What to Do If a Dog Attacks Your Dog
First and foremost, take your pet to a veterinarian so they can evaluate any wounds on his/her body and perform wound evaluation, clip hair and disinfect.
If a dog continues to bite your pup, attempt to create a physical barrier such as a wall or fence between him/her and the offending animal – shouting can worsen matters and escalate situations further.
React Quickly
After an attack has occurred, you should immediately bring your pet to a veterinarian for treatment to ensure any infections don’t spread further. Furthermore, be sure to collect contact details of both parties involved – both those attacking and those witnessing – immediately after.
General, dogs that attack are generally feeling threatened or endangered. If possible, try distracting the dog by clapping your hands or spraying with water hose (if it is safe) until they stop attacking you – this should disorient them enough for you to leave quickly. This gives you time to flee.
Do not run away as this may trigger the dog’s instinct to chase after you, instead stand side-on so as to appear less threatening and move in slow, controlled movements. Do not look directly at the dog as this could be misinterpreted as a challenge and cause it to react negatively; if unable to flee safely crouch down into fetal position and cover your head and neck with arms and legs or any objects around you to create a barrier between yourself and the dog.
Don’t shout or strike at the dog; this will only escalate the situation and redirect his bite onto someone else. If an attack is severe, cover any wounds with clothing to protect from infection; apply gentle pressure with cloth or gauze pads as soon as you start bleeding to stop blood from pooling under pressure and apply pressure with cloth to stop bleeding immediately.
Remember it’s not your fault if your dog attacked; animals can be unpredictable when placed into new environments. If a dog attacks, chances are its owners failed to properly train and supervise it or it experienced trauma (fighting over toys or getting startled by doorbell). Therefore it’s essential that after any attack has occurred you consult your veterinarian regarding how the event has impacted them and pursue professional training options for your pet.
Distract the Dog
When trying to disorient an aggressive dog, it’s essential that you use calm assertive energy. This includes claiming your space and remaining as still as possible (which makes you less of a target), while also avoiding direct eye contact which may escalate the situation further. Throw objects like large coats or sticks over them from a distance if available or make noise using two metal items together like coins that you can hit together and create loud metallic sounds to disorient and startle the animal enough for them to run away.
Keep the dog away from you so your pet can escape safely, calling its owner for help and asking them to put the animal on a lead if necessary. Additionally, taking pictures immediately following an attack is often helpful and serves as proof that your pet was attacked as well as an excuse for seeking medical care.
If dogs begin fighting and it becomes impossible to separate them, physically remove them to stop further attacks. Approach each one from behind and firmly grab one of their back legs while positioning your other hand on their croup. Flip both onto their backs quickly – 95% of dogs will release their bite grip when turned onto their backs – before walking them away into separate areas. Once separated, move away from each other as quickly as possible.
Rather, curl into a tight ball and remain still. If the dog continues to bite, cover your wound with clothing and apply gentle pressure as this should stop bleeding while giving you enough time to escape from its grip.
Get Help
As soon as a dog attacks your pet, your immediate goal should be to separate them as quickly as possible. If they cannot be separated by themselves, try distracting the dogs with loud noises such as clapping your hands or screaming at them; don’t attempt to hit them, which may incite further attacks from both sides. Instead, find a barrier such as a fence or wall to keep the two apart or use your stroller or other protective measures as shields; if both dogs are on leashes make sure that they cannot reach each other – the sooner the better!
As soon as your pet is attacked, it is vitally important that they receive assistance immediately. If it’s a dog attacking your pet, contact animal control immediately; if the offender is an individual person instead, try and get their name and address so you can record any injuries caused and create a solid case against their owner for compensation. Witness accounts may also help – document injuries thoroughly so as to build strong cases.
If your dog has been injured, it’s crucial that immediate pressure be applied on any wounds to stop any bleeding and seek emergency medical assistance as soon as possible. Furthermore, washing out the wound with soap and water to avoid infection.
Be mindful that big dogs may attack small dogs for seemingly no discernable reason, a phenomenon known as “Big Dog Little Dog” aggression that can have serious repercussions. Typically this happens when both dogs are overstimulated and anxious and resort to attacking each other as an outlet for their frustrations.
As a preventive measure, always carry your dog’s rabies vaccination records and current vaccine schedule with you when going out on walks or to the park. In addition, ensure that tetanus shots have been administered every five years. If there are any safety issues concerning your pup, speak to both a veterinarian and behavior specialist; also discuss aggression issues with them and request a reevaluation.
Seek Medical Attention
You can take many steps as a dog owner to reduce aggression in your pet, such as providing separate feeding and play areas. But it is important to remember that even well-trained canines may bite in an emergency situation like fighting with another canine or being scared or injured, even when properly trained.
If your dog displays aggressive behavior towards another, first make sure your children aren’t present and at risk of being attacked. Next, attempt to distract the dogs by using a dog whistle, clapping your hands or squeaking a ball or toy to try and divert their attention away from fighting; failing this, using water from a spray bottle or hose might work better in startling them and encouraging them to move away.
Be careful when trying to stop a dog fight by remaining calm and never acting aggressively towards either dog or their owners, as this may spook both parties and provoke further attacks from both. Stay calm; aggressive actions could provoke both parties further into fighting each other and escalate attacks further.
Even if the wounds do not seem serious, it is still crucial for your dog to visit a vet as bite wounds may be more serious than they initially appear; often described as the tip of an iceberg.
Ask for the contact details of the other dog’s owner so that you can inform them about what happened, so they may seek advice from a veterinary behaviorist or help prevent the behavior from reoccurring in future.
Avoid making direct contact with an attacking dog whenever possible; holding on close can lead to more injuries – particularly if dealing with larger breeds with more powerful jaws. If this becomes impossible, use another body part like your arm to stop the dog from shaking its head or biting harder; if there are children present, encourage them to curl into tight balls to protect their neck, head and throat until help arrives; applying gentle pressure with clean cloth or gauze pad can stop minor bleeding while after your wound has been cleaned you should apply antibiotic ointment as preventive measures against infection.
