OT: And you thought the world was sane...

[DavidG]

Originally posted by Narrew:
I admit that a person should have the right to sue, BUT they should pay if they LOOSE

Right on! As a doctor my dad saw many frivilous lawsuits and most of them came from the very poor or the very rich with money to burn. The poor got Legal Aid so they had nothing to lose. The middle class rarely sued because it would cost them money.

[geoschmo]

Originally posted by dogscoff:
Apparently (I don't know if this is true) you can kill any attacking dog by grabbing it's front legs and pulling them apart. This will pop the dog's heart open. Apparently.

Well, I can't say whether this is true or not. This is the first I have ever heard of it. I suspect it's not something a child or a weak adult could do, unless it were a small dog. Muscle and tendon are pretty tough afterall.

But I guess if you try it and it doesn't work you won't have long to worry about it. If you think about the position you will be in with referance to the dog to attempt this manuver that would put you face to face with him, with your arms spread wide and his jaws a few inches from your neck. And he's likely to be a little ticked at you for spreading his front legs apart.

I have heard if you punch an attacking dog square on the nose its the canine equivalent to the old knee to the groin. That is what I have always heard is the best way to stun him long enough to get away.

But the best way to stop a dog attack is to not screw around with unfamilier dogs of course.

[Loser]

Originally posted by geoschmo:
I have heard if you punch an attacking dog square on the nose its the canine equivalent to the old knee to the groin. That is what I have always heard is the best way to stun him long enough to get away.

I don't think there's anything in creation that likes a punch in the nose. It seems we're all pretty tender there. But remember that a dog's mouth-eye coordination is, in all likelihood, superior to your hand-eye coordination. Unless you're a darn fast boxer you're just going to get your fist bit if you jab head on. Try swinging down fro mthe top.

The best time to hit a dog's nose is when he's got his mouth wrapped around something else... like some part of you in most cases, or maybe just your clothes if you're lucky. If you can't keep the dog from biting you, and you can make some choice, try to get your off forearm in his mouth so that the two bones in there are side-by-side, not over-under. Even the strongest-jawed canine is not going to be able to snap your arm in half right away, and this gives you some control over where his head is. You're going to get cut, likely torn-up, but at that point it was going to happen anyway. Also keep in mind that the animal is probably going to be whipping his head back and forth if he's got his mouth on you, and that his neck is about the strongest thing on him.

If you are able to strike hard on the place where the dog's snout meets the rest of his skull you can knock him out much the way a good sock to the jaw will a human. Usually a club of some kind is needed for this, but if you're the same guy who can punch the dog in the nose without getting bit, you probably have enough force in your fist to do the job.

As for the 'ripping their fore legs apart' thing, I've heard this before but have not seen any documentation. It may be true, but if a friend told me that in 'real life', I would level the following accusation at him: "You've been reading things on the Internet again, haven't you." Could be true, though.

All in all, you're better off not going to grappling with any animal, as a human your advantages and strengths lie elsewhere: stand back and throw rocks. Still, the best way to win a fight with a dog is to stay away from the dog.

I could be wrong on any of this, except for the Last part.

[Tigbit]

A few years ago there was this dog that was out-of-yard and came after me accross the street. Well, I kept the lamp post between me and him. This went on for a bit till the owner came out and tried calling the not listening dog off. She said "if you don't run he won't chase you." Well, obviously a bad idea in my mind so I ask her to not hold it against me if I refuse to take her stupid advice. She did eventually get the dog away.

LOL! "Don't run and he won't chase you!"
Can you picture it? Dog on my throat. "You're right!" Gurgle. "He's not chasing anymore!"

[Fyron]

Actually, in cases where the dog is not intent on killing you, just trying to scare you, running is the worst thing you can do, because it will show fear. This could incite the hunter instinct in the dog, making the situation worse. If you back away slowly, in most cases the dog will not follow you. Showing fear to a dog is one of the worst things you can do. Unless you can run faster than the dog, which is unlikely, try not to just run all out away from it.

[Wardad]

Several times during our walks I have had to protect my little dog. My wife was walking him alone one time and had a run in with a pit bull.

Picking up the little dog and holding him up high helps, if help is nearby.

I have had to kick some of these attackers. They are easily distracted by hands. A good snap kick connecting the top of the foot to the bottom of the jaw will adjust their attitudes quickly.
I had to threaten one twice to get him to retreat.
I may have broken some doggie jaws.

I have found pepper spray to be much more effective and not harmfull. I have even seen it done on COPS against some dangerous drug dealer dogs.

Pepper Spray the dog and wait for it to blink once. They become pretty sulky and retreat.
I wish that punk skate boarding kid who lost control of his dog had also attacked me. I should have pepper sprayed his mouth.

[Loser]

Originally posted by Wardad:
I have found pepper spray to be much more effective and not harmfull.

That answer is much better than my previous.

Ah, the Chemical Solution.

[DavidG]

Originally posted by Tigbit:
She said "if you don't run he won't chase you." Well, obviously a bad idea in my mind so I ask her to not hold it against me if I refuse to take her stupid advice. She did eventually get the dog away.

hehe yea. That's the funny thing about owners of dogs that have just attacked another animal or person. It's always the other guys fault.
I saw a guy on some court TV show pull this one. His large attack dog raced out of his open front door and attacked a small dog on the sidewalk. His excuse?? Well the dog on the sidewalk (walking beside his owner) didn't have a leash on!!! Duh wait a minute didn't your dog just race out of the house without a leash? Oh yes but if the dog on the sidewalk had a leash he would have been OK. HUH??

[Kamog]

According to this article "How to defend yourself against a dog attack" the best defence is to stand absolutely still. If the dog is trained to attack, then you don't have much of a chance in a fight if you're unarmed. Pepper spray works on some dogs but not on others.

[Tigbit]

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:
Actually, in cases where the dog is not intent on killing you, just trying to scare you, running is the worst thing you can do, because it will show fear. This could incite the hunter instinct in the dog, making the situation worse. If you back away slowly, in most cases the dog will not follow you. Showing fear to a dog is one of the worst things you can do. Unless you can run faster than the dog, which is unlikely, try not to just run all out away from it.

Now there's the trick right? Knowing which it is. I figure that my throat is more important to me than testing the owner's theory and risking being on the business end of a statistic.

Also do take note that I was rather cool the whole time, and as I mentioned, kept the lamp post between me and the dog. I could have kept that up for as long as I needed. If I had to I could have let the dog tear away at my bookbag while beating it over the nose. But that would have been a waste of energy and I am lazy.

[ August 27, 2003, 04:49: Message edited by: Tigbit ]