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Don’t make any mistakes with a dangerous dog

On Behalf of | Feb 19, 2020 | Personal Injury |

You must take dog bite injuries seriously. They can be fatal. People love dogs and often underestimate how dangerous they can be. Encountering the wrong dog can lead to serious injuries for adults and children.

If you’re walking down the sidewalk or perhaps going for a jog, do you know what to do if an aggressive dog charges you and looks like it’s going to bite? Perhaps just as importantly, do you know what not to do? Here are a few common mistakes you need to avoid:

  • Running away from the dog. Your instinct is to run and remove yourself from danger. The problem is that the dog is faster than you are, so you won’t get away, and its instinct is to chase. Running only makes things worse.
  • Making eye contact and smiling at the dog. You think you appear friendly because you would to another human. A dog, though, thinks that both a smile — showing teeth — and making eye contact are challenges. He thinks you are being aggressive. Don’t do it.
  • Shouting at the dog. You may think that yelling at it to go away will work, but it will likely just rile the dog up even more. You are best off to stay as calm as you can, even when the dog snaps at you.
  • Trying to grab the dog. You likely can’t control it and reaching for it just puts your hands at risk. Instead, raise your hands, turn sideways to the dog and stay still.

Now you know what mistakes to avoid but that does not mean you will not get bitten. If you do, be sure you know how to seek compensation.