 | As is my usual custom (and nature), I have been contemplating a project from this past summer near Coffeyville, KS - evaluating if we could have made ourselves any safer with knowledge or equipment. We had ran into an unleashed, rather aggressive, barking dog within our project area and I was not sure we handled the situation correctly. I decided to write a short blog summarizing what to do when you encounter an aggressive, unleashed dog while out working “in the field.” According to the “dog-whisperer” (Cesar Millan), one of the most important things to remember when confronted by an aggressive dog is to stay calm. Remain calm and in control. Make yourself rigid and motionless. Avoid direct eye contact, but keep the dog in your peripheral vision. DO NOT try to run way which can awaken the dog’s prey instinct to chase. |
Place some kind of field equipment (perhaps your field bag) in front of yourself to make you appear bigger and to create a barrier between yourself and the dog. Use a disposable object (jacket or otherwise) as a distraction, so if a dog comes at you, the dog will bite the object, instead of you.
Knowing the body language signs that signal an imminent attack can help you block the dog before they strike. Signs to watch for are tension in the body (straight and stiff with head, shoulders and hips aligned), raised hackles, and ears flat against the head. Growling, snarling, and baring teeth are obvious signs of aggression.
When you encounter an aggressive dog, leave the area slowly (backing away) and without sudden movements.
If you are attacked, remember to protect your face, chest and throat while keeping your hands in fists to protect your fingers. The safest place to be bitten is in a shin or forearm; a bite to the thigh can cause fatal bleeding. While trying to defend yourself, hit or kick the dog in the throat, nose, and back of the head (not the top where the skull is thickest). Another suggestion is to use your weight to your advantage by bearing down on the animal using the hard points of your knees or elbows. Dogs can bite, but they can’t wrestle.
We did met the dog's owner eventually and we talked to him, asking specifically if his dog bit. He gave us a mediocre response about the dog biting - “not usually” [What does that mean!!]. Looking back, I think we could have asked the dog owner to leash his dog for the next day or two, while we were working in the area. He had another unleashed dog that did not treat us the same way and was no problem.
This specific field day, I did not have my usual hiking stick with me, which is one suggestion for increasing your "space" when approached by an aggressive dog. Another thing we could carry is pepper spray, but you have to make sure it gets right in their face (AND NOT YOURS) - so a bit risky to use and we certainly did not have an escalation to that level this time.
Stay safe out there!
-JMB
August 2016 Update: As the American burying beetle season is drawing to a close this summer, I have added another strategy for dog encounters in the field. I now carry doggy treats in my field bag in the hopes of winning friends and influencing mammals.
May 2017 Update: After visiting with Mr. Scott of Sit Means Sit of Northwest Arkansas, I have several additional stratagies for dealing with aggressive, barking dogs on project sites. He suggested carrying a can of compressed air OR carrying one of the taser stun guns (kind that does NOT shoot out dart-like electrodes). The sound of the air can or taser can startle the dog and gets its attention. Of course, the stun gun could be used as protection if the dog decided to attack.
Sources:
http://www.wikihow.com/Handle-a-Dog-Attack
http://www.cesarsway.com/dog-behavior/biting/When-Dogs-Attack
http://www.cesarsway.com/dog-behavior/aggression/when-several-dogs-attack
Knowing the body language signs that signal an imminent attack can help you block the dog before they strike. Signs to watch for are tension in the body (straight and stiff with head, shoulders and hips aligned), raised hackles, and ears flat against the head. Growling, snarling, and baring teeth are obvious signs of aggression.
When you encounter an aggressive dog, leave the area slowly (backing away) and without sudden movements.
If you are attacked, remember to protect your face, chest and throat while keeping your hands in fists to protect your fingers. The safest place to be bitten is in a shin or forearm; a bite to the thigh can cause fatal bleeding. While trying to defend yourself, hit or kick the dog in the throat, nose, and back of the head (not the top where the skull is thickest). Another suggestion is to use your weight to your advantage by bearing down on the animal using the hard points of your knees or elbows. Dogs can bite, but they can’t wrestle.
We did met the dog's owner eventually and we talked to him, asking specifically if his dog bit. He gave us a mediocre response about the dog biting - “not usually” [What does that mean!!]. Looking back, I think we could have asked the dog owner to leash his dog for the next day or two, while we were working in the area. He had another unleashed dog that did not treat us the same way and was no problem.
This specific field day, I did not have my usual hiking stick with me, which is one suggestion for increasing your "space" when approached by an aggressive dog. Another thing we could carry is pepper spray, but you have to make sure it gets right in their face (AND NOT YOURS) - so a bit risky to use and we certainly did not have an escalation to that level this time.
Stay safe out there!
-JMB
August 2016 Update: As the American burying beetle season is drawing to a close this summer, I have added another strategy for dog encounters in the field. I now carry doggy treats in my field bag in the hopes of winning friends and influencing mammals.
May 2017 Update: After visiting with Mr. Scott of Sit Means Sit of Northwest Arkansas, I have several additional stratagies for dealing with aggressive, barking dogs on project sites. He suggested carrying a can of compressed air OR carrying one of the taser stun guns (kind that does NOT shoot out dart-like electrodes). The sound of the air can or taser can startle the dog and gets its attention. Of course, the stun gun could be used as protection if the dog decided to attack.
Sources:
http://www.wikihow.com/Handle-a-Dog-Attack
http://www.cesarsway.com/dog-behavior/biting/When-Dogs-Attack
http://www.cesarsway.com/dog-behavior/aggression/when-several-dogs-attack
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