Divert its attention
Wear some extra clothes
Protect chest, face, throat and thighs
For joggers and runners, there is a danger of being dazzled, so that a dog attack is happening before you can even have a chance to avoid it.
If you have enough time, the first activity you should perform for defense is to let the dog attack something you are wearing — for example, if you’re wearing a jacket get your arm out of a sleeve and get that sleeve in the dog’s face. If the dog takes the bait, let it pull the jacket off, then calmly back out of that territory. As the dog has just gotten hold of a piece of your clothing, this may distract it long enough for you to get to safety.
It’s a very good practice to always wear something that you can use in this manner, whether it’s a jumper or a jacket, maybe a stick, or even a dog toy. If you can pull it off quickly enough, in theory, you can use one of your shoes as well.
What if you didn’t manage to divert the dog’s attention…
It is crucial that you always remember to protect your chest area, face, and throat area.
It is important to keep your hands in fists to protect your fingers, as the dog can easily damage your fingers. In case if you must be bitten, the safest place for it to happen is the shin or forearm; a dog bite to the thigh can cause a dangerous loss of blood, therefore try to remember which areas of your body you should protect.
Important reminder: dogs are not created to attack humans unless they feel a threat to themselves, their pack, or their territory.
We cannot always avoid the situation because some dog owners are reckless. However, we can equip ourselves with the know-how that will prevent a situation from escalating in a very bad way, and avoid the casualty if it does move on to an attack.
Now you should feel more safe about approaching dogs. But how about approaching cars? Be more visible to car drivers with Angico reflective vests!
Be safe!
Photos: Film Bros (Pexels), Jenny Hill (Unsplash)