What to do when attacked?

[RebelGSD]

What is the best response when a dog attacks a person and there is a potential of multiple bites (not a single warning bite)?
Let's say there are no tools or sticks around?

Be still or fight back? Does fighting back irritate the dog further and create more aggression (like prey struggling as opposed to playing dead/still)?

[Remo]

Great question! I will be very interested to see the replies!

[PaddyD]

I read somewhere to go to the ground and roll up in a ball with your back to the dog. That position projects no threat and complete submission.
Don't know how true it is because you are not protecting yourself.
I have been 'approached aggressively' by a couple GSDs (different occasions) that appeared intent on biting me and for one of them I turned sideways and crossed my arms. He stood there and growled until his owner came and pulled him away. For the second one I stood my ground and shouted NO NO at him and he stopped short and barked and growled until his owner pulled him off. In both cases they were huge intact males. Probably just a coincidence.
In neither case did I soil myself.

[amaris]

I've heard to stand still, arms behind you, so there's nothing for the dog to grab onto...i would imagine that applies if he knocked you over too...lie still, maybe in a fetal position to protect the face and abdomen area....

no idea.

http://www.wikihow.com/Handle-a-Dog-Attack

wikihow to the rescue

[cowboy17]

My thought is that if it's a bite trained dog, there is one bite, deep bite and a holding bite.
If it's a stray it's possibly more of a defensive bite, shallower and more with the front of the mouth, a tearing, snapping bite.

I think that most won't bite. They will act like they will and look and sound mean but to actually get them to bite takes a lot of hostility towards it.

That's a really tough question to answer with just one answer.
I'm also insterested in hearing what responses come up.

[Freddy]

I don't know the answer but would rather have my arm bitten than one of the areas I would be exposing by putting my arms behind me.

[Marnie]

Kind of a gruesome thought, having to fight with a big dog. They are so much faster than people are.

It seems to me if you could get in a really hard kick to the ribs or stomach, most dogs would back off. Wouldn't be hard to break their necks but you would be dodging those teeth. To save yourself from being badly bitten, guess you would have to do it.

[Stella's Mom]

Originally Posted by PaddyD

I read somewhere to go to the ground and roll up in a ball with your back to the dog. That position projects no threat and complete submission.
Don't know how true it is because you are not protecting yourself.
I have been 'approached aggressively' by a couple GSDs (different occasions) that appeared intent on biting me and for one of them I turned sideways and crossed my arms. He stood there and growled until his owner came and pulled him away. For the second one I stood my ground and shouted NO NO at him and he stopped short and barked and growled until his owner pulled him off. In both cases they were huge intact males. Probably just a coincidence.
In neither case did I soil myself.

I guess it takes a calm state to drop and ball up as opposed to running away and antagonizing the dog to chase you and bite even more.

Very interesting question.

[PaddyD]

Originally Posted by Marnie

Kind of a gruesome thought, having to fight with a big dog. They are so much faster than people are.

It seems to me if you could get in a really hard kick to the ribs or stomach, most dogs would back off. Wouldn't be hard to break their necks but you would be dodging those teeth. To save yourself from being badly bitten, guess you would have to do it.

I would only try that if I had my cape on.

[jdh520]

If it tackled me and I had no weapon to defend myself..

Grab the fur right under the ears to where I could hold his head still, then wrap my legs around his back and pin him to me, roll on top and submit him. This is what I do when I wrestle with my boy all the time.