I live in a very large neighborhood where I go jogging on a regular basis, and every now and then, a dog runs into the road and starts barking at me. If it’s small or friendly-looking, I just ignore it and keep jogging. But a few times, I’ve had a very vicious-looking start toward me, barking all the way. When that happens, I resist the urge to run and just stand still until it gets bored and wanders off.
One time, I was waiting for the school bus with my four-year-old when I turned around and saw two huge dogs running down the street toward us. I quickly picked up my son and carried him inside, but not before the dogs reached us. Fortunately, those dogs were friendly. If they weren’t, we’d have been in big trouble.
Anyway, because of my experience with stray dogs, this video piqued my interest when I saw it in my feed. The vast majority of dogs are friendly and won’t attack you, but what will happen if the shit hits the fan?
Most people never consider this, but during a widespread disaster, there could be many feral dogs running around. If there’s not enough food to feed all the people, then there certainly won’t be enough food to feed all the dogs. And in the chaos of a disaster, many dogs are liable to escape their homes or yards. Hungry or frightened dogs can be very dangerous.
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Because of this, I think it’s worth taking some time to learn how to survive a dog attack. In this video, Reality Survival talks about warning signs that a dog is about to bite you, what to do if you see these warning signs, how to stop the dog if necessary, and more. There’s some really great advice here so check it out below.
I want to highlight a quote in the comments section below. Susan has some great advice. She says,
When I volunteered for a national disaster response agency, I often traveled all over the country in areas just devastated by one natural disaster or another… As an animal lover who has spent my entire life in animal rescue, one of the most frightening predicaments would be the bands of starving dogs left by their owners who had to flee areas of complete destruction. I always carried a small metal bowl , A bottle of water, and dog biscuits in my backpack and stuff in my pockets. In all my years traveling on deployments, the highest rate of injuries in the field that I was aware of, was from dog bites. If I would continue, I would be tempted to bring a Bear spray with me.”
Talking about a pack of dogs or maybe even a single dog, I think the idea of carrying a bag of kibble etc would be good, toss it so it breaks open, one it may stop them in their tacks and start fighting between themselves over the food and two allow you to back away unnoticed… but keep an eye open as your exit the area. I have also heard and stand to be corrected… that while bush walking to keep a couple of handkerchief’s or rag’s in your armpits to get if high in Body Odor and if you find yourself being tracked by wolves or feral dogs to drop a couple of pieces and hopefully it will distract them for a little extra time giving you some extra distance between you and the animals… it may even create a good distraction as in fighting over the cloth.
It makes sense. Dogs rely on their sense of smell so much, why not take advantage of that to distract them? Thanks for sharing!
There are many good suggestions and some not so good the more you know about a threat the less of a threat it is I used dogs in the military and learnt quite a bit for example if you are going to use a spray please ensure that it is not C.S. Anti personnel gas as it has no effect on a dog whatsoever in fact when you test a dog handler in the gas chamber there is so much gas in there it is hard to see even in a mask however the handlers dog has no mask and after a sneeze or two they sit obediently and watch the humans gag and struggle.
If you are in the unfortunate position to be attacked by a dog large or small panic will kill you and the animal will feed on your panic the phrase panic spreads is very real the animal smells fear and it’s instincts kick in you have to remember two things 1. An animal on four legs has great strength to pull and tear 2. Most animals can only articulate their bottom jaw.
Lesson stay upright do not allow yourself to be taken down on two legs you have strength and control the dog on two legs has neither that’s is why all animals try to bring a prey down they can inflict damage but cannot kill an upright victim.
A bite will hurt but being eaten alive will hurt a lot more get a hand into the dogs mouth and you will find a good thumb notch under the jaw bone the dog cannot now bite and if you have it up on two legs basically it’s powerless at this point the animal will panic and try to get away keep control of the jaw yes the animal will struggle it’s just gone from predator to prey and it knows it you now have to decide what you are going to do your hand will be hurting as you are gripping teeth but you may well be holding enough food to feed twenty people if that is the environment you are in either way you must maintain control you cannot break a dogs neck unless you are fighting a puppy or a very small dog it takes hours for a dog to die by hanging they will suffocate before the neck breaks you can break a leg or two if you have no penetrating weapons just don’t lose control of that mouth until you ensure it cannot come at you again.
If the animal is part of a pack you need a weapon if you carry then my first round in the chamber even today is a shot shell it will not kill a human or a dog but it will blind and hurt like hell I have shot shells for 9mm 38 special 40 S&W and then there’s the 12 gauge and yes they are for people as well what with every bugger having body armor these days the shot shell guarantees a hit and no one wears body armor on their face.
With a pack you must stay upright do not kick remember they are faster than you and they need to get you down if you can get into a corner or small space you defeat their number superiority everything you can hold is a weapon you need to strike hard fast and often whilst keeping them from gripping remember dogs love to play tug of war you have already seen a dog do that and you have seen how reliant they are on having four legs on the ground.
Strike for eyes use fast jabbing so they cannot get a grip any animal that is hurt in the eye will leave the fight they know the value of their sight if you can break a leg with a sideways swipe that animal will leave the fight cuts and abrasions will not bother them a thrusting puncture will they know they need to see and run that is their weakness.
As for children sadly that will continue to happen as the child’s instinct to stare is actually a dogs threat the first thing any animal does to an enemy is fully open the eyes and concentrate on the target so the animal being stared at knows it has become a target and will attack the threat foolish people in the streets do the same thing they stare at a dog and the dog becomes aggressive so would you when someone stares at you then they whine when they have been attacked even though they were the initial aggressor albeit to foolish to know it.
I didn’t see ammonia listed. When living in Huddleston Virginia a daily walk was a problem
and dogs a given. I never paid attention just faced them and sprayed a straight shot in their mugs. If bothered again its was never the same dog twice. They learned that I was just a part
of the environment.
I HAVE NOT MENTIONED THIS EVER BEFORE, BUT When TSHTF & dogs attack, it is far more appropriate to EAT the mutt as we did in Northern Himalayan 1968 India where the Pie Shop lady served up the best hamburgers ever made from excess dogs & cats she caught! Police disapproved, tho she gets away with it for possible meal bribery + for other good reasons!!
I walk in the afternoons, and have on a couple of occasions been bitten, although not seriously. However, as much as I like dogs, I will not tolerate being attacked by one that has been left to by an irresponsible owner to roam unattended. The dog may pay a high price for his owner’s negligence. The law requires them to be on a leash, or behind a fence. A large dog that is being aggressive, and clearly capable of inflicting a lot of damage quickly is a threat, and I will deal with it in a serious fashion, up to and including killing it if I must. I have stood my ground on several occasions and called out in a loud voice that sometimes works to deter the dog. But how can you gauge a dog’s intentions. The tell tale signs may or may not be there. If he approaches too closely, I consider him a threat. Any kind of spray is a good idea, and I would try that first. Failing that, more extreme measures may be needed. Quite a few people here have been attacked this summer by rabid animals, foxes, and dogs, and what have you. So it is a serious concern. I was a teen kissing my girlfriend goodnight when her small dog mistook my intentions, and nipped me on the leg. How could the little fella know that I was not attacking her? Works both ways. I have many dog stories, but no space here to tell them. I once had a large German shepherd race directly at me, and I was prepared to spray him when he stopped, rolled over and waited for me to rub his tummy. His owner came running around the corner, yelling for the dog, that I was kneeling down and petting when he caught up. I told the owner what I thought of his carelessness. Another second or two and that beautiful dog would have had a snoot full of pepper. I was afield once when I was approached by a pack of feral dogs, with bad intentions. I pulled my hunting knife and yelled at them. They considered, but thought better of it and trotted away. Sometimes that works.
A couple good points but one thing I think you overlooked, is that in the event of a SHTF event, there would more than likely be packs of dogs…..what advice would you give in that type of situation? I would imagine that you’d want to take out the Alpha male in order to disrupt the “order” of the pack. I really like the idea of the wasp spray because those cans really jet the spray with force and it would definitely deter a dog or two…..And, in SHTF events, we would more likely be carrying and that changes the circumstances heavily in our favor, but, like you, I love animals and would only hurt them in self defense…..
It will be interesting to see those in favor of banning guns surrounded by dangerous animals, of two- or four-legged kinds. I got booted out of a “peace” group because I suggested we needed to at least vet those entering this country. Apparently the ideal of open-borders trumps common sense. It will be nice if we ever evolve to universally recognize that we are all one, and truly live ideals of loving even our enemies, but from what I’ve seen of humanity I’d rather be surrounded by angry dogs than angry people. Dogs at least only kill out of hunger. Humans will kill for far more and far less understandable reasons. Wave the right red, white and blue cloth in front of even the most despicable of causes and many of them will drool nationalistic pride as they strike you down.
Concealed weapons are illegal in Australia but when I was a metor reader I carried a cap pistol it worked OK. Ron
You mentioned pepper spray or bear spray. Another thing to use which might be cheaper is wasp spray. It sprays a long distance and I’m sure a dog wouldn’t like it in the face or eyes.
Just a thought about gouging a dog in the eyes to drive him off. A dogs eyes are way too close to a part of him you don’t want your hands around. Keep in mind the dog is a lot quicker than you too so I’d suggest you don’t get your fingers anywhere near his mouth.
After two terrifying confrontations with very dangerous dogs recently and viewing videos of horrendous attacks and photos of shredded attack victims, I’m no longer taking chances. Two vicious pit bulls will not be stopped by any of the methods above. In a dire situation like this, these methods are useless and most are downright ridiculous. I will now walk in my (unfortunately) dog-ridden neighborhood with bear spray in one hand and the other hand ready to draw my concealed-carry handgun if need be. I will NOT be literally torn apart by some worthless, vicious. I wish you all the best of luck.
I was bitten by a unprovoked German Shepherd as a four year old, leaving me twenty six stitches and permanent scars to my face. I still love dogs and have had one or two for the last Thirty years.
As an small woman, I doubt I would have the strength to pull off some of these moves. But little old ladies and children can plunge their fingers into eyes! If it can stop a shark attack, I’m sure it would work.
My first defense is always avoiding the situation though. The recovery and infection is horrible!
Concealed weapons carry national reciprocal laws are a great start, then you can take on any and all threats to your self or anyone in need! Think about it
Carry an UMBRELLA. When a dog start to attack suddenly OPEN the umbrella and poke it at him and keep moving forward.
Not only does it make you look dapper, but if there is any girl around that was watchin, tip you hat and walk away like a gentlemen, whilst the dog runs away with tail between the legs.
A dog trainer once told me that dogs are very sensitive to pain in the front of their legs. So if you take daily walks or are walking in an area where you may be susceptible to a dog attack it is a good idea to carry some sort of strong stick such as a cane or any stout stick about that length. A sharp strike to the front of their front legs (in the area you would call the shins on a human) should immediately get their attention and drive them off.
Now this information was given as a means to deal with a nuisance dog such as what a walking mailman would often encounter or what some owners walking their own small dog may encounter. Not sure what effect it would have on a feral attacking dog. Something to try though.
One last-ditch resort (that I’ve never personally tried) is to, when the dog grabs your forearm, pull him in close to your chest and bring your free arm around the back of his neck to choke him out, or (when that doesn’t work) fall forward onto him, forcing his neck back over your free arm. The theory is that this will break his neck, but I think that would only work for a very strong individual. Strictly hearsay so ymmv.
Most predators are highly dependent on their nose to find prey and survive so a strike to the nose with your fist or a heavy stick will often deter them. Putting your hands in your coat pockets and inverting it over your head will make you look bigger and is s’posed to intimidate cougars, but for domestic dogs who are more accustomed to humans this may not work. At least it will allow you to quickly protect your head and neck, or to offer the coat as a point of attack, rather than your arm. If you can’t afford bear spray then carry a container of cayenne, both to throw in the dog’s eyes and nose and to staunch blood flow from wounds. Always carry a loud whistle, such as the Storm brand, as most predators, including other humans, don’t like to think you are summoning help. We fear the things we don’t understand, but again, if it’s a dog gone feral it may not be fooled by a human acting crazy. They may be used to that. A squirt gun filled with vinegar has helped me ward off dogs chasing me on a bike without doing them any permanent harm. In the case of a dog viciously attacking you 90% rubbing alcohol may work better, as well as provide emergency fire starter, though you may have trouble getting your lighter out at the time. 😉
I didn’t mean to imply you should pull your coat over your head and try to hide in it. If you’re trying to intimidate them by looking bigger and they lunge in at you anyway then you should probably just try to make their first bite be into the coat, rather than your arm. At that point you want to shed the coat but maintain a grip on it so the dog thinks it’s doing you damage. If the dog releases try to wrap the coat around your arm and offer the padded arm as its next target, then proceed to disable it as the author suggests. If the dog is clinging to your arm and is heavy enough to drag you down, and you don’t want to drive his fangs further in then your strongest punch to his delicate nose may be your best option. If he’s pulling you and has a long nose the area between his eyes may not be reachable, and it’s a lot better protected than his nose. Whatever you do, fight back and keep yelling. They really can smell fear and it will only encourage them! ‘Just the random thoughts of an old dogcatcher with a couple scars to show for it.
Wow, this is making me think I should put together a longer post full of tips for surviving a dog attack.
My story…. walking my mix-breed female dog, 70 #, 9 y.o. and very sweet. Neighbors Mastiff walks causually out his owners door, across the yard, into the street, never growls or rushes. Simply picks up my dog like she was a rat or something. The attack knocked me over. I then kicked the Mastiff (185 #) and he did not budge, i grabbed him by the mouth and tried to try open his mouth. Nothing. He did not chew. It was clamp and never moved his mouth. My dog screamed like she knew she was dying. Without thinking I grabbed his collar and twisted as hard as I could. He yelped and turned loose. Just after that the owner grabbed him and pulled him away. My dog needed medical attention, but healed up ok. They paid the bill, but I told the owner I would continue to walk my dog on her lease, but I would be doing so with my pistol. Some told me I didn’t need to kill him, but to carry a long heavy stick and beat the crap out of him. Maybe? Don’t know. I don’t want to hurt any animal….. BUT what if it were a pack. The stick probably would not do the trick. So I go armed. Two mags.
When I volunteered for a national disaster response agency, I often traveled all over the country in areas just devastated by one natural disaster or another. Most of the time I got along really well with the people we served even in crime infested high risk security areas. My lifelong profession as a social worker gave me pretty good people skills. I had a few pretty scary encounters, but those were far and few. As an animal lover who has spent my entire life in animal rescue, one of the most frightening predicaments would be the bands of starving dogs left by their owners who had to flee areas of complete destruction. I always carried a small metal bowl , A bottle of water, and dog biscuits in my backpack and stuff in my pockets. In all my years traveling on deployments, the highest rate of injuries in the field that I was aware of, was from dog bites. If I would continue, I would be tempted to bring a Bear spray with me. A dog can see a stranger walking around its former owners property and immediately assume you’re an enemy. I’d like to know how others deal with this situation.
That is such great advice! I hope you don’t mind, but I added your quote to the post.
I believe that when a dog is attacking a child or something smaller than him. The best way to get him to stop is to grab him and place your fingers in his rectom to get him to stop biting the child. I havent seen this personaly but my father did this to a dog that attacked my son. This helped the dog to stop the attack and left my father in charge
I’m not sure about this one. I’ve heard it’s a myth and that the dog will keep attacking, but I’ve also heard stories like yours that say it works. I guess it can’t hurt to try.
I like the idea of carrying a small bag of kibble, too. If you can prevent an attack by making friends with the dog that’s always better than having to kill or be killed.