Every one of us has faced dogs while walking outside. You can not escape from them, making us uncomfortable and afraid. Dogs can attack people when walking alone or with their beloved pets. Street dogs usually attack individuals when they see pets with them. Pet dogs can also attack people and damage them by biting.
There are several ways to protect yourself from street dogs while walking. If you're afraid of dogs, you can avoid encountering them, block the attack, and handle the dog. Also, don’t make sudden moves, and stay calm while crossing the road of a dog.
This article highlights the key things you must do to tackle a dog attack. It’s vital to follow their behavioral patterns and act accordingly. Here, we will discuss all the effective ways to react if a dog attacks while walking.
How To Handle Dog Attack?

Dogs attack humans if they feel threatened, afraid, or protecting property or territory. Certain things can be done to handle a dog attack harmlessly. Don’t panic; it’s just a momentary problem. If you follow our advice and act calmly and gently, you can dodge the problem quickly.
Dogs attack if they feel unsecured, threatened, afraid, or to protect the owner’s property. You can do various things to avoid or protect yourself from dog attacks harmlessly.
Here, we have discussed how to deal with an attacking dog. By following these tricks against dog attacks to remain safe and secure from them:
1. Avoid Eye Contact
When you see a dog approaching in front of you, the first thing that you can do is avoid eye contact with the dog. This means to the dog that you do not have any interest or concern for its existence. You simply walk away from the dog without having any sudden movement by fear.
Eye contact with animals shows that you’re challenging them or trying to threaten them. This could trigger them to attack you. If you have some food packets, the dog can attack you to get the food from you. So, avoiding eye contact makes them lose interest in you and not interact with you.
2. Stay Calm And Do Not Get Nervous
There is a saying that don’t run after seeing a dog. Because animals can identify whether you’re afraid or confident on your feet. If you run by seeing a dog, your body language and behavior will make them more aggressive to run after you.
So, whether you’re afraid or not, you must stay calm and maintain your casual movement after seeing a dog. If you feel very nervous, you can take deep breaths and stroll or stand aside. Slower movement and calm behavior reduce the possibility of being attacked by the dog.
3. Do Not Try To Run Away
As we said, running after seeing a dog triggers their instinct to chase moving objects. So, running will worsen the situation and increase the risk of being bitten. Instead of running fast, you should walk slowly or stand where you are.
This is the best solution to show the dog that you’re focused and not afraid of it. Once you ensure you are not scared or a victim of the situation, you can probably avoid the dog attack.
4. Distract Their Attention To You
Another trick to escape dogs is distracting them by throwing objects far away from you. For say, you are passing a road with a grocery bag or some food. If you have treats, food, or even a water bottle, throw it in a direction that shifts the dog’s focus.
While the dog will think there is something for them, it will run after that thrown object. In the meantime, you can easily cross the road and protect yourself from the dog. Further, the dog will be busy with that food or object and forget its previous intent.
5. Walk Away Slowly To Leave The Place
A dog never attacks people if they don't feel any abnormal situation or threatening risks. After seeing the dog coming, you should immediately back away from the dog with careful steps. Try to leave the dog's walking direction aside. It will keep the dog uninterrupted and give it a harmless sense. Always be cautious while passing the dog to avoid getting a sudden bite.
Remember not to turn your back toward the dog. It hampers the situation and sparks the impulsive behavior of the dog. Instead, keep your face or body toward the dog's face to normalize the situation. Observe whether the dog lowered its ear or had a relaxed attitude. This means that the dog is no longer interested in you.
After getting rid of immediate danger, don’t even think of running. Peacefully walk away until you reach a safe territory. If the dog identifies that you’re running, it can backfire on their instinct and start running after you.
6. Defend Yourself By Something If A Dog Wants To Bite
If it’s too late to prevent the dog from biting, protect yourself from it by any means. Use any available object with you as a shield, but don’t try to kick the dog. This will expose your leg in front of the dog, increasing the risk of getting a heavy bite.
The main thing is that you have to create a barrier between you and the dog. Use your jacket, bag, or umbrella to defend against bites and bring the dog closer.
This protection will help to prevent bites on your hands, arms, and face. These are the most vital organs dogs might attack at first glance. You may move the object to the right or left side to keep the dog’s focus away from your body.
7. Put Your Weight To The Neck According To Breeds
In the meantime of attack, getting control over the dog by any means is crucial. One risky but impactful action is putting your body weight on the dog’s neck. If it's a large dog breed, you must put more pressure on it to control their body movement. But you can manage small or medium dog breeds by putting pressure on their neck.
However, you must be careful when pressing the dog. Heavy pressure can harm its body structure and cause neck fractures. Carefully catch the neck and try to calm it down in a safer way. This neck pressure technique helps you control and restrain the dog from biting.
8. Get Down If It Is Stronger And Larger
If a larger breed attacks you, and you think you can control it, try lying on the ground. Kneeling could also help act less threateningly. It will prevent the dog from attacking you. Alternatively, showing an aggressive posture makes the dog feel angry to attack you.
Remain calm and stand still, which can confuse the dog and make it afraid to attack. Your no-movement posture will make the dog think you are not meant to harm them. You can slowly move to a safe place when the dog loses interest in attacking.
9. Call The Passer-By And Animal Rescue Team To Help
If you are alone in front of a group of dogs, it's best to stand still and avoid making eye contact with them. When they fear, group dogs are more aggressive than single ones. If dogs injure you, or the dog is injured, you can call out for help from an animal rescue team. You can immediately ask for help from passersby to assist you in managing the aggressive dog. A helping hand is always better than fighting alone with problems.
10. Check Biting Spot In Your Body
After freeing yourself from the dog, you can go to your destination. But before heading home, check whether you spot any visible bite or scratch marks on your body. There is a high chance of getting hurt during the battle with the dog. So check your open arms, legs, and face to spot biting and scratching marks.
Bites and scratches from an unknown dog are dangerous as it’s not treated as a pet dog. You must consult a doctor if you get a dog bite, scratch, bruise, or saliva.
Conclusion
Getting rid of dogs depends on your behavioral patterns. Don’t show abnormal movements such as running, turning back, or eye-contacting the dog. Also, the dog’s body language should be observed to identify its behavior. Maintain distance if you see signs such as barking, scratching its body, or growling.
If there are many hostile dogs, you should change your path and leave them behind. If you notice a passerby walking with their pet dog, maintain distance for a risk-free walk. At last, if a dog attacks you, consult with the doctor to avoid dangerous health issues in the future.