It’s very natural to assume that you would panic or react fearfully if a dog charged you and threatened to attack. However, animal experts say that it’s the one thing you shouldn’t do.
Staying calm is incredibly important and, in many ways, is the one hard and fast rule for how to deal with this type of situation.
What else can you do?
You may have to fight back against some of your instincts. For instance, you likely will want to physically protect yourself by striking at the dog or pushing it away. This just makes things worse, though, and could lead to severe injury. Here are a few helpful tips:
- Rather than yelling or screaming, talk to the dog in a soft and commanding voice.
- Instead of looking at the dog directly, use your peripheral vision so that you don’t make eye contact.
- Rather than running away from the dog, try to calmly back away after the charge stops.
- Instead of trying to threaten or intimidate the dog, attempt to show it that you are not a threat.
If you try to stay calm and back away, but it doesn’t work, try to give the dog anything that you’re holding. For instance, if you have a purse, let the dog bite the purse and pull it away from you. This distracts the dog while you back away to a safe distance.
After a dog bite, what are your options?
Unfortunately, people do everything right and still suffer from dog bites every year. If this happens to you, be sure you receive appropriate medical care right away to treat the wound and prevent infection. Once you’ve begun to recover, it may be time to explore your options for financial recovery. An experienced personal injury attorney can help.
