Be especially cautious if you hear low, guttural growls and barks coming from the dog.
This is an especially worrisome sign if it is combined with snarling and/or upright, pointed ears.
Think about any nonaggressive dogs you know – they usually avert their eyes to avoid extended eye contact as a sign of submission and affection. If a dog doesn’t avert their eyes and maintains eye contact with you, this is a sign of aggression.
This is especially dangerous behavior when it is combined with some of the other warning signs like snarling and growling.
Keep your mouth closed and your teeth covered at all times. Avoid making eye contact with the dog as well. Your best bet is to fold your arms and turn away from the dog. Try to ignore the dog completely.
Of course, don’t go around pepper spraying dogs or blasting an air horn unless they are actually about to attack you. If you must walk in an area that is known to have aggressive dogs that sometimes get loose, consider carrying an air horn. Avoid physically attacking a dog because this may cause their behavior to escalate.
Try to back away from the dog slowly, without turning your back on the dog. You can also try getting on top of a nearby parked car.
Don’t ever enter a fenced area where a dog may be without the owner present. If you’ve seen dogs roaming loose in certain neighborhoods, avoid those places when possible.
Look for anything around that you can use as a shield. Use your purse or backpack; grab a tree branch off the ground. Try to find anything that could act as a buffer between you and the dog. It is especially important to cover your head. If you cannot protect any other part of you, then put your arms up over your head to protect it.
This is a form of “playing dead” which may cause the dog to become bored and abandon the attack altogether.
Also, make sure to call the authorities to report the attack as soon as you are out of danger and have had your wounds treated.
