Dogs : What is the best way to protect myself from angry street dogs when travelling to a new locality at night?

Carry pepper spray for emergency use. To understand the behavior of dogs is equally important.

India is perhaps the only civilised country in the world, where stray dogs are not only tolerated but encouraged, under legal protection.

To an elite animal lover, it may sound like a paradise, specially to ones who do not have to walk on the road and to those who live in gated colonies or multi-story societies.

To many among us who walk on the road, or live in modest houses it’s a nightmare. Stray dogs form packs and chase people, bikes and even cars! They fight territorial battles, generally in the night when it becomes difficult to sleep due to their high-decibel fights. They poop all over the place, esp. the walkways! This is the plight of majority of us – the general people. Think of those who are less fortunate, the homeless or those who live on street – there are well recorded and widely reported incidents of stray dogs snatching toddlers to eat! There is even a news report of able body man on the street eaten (eaten, not just bitten) by packs of stray dogs!

In the present state of affairs, God alone could save us from the stray dogs. But we have to defend ourselves and can not allow our kids to be a stray dogs meal.

The thumb rule is note to panic and loose your cool. Educate the kids as the most vulnerable group

1. If the dogs are far:

• Take one or more stone from the ground
• Throw one not to hit them just to chase them away
• Insist but keep one stone with you
• Shout very loud to shoo them

2. If the dogs surprise you already too close

• Do not run, nor turn your back to the dogs, nor try to kick them. Dogs movements, specially ratter dogs, are 10 times faster than yours
• If you have your dog with you, force him/her to stay behind you. His/her instinct will be to protect you but that would worsen the situation (see Situation #2)
• Become an Oscar statue, arms glued to your chest, fists closed like boxing and protecting your neck., legs closed together very straight, body not bent at all, head and chin standing up high, martially
• Do not stare at the dogs eye contacting, just control their movements with your eyes looking down
• Wait until the dogs resolve that you are not a menace and abandon, or
• When they relax a little bit, start walking like a crab very slowly, in diagonal, without turning around your body, avoiding enclosing/corralling/cornering the dogs nor possible puppies, keeping the statute and martial poses, with the arms glued to your chest and the fists in boxing position. Do stop controlling the dogs looking down without eye contacting them

By the contrary, hungry dogs you may find in a country trek and in heat female dogs that have their body lowered, as if they prepare to jump, and growl more than bark, are clearly indicating you that you are about to really get attacked. This is how to proceed:

Situation 1: One dog is attacking your child and you want to separate them

India is leading nation with fatal Rabies, mainly due to stray dog bites. Most of the victims are street children. There is no cure for it, though it is easily preventable by eliminating stray dogs. But some animal lovers love stray dogs, as long as they themselves are not bitten, or shall we say eaten!

Do not put your hands where you will lose them, at dog's jaws. The right technique is to do just the opposite.

(1) Go behind the attacker dog, take his/her both back legs firmly and lift the dog like a wheelbarrow. Since the dog will want to check what is going on, most probably will stop biting your child and will turn the face towards you... willing to bite you, of course. If the dog insists to not release the bite, kick the dog's belly, testicles/vulva or groin to force him/her to do it.

(2) That's is the moment when you have to throw the dog away like a hammer in the Olympics. If you can throw the dog against a wall, tree, fence, etc., the better. If you do not injure the dog, he/she will come back to bite you, fiercer than ever. You may see this technique in action in this video. (The stunt dog gets no damage, don't worry)

Situation 2: The statue and stone throwing/shout methods failed and one dog attacks you

The dog is going to jump on you. A 40 kg dog jumping over you is like hitting a truck.

(1) Thus, you have to act like an American football defense and offer (sacrifice) your left arm to the dog. If possible, try to only offer the tip of the sleeve or any object that the dog may confuse with your arm.

Since you are supposed to keep having the fist closed in boxing position explained above, try to hit the dog's nose before he/she bites your arm. Maybe you manage to hurt it enough and the dog abandons, but it is http://improbable.In any case, it is very important that the dog does not reach your face and neck. The bite in your arm is going to hurt a lot, but do not pull. Do the opposite. Push a little bit like trying to force the dogs jaws to open. If you pull, you will lose the flesh in your arm, for good.

(2) That done, you have to take, with your free right hand, anything sharp or heavy that you have in your pocket, you may fetch from the ground, the stone that you kept with you, a knife... whatever, and hit the dog's eyes, nose, testicles/vulva and/or cranium. At the same time, try to kick the dog's belly, testicles/vulva or groin.

(3) If the dog does not abandon either, next attempt is to take his collar, ear or jowls/dewlap with the right hand and jump with all your weight over the dog. Try to injure the stomach/testicles/vulva, broke one leg or crush the backbone with your knees (both at a time, if possible). Forget about flesh and thorax, they are just indestructible.

(4) Finally, try to immobilize the dog with your weight while holding his/her head's movements with your right hand, or both hands if the dog has stopped biting you. You may see this technique in action in this video. (Again, the stuntdog gets no injure)

Situation 3: Lots of dogs attack you (and your dog)

Say goodbye to your dog.

(1) If you have alcohol or any chemical product with you try to spray their nose. Alcohol is a strong poison for dogs because it is very volatile and their olfactory system is very sensitive to it.

(2) If that does not work, go down, lay facing down and cover your neck and head with your arms. Stay still and start to pray. Dogs will try to bite your face and head, so this is your only possible defense. If you are lucky you will end up with bites in your arms, legs and cranium but you will survive.

While the taxpayer has to face daily condensation in public advertising for being unclean and defecating in the open, it is supposed to not mind dog poop everywhere on the walk ways – the poop not only of stray dogs but also of pets. We are supposed to look the other way from our cars, gated colonies and apartments, when the stray dogs chase, bite and sometimes eat our less fortunate brethren.

Source

Got the answer from Quora only originally posted by Jordi Noguer

Hope you never have to use this information. Please provide additional techniques that you know in the comments. Thank you.