What are weak spots in a dog’s body? Dogs’ weak points are the part of the dog’s body that have more pain receptors. In case of dog attacks, one can use these parts to elicit considerable pain in dogs.
To find what are the weak points of dogs’ bodies, we did some research; and found that the muzzle is one of the most sensitive parts of a dogs’ body. If we specify it a little more, then the nose is the most sensitive part of a dog’s body. The second most sensitive part in dogs is the base of their neck. So, in case of a dog attack for defense, you should preferably attack the dogs’ muzzle, and secondly, you should attack the base of the neck.
To save oneself from the dog attack, It is crucial to know, what are dogs’ weak points? We will also be looking at different methods that would help you to protect yourself from the vicious dog attack.
How Dangerous Dog Bite is?
You might think that an anti-dog person is writing this. Well, it’s not like that. The purpose of writing this is to consider the danger of dog bite and to understand how treacherous it could be? And how can you save yourself from it?
A dog bite is not a thing to take for granted in any scenario. However, in some serious cases, like; the rabid dog bite, it could even be life-threatening. Moreover, there are several types of bacteria like Staphylococcus, Pasteurella, Capnocytophaga that reside in the dog’s mouth. Whenever a dog bites, they inject these bacteria into the body of their victim. These bacteria, when entering the body, cause several acute and chronic ailments.
Sometimes dog bites cause nerve and muscle damage. Nerve damage could be very serious. As you all know; nerve damage is an irreversible process, so once a nerve got damage, it never heals. Now, you could imagine the potential risk of it.
The last and the most dangerous thing that dog bite can cause is rabies. You all know that rabies is a deadly virus that is present in dogs’ saliva. Although the vaccine of rabies is available, still 60,000 people die each year due to rabies globally. It is because, if vaccination is not done timely, and signs symptoms of rabies appear, then there is not any treatment of rabies. We hope the potential risk of a dog bite is clear now.
What to do if a Dog Attacks you?
You would be amazed to know that almost 77% of dogs bite. No matter if you are familiar with the dog or not. So, whenever you are around the dogs, be conscious. A conscious attitude towards the dog will help you to elicit the required response timely, this will save you from uncertain conditions. Another thing is, never underestimates an aggressive dog. If a dog once tried to pounce on you, it means it will attempt again. So, there are the following things you can do as a defense if a dog tried to attack you:
Never Run and Stay Calm
First of all, never run from a dog, and don’t create panic. As you all know that, dogs have strong senses so, if you panic a little, the dog will sense it instantly. If the dog senses that you are afraid of him, it will surely attack you. Keep in mind: never run, instead, stand still for some time and try to calm the dog. But, in case this trick didn’t work and the dog attacks you then you should exploit the dogs’ weak spots to get dominance over the dog. Following is the complete detail that will help you to attack and exploit dogs’ weak points.
Exploit Muzzle
From research, we found that the most sensitive area in a dog’s body is its muzzle. If you hit the muzzle of the dog tactfully, you can safeguard yourself from a dogs’ bite. But, an incautious hit will do more harm than good. So, be very careful if you aspire to attack dogs’ muzzle for your defense. You should preferably attack the nose or the nose septum of the dog, for this purpose hit a solid punch either on the nose or on the nose septum of the dog. It will distract the dog and will stop him from attacking.
Exploit Neck
The second most preferable thing you should do is to grab the base of the neck firmly, with as much force as possible. As we told you at the start, the neck base is also a weak point in a dogs’ body, grabbing the base of the neck will immobilize the dog instantly and refrain him from attacking. That’s why most of the dog collars are tied around the neck. But keep in mind your grip around the neck should be firm. If you hold the dogs’ neck for a long-time, the dog might die because of choking.
Exploit Ears
Dog’s ears are also very sensitive because there are a lot of nerves that are present on the back of the ear. So, you can grab the ears of the dog firmly, to either restrain or immobilize the dog.
Exploit Forearms
The next thing you can exploit is the forearms of the dog. If a dog is attacking or you suspect that the attacking dog is rabid, then you should try to grab the dogs’ forearm and pull them apart quickly. It will refrain the dog from further attack. It is one of the best tricks to immobilize the dog, but the technique should be used in crucial cases because it can even cause the dogs’ death.
Handle Jaws
Lastly, if you are fortunate enough to get the chance to hold the lower jaw of the dog, then keep the jaws separate from each other as long as possible. It will elicit considerable pain in dogs. But this method is less preferable for a naive person dealing with dogs.
How to Fight a Dog with Bare Hands?
If unfortunately, you don’t have any weapon it doesn’t mean you should surrender, or you should allow the dog to attack you, remember that dogs in any form are not stronger than humans. So, no matter what type of dog attacks, or no matter the situation, there are always things that you can do to save yourself from dogs’ biting. If you are barehanded and got exposed to a dog, then the following thing you should do:
- Most dogs uplift their forearms and attack on the chest with paws. The best thing you can do in this scenario to stop the attack is to hold the attacking forearms firmly and pull them apart as described above.
- In case this method didn’t work, then attack the nasal septum of the dog. Punch a solid hit at the nasal septum of the dog. It will create enough pain to immobilize the dog.
- If a dog attacked you, and you missed the opportunity of punching the nasal septum. Then the next thing you should do is to grab the dog’s ear firmly and try to pull them on the backside of the body. Dog’s ears also have several nerves. When you pull the ears firmly, it elicits pain in dogs, and this pain immobilizes the dogs.
- If you get the opportunity to hold and grab dogs’ tongues, then it is a blessing for you. Because a dog’s tongue is also sensitive, once you grab the tongue, hold it firmly, for a short duration. It immobilizes the dog. This method can also kill the dog.
Dogs have loose skin on the abdomen. You can twitch these areas forcefully, it will also elicit pain and will stop the dog from biting you.
Suppose you have applied one of the above methods and the dog has forgone the idea of biting you. But keep in mind that you have made the dog angry and, there are chances that the dog will attack back. So to avoid this condition try to get help as soon as possible.
How to Fight a Dog with a Weapon?
If you are fortunate enough to find a weapon, now is up to you to use that weapon tactfully to stop dogs’ attacks. But before attacking a dog, keep in mind that dogs have a much higher threshold of pain than humans. It means that the thing that is painful for you might not bother the dog. So, attack the dog by keeping this thing in mind.
If a dog Attacks you and you have a Stick:
Now let’s suppose that you are fortunate enough to get a stick-like weapon around you, then your first and foremost target should be the area of the head or nasal septum. Before attacking, hold the stick tightly and be mindful of the force of the attack. If the attacking dog is an adult, then one should hit with as much force as possible to immobilize him. If the one-hit has worked, then perfect, but in case it hasn’t worked, you can hit 2,3 quick hits until the dog immobilizes.
Your next target should be the front part of the forearms, the area between the sternum and the upper forearm. It is very sensitive because the bone is quite weak there. So, if you strike a stick with full force, then it will break the bone of the forearm, and the dog will be completely immobilized. But one important thing to consider here is that; if you have a lite or weak stick, then do not try this method, instead try the former method of hitting on the head. Because a lite stick will not break dogs’ forearms, instead it will infuriate them. But if you get the sturdy stick, then go for this method.
If a dog attacks you and you have a Sharp Weapon:
Now let’s suppose the scenario that you got a pointed knife-like object that you think can cause a serious injury. If you got a knife-like object, you cannot use it anywhere on the dog, because the dog’s muscles are sturdy. For instance, a knife impression on hip muscles will not cause potential pain to dogs. So, some sites are used more preferably. These sights have major arteries, veins, or muscles. When these major arteries, veins are damaged they immobilize the dog with either excessive loss of blood or excessive pain. Here are some preferred sites on the dogs’ bodies, that you should attack preferably with a pointed object.
The first site you should be attacking with a knife; is the area between the forearm of the dog, or a little above (as you can see in the image above). This area has a major artery called the aortic artery. The exact location of the aortic artery is just above the trachea. If you injured that artery successfully, it means you are on the safe side and the dog will be immobilized within seconds, because of massive blood loss. But keep in mind to use a knife with strength otherwise, you will be in danger.
The next site you should be attacking is the area under the sternum (red in the image), between the abdomen and intestine area. The skin of the dog in this area is somewhat loose and has fewer muscles. So, you can hit a straight deep knife, starting from the end of the sternum, and extend it long. This attack will tear, major arteries and veins, and pain will immobilize the dog
The third site of opportunity is the lower jaw of the dog. If you put a knife in the intermandibular space successfully, then you got the opportunity to cut the windpipe. Once you cut the windpipe, the dog will be immobilized in less than a minute
How to handle an Aggressively Barking Dog?
Aggressive behavior is common in dogs. It is something that is in their instinct. However, some people train them in this way. But, how should one handle an aggressive barking dog?
There are two scenarios of this question. One if a familiar dog is aggressive or barking, and the other is if an unfamiliar dog is barking.
Now let’s consider the familiar dog aggression first. In case you are confronting the aggression of your pet dog. Then, first of all, find the type and cause of aggression, then try to resolve the reason for aggression. In case of continuous disobedience, consult a veterinarian or a trainer. Punishments should be avoided because, in most cases, it strengthens the aggressive behavior.
Now, what should you do if an unfamiliar aggressive dog is barking at you? If an unfamiliar dog is barking at you, it means this barking can be turned into biting at any time. So, you need to do something to restrain the dog. The first thing to do is to be stable, try to show the dog that you are more powerful and are not afraid, you can use your hand to show the sign of aggression, and you can also create a loud voice to correct the barking behavior of the dog. Mostly these tricks work well. But in case they don’t. Then you can use the above-described methods to tackle the dog.
Which is the Best Defense against Dog Attacks?
Dog handlers are always at the potential risk of dog attacks. If you are a person who gets exposed to dogs often, then you should have preventive tools with yourself, or you should learn the defensive or restraining techniques. In defensive tools, the most appropriate are pepper spray, a knife, and the mouth gag.
But in case you got the unpleasant accidental exposure of a dog, then attacking the dogs’ weak area as described above is the best technique. When you hit on the weak area of the dog, the dog gets the perception that the opponent is strong, and in most cases, they give up the idea of biting and run away.
Conclusion
Dogs besides being humans’ best friends, because of their dangerous bite, are also the continuous source of distress for humans. You have read how dangerous dog bites could be. So, it is very important to train all the dogs in a correct way to avoid biting, but whenever you are around any dog, be mindful that you could be attacked at any moment, and never take the exposure of a dog for granted. If you are unfortunate to get exposed to an aggressive dog, then use the above-described ways to handle the dog. And also, if you have the slightest thought that a dog has pierced any part of your body, then take the anti-rabies shots as soon as possible.