Dogs are the friends of people, or, at least, of the people who own them. But an unknown stray dog may present serious danger to you if it decided to attack you for some reason. Some of them really look and behave like city predators, so you should get prepared to stand this foe.
If a dog just threatens to attack you, it is likely that it is untrained as a trained dog attacks without warning. But if you deal with a stray animal which growls and grins you have some time to assess the situation. Do not run away as it will switch on the dog’s instinct of a predator and it will run after you. Silently observe the territory (a cry can provoke attack), bend slowly and pick some appropriate object, like a can, sand, or stone. If there is nothing of this kind near you, put off one of your shoes and aim a blow with it. In most cases it will prevent a stray dog from attacking you. Then bypass dog’s territory without turning your back to it.
If a dog actually attacks you, you should distract its attention by throwing something, like umbrella, magazine, cell phone or bag. The dog will react on a new target and leave you alone. However, soon it will understand that you are a more interesting prey, so after throwing the first “bone”, take some other object and lift it as high as possible. The dog will jump to catch it and you will receive an opportunity to strike it in the stomach which is one of the most vulnerable parts of the animal.
If you deal with a real fight dog you will hardly have time to pick up some object so your task is to stand the attack properly. Put your legs close to each other and press your arms to your body. Turn sideways to the dog. It is better to find some stay in order not to fall down, like a wall or a tree. Usually a fight dog releases the victim after the first bite, if you do not scream, of course.
If you became a witness of someone else being attack by a dog, approach the scene and grab the dog’s hind legs. When the dog loses ground it automatically releases the victim. If you grab the legs tight the dog will not be able to turn and bite you.
