Could you fight off an attack from a dog ?

[Deleted]

If a dog is on you, grab his hind legs, that will make 99% of dogs let go.

[fadedmind]

Was on a walk through the neighborhood with wife, kids and our Labrador, when what appeared to be a stray dog started to kind of follow us. He wasn't right on our tail but as we progressed through the neighborhood he was always like 40-50 feet behind us. For like 30 minutes. He finally just stopped and wandered off.

From a distance it appeared to be a boxer and something else mixed. Had the head of a boxer but was smaller than what a typical boxer would be.

My wife started to get worried cause our son is only 5 and our dog is a total pusscake. And she said people had been posting on our nextdoor app that a dog like that had been aggressive towards others in the neighborhood.

I was totally unworried as I felt that I could easily have fought off the dog if it became aggressive. This started a conversation between us that lasted the rest of the walk. She has why many would call an appropriate fear of larger dogs, especially breeds that are known to be agressive like pit bulls and Rottweilers and German Shepard. I don't have this fear. I'm running under the impression (perhaps falsely) that I could kick the shit out of any dog. I may take some bites and scratches but at the end of the day I could snap a dogs jaw or neck if the situation ever came up that it was life or death or protecting my kids.

I've seen videos of people being attacked by police dogs and guard dogs but it seems most of them run away from the dog and get caught from behind, taken down and chewed up.

What do you think, could you take on a dog and live to tell about it ?

Depending on size and type of dog. Also don't underestimate what your lab will do for you if you're in trouble

[Deleted]

Depends on the dog, but the main thing is that dogs don't do very well when they're off their feet on the ground, they can't get up with any weight on them, so just pin them and do what you need to do to survive

[Nyoken]

Pepper spray dude, go get it now.

[Zogarth]

A huge trained dog? If it went for the kill I think 99% of people would be knocked over and bit in the neck damn fast. If I had a weapon (knife etc) and was prepared for it jumping me? I think most males would stand a chance as long as they can keep the dog off their vitals.

[Deleted]

I don't know what fantasy world you are living in lol, but its quite easy to compare animal vs human. And a typical human male aged 20+ would be able to fight off most dogs. Of course some breeds and bigger dogs will defiantly take a limb or cause death. But seriously a deer? Lets not get silly. Most human adults could fight off most creatures that are not big game predators. The odd exceptions like mongoose etc but they are few and far between. Most things wouldn't attack you because of your size. Fight a mountain lion, or bear for example and you're toast.

Yes, a deer. Usually they just run away to avoid conflict or run after knocking you down, but when one keeps fighting you're fucked. Encountering a(n aggressive) male during mating season can likely end with you on the bad side of their hooves or antlers, possibly being trampled and gored to death.

Another example of a relatively small creature being able to mess up and kill even a trained human would be the grown version of this cute fella

Which stands at about 1.2m(3.9ft) and 90kgs(200lbs) when it's an average male.

[hrugner]

Jam your fist down its gullet and suffocate it. It works on big cats and bears as well.

I know it works on dogs, but I really wouldn't want to try it on something that can turn it's claws like a cat or bear can. And a big cat can really pull it's rear legs up and get them into you. Anything that's built to climb trees seems like a bad fight to pick.

Yes, I know a dog can climb a tree, but it's sad and awkward, they don't have the rotating wrists and spread claws to do the job I'm worried about.

[RobertoCarlos]

Yes, a deer. Usually they just run away to avoid conflict or run after knocking you down, but when one keeps fighting you're fucked. Encountering a(n aggressive) male during mating season can likely end with you on the bad side of their hooves or antlers, possibly being trampled and gored to death.

Another example of a relatively small creature being able to mess up and kill even a trained human would be the grown version of this cute fella

Which stands at about 1.2m(3.9ft) and 90kgs(200lbs) when it's an average male.

Possibly a full grown male deer you're right. If one of those antlers pierce you or you get a hoof to the head. And yeah chimps are fucking legit. They could bite off your hand and nose before you even knew what happened

[Deleted]

Possibly a full grown male deer you're right. If one of those antlers pierce you or you get a hoof to the head. And yeah chimps are fucking legit. They could bite off your hand and nose before you even knew what happened

Chimps are one of the scariest ones to fight with I'd say. They don't mind biting or ripping off anything that sticks out (nose, fingers, testicles), and they're strong as fuck.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udGAapx7Gok (lower the volume first 10 secs) sketches a nice image of a chimp toying with an mma fighter, lol

[frogger237]

I grew up in a remote area and one of our rites of passage is to fight a bear bare handed at 16. Granted its typically only a 2-4 year old black bear thats used but still I'm sure I could take down a dog.

[RobertoCarlos]

Chimps are one of the scariest ones to fight with I'd say. They don't mind biting or ripping off anything that sticks out (nose, fingers, testicles), and they're strong as fuck.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udGAapx7Gok (lower the volume first 10 secs) sketches a nice image of a chimp toying with an mma fighter, lol

Well the thing is, they are strong as hell and also intelligent. So they go for your weak spots like as you said, fingers, testicles, eyes. And their jaws are strong enough to grind down bone. They are scary as fuck. People have been attacked and had their entire face chewed off

[Kapadons]

Chimps are one of the scariest ones to fight with I'd say. They don't mind biting or ripping off anything that sticks out (nose, fingers, testicles), and they're strong as fuck.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udGAapx7Gok (lower the volume first 10 secs) sketches a nice image of a chimp toying with an mma fighter, lol

I want a karate monkey. Fuck a guard dog. Chimp ninja to the rescue.

[Dystemper]

I don't know what fantasy world you are living in lol, but its quite easy to compare animal vs human. And a typical human male aged 20+ would be able to fight off most dogs. Of course some breeds and bigger dogs will defiantly take a limb or cause death. But seriously a deer? Lets not get silly. Most human adults could fight off most creatures that are not big game predators. The odd exceptions like mongoose etc but they are few and far between. Most things wouldn't attack you because of your size. Fight a mountain lion, or bear for example and you're toast.

I have worked in protection training dogs for 20 years, and have hunted and worked with wildlife. You do not know what you are talking about. Deer have killed people and are very very strong.

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I know it works on dogs, but I really wouldn't want to try it on something that can turn it's claws like a cat or bear can. And a big cat can really pull it's rear legs up and get them into you. Anything that's built to climb trees seems like a bad fight to pick.

Yes, I know a dog can climb a tree, but it's sad and awkward, they don't have the rotating wrists and spread claws to do the job I'm worried about.

It does not work on dogs, or bears or any other larger predator

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Depends on the dog, but the main thing is that dogs don't do very well when they're off their feet on the ground, they can't get up with any weight on them, so just pin them and do what you need to do to survive

Good luck with that lol, Have you ever seen Belgian malinois work?

[Radaney]

Yeh probably, most adult humans would destroy a standard dog in a life death situation. The weight and height difference is too much.

Just imagine an average dogs face. Now imagine an average adrenaline fulled human kicking that dog in the face or rib area. That's a lot of damage done to a dog.

The bigger the dog is in comparison the more favorable to the dog when talking about non trained etc etc.

This thread is pretty fucked up to think about so I'm out. xD

[craftyard]

You should never assume you'd be able to fight anyone off, dog or human... But I think a healthy human would have the advantage in a fight against a dog, all else being equal.

Most of it's about mentality - if you go into it thinking "oh shit oh shit i'm gonna die", then of course you're gonna get chewed up.

[Yvaelle]

Advantages a dog has in a fight with a human:
- low centre of mass
- 4 legs (very sturdy)
- animal determination
- very dangerous mouth
- fast
- fight stamina

Advantages a human has:
- much greater mass
- better range of motion
- punches and kicks (some animals can, but dogs dont really punch/kick)
- far stronger bones
- smarter

So the win conditions for a human here are really two-fold, either:
1. Break bones. Human bones are some of the toughest in the entire animal kingdom, and our arms/legs are seriously effective weapons. By comparison, dog bones are probably roughly comparable to a toddler's: this creates good opportunities for the human. The biggest threat the dog poses is if they bite something critical, like a throat - in which case GG no re. However, if they bite you anywhere else - while it will hurt - it's pretty much non-fatal - and dogs tend to lock their jaw and try to tire you out from the pain. This means their head is basically exposed and unguarded (dogs can't block/parry), a solid punch to the jaw will almost certainly shatter their jaw/cheek bones - causing them to lose the ability to bite (their best weapon), and may cause them to even pass out from the trauma (again, like an adult punching a toddler).

Alternately, their ribs are going to be similarly soft by comparison to humans - which means a solid few blows to the ribs will definitely wind them (giving up their biggest win condition: stamina), likely break bones, and potentially collapse their rib cage: which is gg no re. Similarly a serious human kick to a dog could prove fatal.

2. Grappling. Dogs are sturdy on their four legs compared to other animals, and if they run at you and tackle you - they may be able to knock you off your feet - but on the ground, grappling - our superior range of motion, mass, and size - means that you will have a much easier time tying up a dog in arm/leg locks than the dog will have of doing the same to you (because we have opposable thumbs and high range of motion joints). Dogs are used to taking other dogs to the ground to fight (because they both suck at it), but a human grappling a dog has big advantages to spider around it and tie it up.

The dog has two win conditions as well:
1. Critical bite. Powerful jaws, sharp teeth, and comparatively big mouths make dog bites pretty dangerous - if they bite a critical area they could end a fight potentially faster than a human can end the fight with the dog. With that said, humans are tanks compared to most animals - we're uniquely built to sustain initial damage, and then win in the trade. Below is a documentary on how humans became an apex predator before we figured out the shooty shooties and the stabby stabbies:



Our superpower in the animal kingdom, if we have such a thing - is that compared to most animals we're basically Wolverine from the X-men: if you don't completely kill us in a fight, we'll likely survive and regenerate back to full health.

2. Endurance. Most animals are sprinters rather than marathon runners. Compared to almost everything else in the animal kingdom, endurance is our strength - not theirs. Dogs/Wolves are perhaps the only major exception - and its why we domesticated them - we both share this win condition: and work even better together. In a fight, a dog is likely to endure better than most humans (because we're out of shape, and they exercise all day).

[hrugner]

It does not work on dogs, or bears or any other larger predator

I'm sure you have your reasons for believing it doesn't work, but it's worked for me in the past. I guess I could be lucky as my sample size of dog attacks is only three(doberman, lab mix of some sort of 80ish pound mutt), but once their jaw was stuck open around my fist the biting stopped and they started gagging. I do have tooth scars from the lab mix though, she pulled back mid bite. I sure as hell don't remember where I was taught to do it.

[Dystemper]

I'm sure you have your reasons for believing it doesn't work, but it's worked for me in the past. I guess I could be lucky as my sample size of dog attacks is only three(doberman, lab mix of some sort of 80ish pound mutt), but once their jaw was stuck open around my fist the biting stopped and they started gagging. I do have tooth scars from the lab mix though, she pulled back mid bite. I sure as hell don't remember where I was taught to do it.

20 years working protection dogs and even longer working with wildlife. If the dog is not committed to the bite ( I.e is fear aggressive , sick, or just putting on a threat display) IT might work. You got lucky. I have seen medium size dogs fracture bones in grown mens hands and arms. Like I said before the real damage from a dog but is not lacerations or punctures, but the crushing damage .

Not with other predators such as a Cougar or bear, yeah thats just going to get your arm ripped from its socket.

[Laraven]

Well, this is right up my alley. I train dogs for Schutzhund, tracking and Obedience in general.

The answer is, Maybe. Depending on the dog and situation.

The dogs weight, breed and reason for attacking all come into play. A large dog defending itself, owner, property, or young - Prob not, It isn't going to just stop until the threat is gone. A dog who is attacking out of fear alone, Yes, probably as soon as it finds a way to run. As it's reason for attacking has no drive behind it and it's priority is to escape.

A dog trained to bite - No way in hell. The dog will not stop until dead. Most people who are attacked by large dogs with drive have their arms and hands broken trying to fend the dog off. Most fatal dog bites had nothing to do with the humans throat being bitten. Most deaths occur when the dog hits the arteries, nerves and tendons in the arms, legs and groin. Disabling the person from fighting back.

Canine bones are strong. They are not as porous as humans. Dogs have forearm bones that are fused together not two separate bones like ours. Their spine is thicker, straighter and more compact. Making them way more agile then we could ever dream to be. Dogs can spin around and bite even when you hold their hind legs off the ground. Their rib cage is wide set and contain large lungs that allow them great stamina.

Dogs jaws do not "lock". Unless trained to hold, the average dog will jump away when hurt only to rush back in to bite. Most dogs who do hold have so much drive behind them they feel little pain. If you think you can shove your hand down a dogs throat and keep it there you are mistaken. (Not to mention they can breath through their nose.) They will shake their head violently and use their hind legs to pull away. They can squirm out of most any hold you try to have on them because their skin is loose and fur is slippery. Dobermans tails are docked and ears are cropped so that the attacker can not get grip over the dog.

I have no idea what "skin patch" others are talking about but if they mean the groin area dogs haunch over when on the ground to protect themselves. and as a vet tech I have done pregnancy palpitation where I have actually touched the underside of the spine through the groin. Their organs move. Not to mention I have seen dogs take bullets and keep going.

The proper way to defend yourself, is to kick for the nose or throat. Not the top of the head, the skull is far too thick. If you can get a dog to the ground use your knee to crush their throat or rib cage cutting off their air. But most ppl run, and that is the worst thing you can do.

Also No one is allowed to put on a bite suit unless they weigh over 180lbs where I train. This is why...
https://youtu.be/W385P2ZeNNA
https://youtu.be/7RYkPqazTao

Sire to one of my litters doing bite work @120 lbs.

[hrugner]

20 years working protection dogs and even longer working with wildlife. If the dog is not committed to the bite ( I.e is fear aggressive , sick, or just putting on a threat display) IT might work. You got lucky. I have seen medium size dogs fracture bones in grown mens hands and arms. Like I said before the real damage from a dog but is not lacerations or punctures, but the crushing damage .

Not with other predators such as a Cougar or bear, yeah thats just going to get your arm ripped from its socket.

Well then I'll count myself lucky and try and find some other method if it comes up again. The cops around here started checking in on cheap housing with large dogs in the past ten years so there are fewer large temperamental dogs around now and it doesn't come up as much.