What to Do If Your Dog Gets Attacked

It can happen at the dog park, the beach, while taking a walk or in your own backyard – your dog gets attacked by an aggressive dog. What do you do? Unfortunately I experienced this scenario first-hand when my then two-year old Shih Tzu was attacked at the dog beach by a large boxer-mix. I had not prepared myself for such an occurrence and made some mistakes, but also did some things right, when I saw another dog pick up my small dog by the back of the neck and shake him like a doll. Horrifying!

No matter if your dog is a Rottweiler or a Chihuahua, when he’s attacked by another dog he instantly becomes your baby. Please learn from my experience the dos and don’ts of a canine assault.

Do:

• · Stay calm. The ASPCA’s Virtual Pet Behaviorist reports that most dog scuffles are short-lived and may not be as violent as they sound. Resist the urge to grab your dog and run, doing so may escalate the attack.
• · Make a loud noise such as a clap or shout to startle the animals and break up the fight. If that doesn’t work, wedge something between them — the ideal item would be large piece of plywood. As a last resort, wedge your protected body between the dogs, but keep your hands out of the way. If two people are available to help, have one person grab each dog’s backend (not their legs) and spin them like wheelbarrows in opposite directions from each other.
• · Lead the attacking dog away once the animals have separated.
• · Assess the dogs for injury.
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• · Collect names and phone numbers from witnesses to the attack.
• ·. Most dogs will shake off even a serious incident with no problem, but if yours doesn’t a qualified behaviorist can help you restore his lost confidence.

Don’t:

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• · Don’t panic, even if your dog is wounded. During an emergency situation your dog relies on you more than ever to be the calm, assertive leader of the pack.
• · Don’t shelter your dog after an attack. Assuming he is physically fine it’s important to return to your normal routine of walks and outings. Staying home or avoiding all new dogs will only reinforce fear and uncertainty.

Hopefully, you’ll never need to use this information, but knowing what to do if your dog gets attacked will keep you both safe. I’m happy to say that although my dog was slightly injured by his attacker he was off and running down the beach ten minutes later, tail wagging. Go Smoochie!