What to Do if Your Dog is Attacked
No matter what precautions you take, it’s always possible that one day your dog will be attacked. Sometimes, it happens right in front of the owners and there is nothing they can do about it. The truth is that many owners don’t know what to do in this situation.
If you wait until your dog is attacked to think about what should you do, then it’s going to be really difficult to react effectively. Therefore, in this article you can learn about some tips that are helpful for you be prepared for this type of situation.
The Objective is to Remove the Aggressor
The first thing you need to do is to understand your true role in this situation. You don’t need to defend your dog or react violently. Likewise, you shouldn’t be a passive bystander while your dog is being attacked.
In actuality, you should remove the aggressor in the most appropriate manner. This means trying to get them to leave your dog alone. If you put yourself in the middle, the fight will continue and you put yourself at risk for being attacked and hurt.
Once you understand this, then you can turn your attention towards your actions. This will involve thinking about what you can use in order to remove the canine aggressor from the situation. This is maybe the most complicated part of the situation.
Violence Just Causes More Violence
Many owners believe that hitting a dog will make them run away. However, in practice, they’re more likely to defend themselves by biting. It’s a practically instinctive reaction. The dog won’t think twice about its numerical disadvantage and it’ll just try to defend itself.
Attacking an animal or inflicting any sort of harm is never a completely good option and should be considered a last resort. Throwing stones or fighting back will just make the situation worse and could encourage the dog to attack you. The right thing to do is to use some sort of preventive action.
This means that you need to find a way to lower the aggression of the dogs. You can do this by scaring or distracting them. Remember, if you get too close, you put yourself be at risk of getting infected by some dangerous disease like rabies.
Some Preventive Actions
For example, if the attack occurs in your front yard, then the most effective thing you can use is the hose. Simply turn on the water and spray a strong jet stream of water into the dog’s face. This will lower their stress levels and they will probably move away.
However, if you don’t have a hose to hand, you can use noise as a distraction. If you have a car close by, you could honk the horn, or you could bang some kitchen utensil. The important thing is that the dog gets frightened and decides to leave.
Finally, if you have nothing to hand, you can try shouting or making unpleasant noises. However, it’s important to keep your distance when making noise.
What to Do After the Attack
Once the attacker is gone, you need to take your dog to a vet. Try to get an idea of the extent of your dog’s injuries. Make sure you examine all parts of their body but be careful when touching them.
Using soap is not recommended to clean your dog’s wounds after an attack. If they have any open wounds, you should wash them with water and go straight to the vet. Even if there are no signs or external wounds, you should go straight to the vet and run a check-up.
If you’re able to identify the attacker, then figure out if it’s a stray or has an owner. There are ways of observing dogs to figure out if the dog has some sort of disease. This is particularly useful when it comes to disease like rabies.
Recommendations for Recovery
- Follow the vet’s orders: it’s your responsibility to check the progress of your dog’s wounds. You’ll also need to provide your dog with any medicines. Even when there are no external wounds, your dog could have injuries that you aren’t able to see.
- Control the temperature at home: Your dog’s recovery will depend on as little stress as possible. Therefore, you should make sure that they’re comfortable and the house is at a proper temperature. Your house shouldn’t be too hot or too cold.
- Be aware of the aftermath: When a dog is attacked, they could suffer from physical or emotional side effects. As a result, after an event like this, you need to pay very close attention to their behavior.