What to do if your dog attacks you?

One of the best animals anyone could ever own is a pet dog. Dogs are truly loyal and very loving. There is no question why many people consider a dog a mans best friend. Dogs are always there for you when you need them. They have a crazy ability to know how you are feeling and somehow know exactly what to do in order to make you feel better. If you are feeling down, your dog will usually come up to and try and snuggle. If you are happy and energetic, your dog will try and play fetch with you or want to go on a walk. Dogs somewhat feed off of your own energy. This is why in several instances dogs will feed of an individuals vibe and bite them.

Dogs bite for many reasons, mostly to try and protect themselves or you, the owner. What happens though when your dog bite you? This is a common occurrence and it is important to know why this has happened. Most of the times when a dog bites their owner, it is usually out of play and not out of aggression. A dogs bite can be very powerful and when they are play biting, their bite is normally a fraction of its real bite. However, if your dog does bite you with all of its force, there are ways in order to stop this from happening.

The best way to try and stop your dog from biting you is to understand why the are really biting you. It is usually the owners fault that a dog bites them. Understand what you did that may have caused the dog to become aggressive and prevent it in the future.

If your dog is showing signs of aggression – growling or snapping, it is important to stay calm. Stay in control of the situation by not provoking further aggression. Dont run away. But rather back off slowly. Controlling the situation by giving your dog a command like No, Down or Sit can sometimes calm the dog down enough for you to be able to back away safely. Especially if the dog is only showing mild signs of aggression. Moreover it is a good idea to assume a position where your dog does not feel that you are a threat. Dont stare directly at it or in its eyes. Dont show your teeth (i.e. smile) and do turn your side to the dog, keeping sight of it with your peripheral vision.

If you are attacked. Dont panic. There are a few things you can attempt to minimize injuries and stop the attack. Protect your hands, throat, face and chest to avoid serious injury to these areas of your body. Struggling or pulling away can cause further injury. Dogs that are not trained to attack will consider attached objects as part of the person. Using a shirt or a jacket may help you get the dog to shift its focus from you to the clothing. Additionally a stick or an umbrella is also a good choice. An open umbrella is difficult for a dog to get a hold of allowing you to reorient yourself and find a way to escape the situation.