scolding. Therefore his next attack may be without warning. Dogs logic.

Another mistake often made by human beings when dealing with dogs is to assign human characteristics to dogs. Dogs know no guilt. Guilt is a human word. When a dog is scolded, he will of course crawl on all fours, but not because he knows what he did wrong, but because he is scolded. Consequence: The dumb human thinks that the dog is ashamed and is satisfied with his dog training abilities. But the dog did not learn.

Dogs learn every day. And they cannot learn, if they are not shown what to do. Too often I see dog owners who yell at their poor dogs who simply don’t know what to do, how to behave, because they are beaten for doing the wrong thing, but not motivated to do the right thing - Motivation, that’s the modern, the better, the right way to train dogs.

But let’s return to the evil dogs. I do not share your pessimism with respect to the reaction time. Dogs are fast, but they don’t materialize in front of you.

My tips to increase the repertoire of possible defenses:

* Take of your jacket as soon as possible and wrap it around your forearm. Offer it as a bait. When the dog takes it, grab his collar and twist it (if the dog was not mad at you before, he now will be!), take him down and rest your knee on the side of his head.

* Take of one shoe, use it like a glove and push that into the dogs throat, not your naked hand.

* Pulling the dogs tongue is said to be effective (only proven with nice dogs)

I don’t share your rejection of throws. I once threw a small dog over a fence. He was not really dangerous, but a nuisance. Throws will buy you time for escape and thinking.

Only my 1 cent.

Woof woof,

Stefan Schroeder.

PS. I wish to thank my dog trainer Dr Sandra Bruns.

Nev writes:

For some facts, read the statistics in the web links I have provided. Note the details at: http://www.dogbitelaw.com/PAGES/statistics.html

The face is the most frequent target

Studies also have shown that:

* Dog bites result in approximately 44,000 facial injuries in US hospitals each year. This represents between 0.5% and 1.5% of all emergency room visits

* The face is the most frequent target (77% of all injures). Mail carriers are an exception where 97% involve the lower extremities.

* The central target area for the face includes the lips, nose, and cheeks.

Also the section on fatalities.

Tom Fox writes:

It isn’t necessary to drop down and pretend to pick up a stone in countries where dogs tend to run free and people tend to throw stones at them. Just raise your arm. Dogs are too fast.

In Thailand, I dropped and put my hand to the ground once and nearly didn’t get my arm back up in time. Luckily, the dog responded immediately to the raised arm even though I didn’t have time to stand again.

Since that time, I have just assumed the throwing position and dogs have instantly backed off several meters, even in a pack.

A pack requires some attention to the dogs circling round the back, but none of the dogs want to be the one to take the stone, so pack coordination tends to fall apart.

This only works in places where dogs are regularly stoned, but I would bet that includes a good portion of the planet and many if not most places where leashes aren’t commonly used.

Belatedly Nev Sensei, in this addition to my comment I want to respond to your comments in this blog and your latest on the difference between an attack and posturing, recognizing the futility of any posturing with or without an imaginary stone in the event of a full-charge deadly attack.

I do indeed recognize the difference, and I recognize my good fortune, having lived my life so far without being on the receiving end of such an attack. A member of my university class recently lost a wife and two daughters to a home invasion in the U.S., bringing home the precariousness of my good fortune and the need to do what I can to prepare for the worst - without becoming obsessed with the possibilities, of course.

My post was about those instances you mention in your latest blog when the posturing is with the intent of deciding to attack. Since the subject of pretending to pick up a stone was mentioned in an earlier comment, I felt it important enough to relate my experience.

Since I didn’t yet have confidence in the pretence, I once met an onrushing dog by going to ground to pick up a real stone. I almost gave a piece of my face to a dog who was definitely intent on biting me, but who fortunately didn’t have the self-confidence of a killer dog when I finally got my attack posture in place.

Certainly, this tactic won’t work against a dog coming in for the kill. Neither would a determined assassin stop if I assumed a threatening posture. I never meant to imply these things.

As for killer dogs, I am grateful for the tip about shoving your arm down the dog’s throat - it’s clearly counterintuitive but also clearly it would limit the dog’s jaw strength or at least his focus if you are clawing at his insides with your fingers.

Nev writes:

Dogs posturing and dogs attacking are two entirely different things.

I geared my article to actual or imminent real dog attack, actual attack, because it exists and can be lethal. Attacking dogs are not interested in, or intimidated by the sound of a pocket knife, a motion or any gadgety item. Not even stones. Even a staff will have to actually be used.

Posturing dogs are easily dealt with in the manner several of you describe here. Barking is not an attack. Approaching is not an attack. Even baring teeth are usually a show rather than actual intent. Neither is merely nipping at ankles or other common dog behaviors we have become used to.

Dogs do not think like us, or require any rational reason for behaviors, so the trigger may be anything at all, even something that happened to the dog in the past at the hands of another person. Or bad training. They do not require a rational reason, merely a trigger, then ancient instincts take over and do not stop until they achieve their objective, a kill, or are hurt, or are some other way stopped. Most modern pets have that bred out of them.

Some breeds are still on the edge.

When dogs actually attack, none of the counter-posturing described here will have any effect and there will be no time to mess about.

A “displeased dog” will communicate that in a manner of ways. A killing dog is no longer interested in comminicating. It is beyond displeased. It wants to kill. It will bypass all that and try to take your face off.

The article was not based on theoretical considerations, nor the usual domestic dog rambunctious behaviors which can sometimes be annoying but are mostly manageable. It was based on experience. Take my word for it: Killing dogs exist. According to stats 77% of the time they attack the face. About 26 people a year die in America from such dog attacks. I would estimate that it would therefore be possible that globally several hundred or so people would be dying annually. Except for Korea where I suspect the human death by dog would be a net zero.

Underestimating dangerous potentials of any kind is one of the worst forms of complacency because it allows us to sleep. Until the event. In which case it will be too late.