Is There A Way To Safely Stop A Dog Attack?

DEAR JOAN: Earlier this week a large dog — not a pit bull, but I won’t mention the breed to avoid you getting a slew of letters from readers defending it as really a gentle breed, which it isn’t — attacked and killed one of the outside feral cats I have been feeding for the last 3 years near my home.

I am still in shock over the horror of her death. I wonder if you might have some advice on how to get a large dog away from the victim — even worse would be a small child — without it turning around and attacking you instead.

Jennie, Bay Area

DEAR JENNIE: I am so sorry about the cat and what you witnessed. When people ask me why I am so determined that cats be kept indoors, this is one of the reasons why. However, let’s talk about dog attacks.

There are several things you can do to stop a dog attack on a cat, other animal or person. They all involve a level of risk.

The first is to grab a leash and wrap it around the dog’s hind legs, up near the hips. Loop the leash end through the handle, pull tight and drag the dog away. You can then tie the dog up. The dog will still be in a high state of aggression and may turn on you, but it usually is so surprised by the move that it stops.

If you don’t have a leash, you can try pulling the dog by its hind legs. Don’t try to pull the dog by the collar — that’s too close to the head and mouth, increasing the risk of your being bitten.

Never try to place yourself between a dog and its victim. Even if it’s your dog, it will bite you. Instead of getting physical with the dog, try making as much noise as possible, screaming, yelling, bang pots or metal trash cans.

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You also can try throwing a blanket or tarp over the dog, or spraying it with the hose. If you can interrupt the attack, you usually can stop it.

You can try striking the dog with a board or heavy club, such as a golf club, but there is a risk the dog will then turn its attention and aggression on you.

If you’re attacked, the best place to be bitten, if you’re going to be, is the forearm or shin. Yes, it’s going to hurt, but you want to avoid potentially fatal bites to your head, throat, neck, thigh or groin.

If a dog charges at you, put something — a car, a trash can, a fence — between yourself and the dog. If you’re wearing a sweater or coat, you can slip your arm out of one sleeve and let the dog bite it and then pull it off of you. The dog often will run away with its “prize.”

For walkers and hikers, carrying pepper spray or an air horn is a good idea. I prefer the air horn because the risk of inhaling the spray yourself or enraging the dog is fairly high.

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All dogs have a natural instinct to hunt prey. If your dog chases balls and shakes toys, that’s a sign of that instinct. They might kill a cat because they got carried away by that instinct or were protecting their food or territory, not because they are evil.

However, a dog that chases down an animal and kills it is more likely to do it again, and that aggression can escalate. Any dog that takes a first step in that direction is in need of remedial training.

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