How to Avoid being Bitten by a Dog
By: Tippy
Dogs will usually only attack and bite if they feel threatened. In
some cases dogs that have been abused or are highly
territorial may feel threatened, if a strange human even
comes close to them. This is because of their life
experience and instinct, not because of the person
approaching them. It's a sad fact that dogs that bite will
probably wind up being put down because this behavior is
unacceptable in society today.
There are questions that you should ask yourself before you
approach a strange dog, even if it is the family dog of a
friend. If you notice any of these dog behaviors when
approaching a dog, back away slowly and do not touch it or
you risk being bitten.
* Ears laid back to the head: this shows a general
insecurity and that the dog feels threatened.
* Tail tucked between the legs: this shows that the dog is
afraid and is covering its musk glands in an attempt to go
unnoticed.
* Loud barking: This is to let the object of the dog's fear
know that it is in the dog's territory and the dog doesn't
like it.
* A low growling sound coming from the chest: This means
that the dog wants you to back off. This is essentially a
warning.
* Lips peeled back from the teeth in a grimace: This is a
threat to the person or thing approaching.
* Fur and ruff standing up on end: This is a very aggressive
sign and it is likely that the dog will attack if the
perceived threat continues.
Here are some more helpful hints if you have a
fear of being bitten
by a dog
It's usually pretty obvious when a dog doesn't feel
comfortable or is upset. You can almost feel the fear coming
off of the dog. One of the ways to ensure that you won't be
bitten is to never approach a dog that isn't your family
pet. Wait for the dog to approach you and sniff you. If
after sniffing you the dog wags its tail and acts playful
then you can slowly try to touch and then pet it. Never move
quickly with a dog that doesn't know you well, it could
attack. Also never run from a dog because that triggers its
prey instinct and it will chase you.
Stray dogs often carry disease that might be transferred to
a human or your own pets, so touching any stray animal can
result in sickness. If a stray dog is infected by
rabies it
will attack you with no provocation at all. If you are ever
bitten by a dog and there is no proof of
vaccination, you
should go immediately to the hospital to be given a rabies
shot and panel.
Even if the dog has been recently vaccinated, you should be
examined by a doctor. There is no cure for rabies so this is
a very serious situation. Rabies will kill you if you don't
get the preventive shots fast enough; once there are
symptoms it is too late to stop this disease from its fatal
course.
The only way to contract rabies is for saliva from an
infected animal to enter your bloodstream. In other words,
breathing around an infected dog or having even a rabid dog
bark at you will not cause you to get rabies. The dog must
bite you and break the skin or some saliva from the dog must
get into a wound you already have. Many people are phobic
about rabies, but rabies is rare in many countries and there
are many other types of zoonotic diseases that can be
transferred from animals.
If you ever find yourself cornered by a dog that is
threatening you then a can of mace or pepper spray is
honestly the best way to get it to stop and back away from
you. It may seem cruel to spray a dog in the face, but
hitting the dog or kicking it may result in major injury to
you both. The best thing to do is to just stay as far away
from a strange dog as possible and if you are concerned
about it, call animal control to take care of it.
See Also:
How to Keep Your Dog or Cat Healthy
Baily just loves this web site about pets. He
says that it will be a good idea for you to turn
your pets on to the Pet Care Tips web site.
