Learning About Dog Training

Dog attacks are among some of the most startling situations that you can face. Not only are you being attacked, but many times the attack can come out of nowhere and even be perpetrated by a dog that was previously friendly. Knowing how to act in ways that prevent dog attacks or that help you fend the dog off if it does attack is important for everyone, but it is essential for people in certain groups.

Professional Visitors

Sometimes the dog attacks because it thinks a person is an invader. This can be the case with professionals who have to be on your property, like mail carriers (who the dog can continue to see as a repeated threat, rather than getting used to the carrier), utility workers, delivery people, and so on. Owners should keep their dogs in places where the dogs can't hurt those who have to be on the property for legitimate reasons, and owners also need to train their dogs not to attack randomly. But owners don't always take those steps, so anyone who has to go onto unfamiliar properties needs to know how to fend off an attack.

Fast People

Another group that needs to know what to do is fast people -- joggers and runners, bicyclists, and so on. The speed with which these people pass by can resemble the speed of prey, especially runners and joggers who actually look like they are running from something. A dog that has been merely barking for a while can finally get the guts up to chase after a runner, for example, and bite the person if the dog catches up. Of course, the instinct to keep running only makes the dog more determined to get the person. This group of people needs training to go against the stronger inclination to run and to get better training at stopping or tricking the dog.

Kids

Young children are among some of the most bitten people when it comes to dog attacks. Sometimes this is due to provocation; the child keeps poking at the dog or doing something to annoy the dog. Sometimes the two are playing and the dog gets overexcited and bites. Other times, the attack is unprovoked. The child needs to know what to do because the dog may be too big for a small child to fend off with force.

Talk to a vet and to dog-owning neighbors to find out what schools they know of that teach dog-bite avoidance. Training doesn't take long, and it can help you avoid a potentially fatal situation. Check out a company like Sound Defense to learn more about defending yourself from potential dog attacks.