The vet I heard it from said that it makes the dog wonder if it exists. It was a joke, but still my preferred explanation. Unless it's a male dog with testes intact. Then the whiff of a bitch in heat can seemingly bestow superpowers to do anything to get to her! No barrier can prevent a horny dog from escaping.
Thinking about this some more, I don't know if it is submitting. It works best when you also walk toward the dog, and when I've done it they do gingerly back up while still trying to look dominant for a while, but eventually back down.
So as I understand it dogs have "drives" (prey drive, fight drive, guarding drive, etc) and variable switches that set them off (or that's how trainers and breeders look at it IIRC). A dog can have a low stimulus switch (it barks at everything) but also a low guard drive (it can be backed off from that activity fairly easily). Your proverbial yappy dog. A dog can also have a higher switch tolerance (will be more selective with what sets it off) and then also a high drive to see it through. Your guarding breeds. Sometimes you won't know a guard dog is even there when you approach a property while you can hear the yappy dog miles away (which can be a good deterrent). But once the guard dog has determined you're a problem it will switch and be hard to switch off because if its drive to do that behaviour. Some dogs have low tolerance but high drive (greyhound chasing small things or a collie herding things). Pitbulls are a massive problem when they go because if their switch to fight is high or low (and it varies), generally their drive to fight is the highest of any breed.
I'd be mauled to death in seconds. I've been scared of dogs since I was really little and had a rough encounter a friend's alsatian. The idea of fighting off an aggressive dog breed with bad intentions is more frightening than going 5, 5mins with Yoel Romero... Although they'd both be over quick at least.
we trained our first golden retriever as a guard dog with an attack word. we used to do drills where the dog would attack and come at you with padding. I used to practise dodging as she attacked, but you could tell she was never going at you 100% once she was play mauling me, which often left scratches, and I saw blood all over my arm. it ended up being one of her puppy teeth that came out, but i made me realise that they don't take any notice whilst they are in their zone. I've had a couple of occasions when a dog came at me. one was a guarding dog which got out of its house, I stood my ground and used my bike as a fence. eventually the dog gave up. last year I went on a trail run and was caught up in a herd of sheep loose, which I then realised was being herded by a sheep dog (collie). I managed to lose it (I thought) by breaking on a sharp bend from the herd, then jogging back the dog came after me. I stopped and turned and shouted with slightly indirect eye contact. I held my ground and the dog went back. after that I walked back until out of distance before going back to running out of site. standing ground is a better option of you cannot elevate or get behind a physical fence. I prefer using eye contact like when you're fighting, non direct but not submissive. some interesting stuff about the drives, I think in my situations it's be the guard drive.
Dogs bred for fighting are actually also bred not to be aggressive to humans,the problems come when people take these incredibly highly driven animals and breed them for other purposes or cross them with human aggressive breeds. But to the question,it depends on the dog's motivation to a degree,in prey a dog is stimulated by you acting like prey acts,so don't scream,flail,smack the dog (unless you're confident you can disable it that way) these all stimulate it,ideally you should try and separate it from you using whatever's to hand a bin lid/chair/umbrella etc this will stop it engaging it's drive. Then back away,running away will engage it's prey drive massively. Dogs that have a hold on you or someone else/another dog are like people,if they can't breathe they pass out,leads are useful for that. Understanding Dog Drives | High Class K9 Protection Dogs The other drives are worth knowing,but generally dangerous dogs are in prey/fight.
Wow "Defense against dangerous dogs?" - that takes me back... If they haven't yet attacked. 1) Don't invade their territory 1) Don't challenge them. 1) Don't make prolonged eye contact. 1) Don't smile - it doesn't look friendly to a dog - to them TEETH are a weapon. 1) Back away slowly. If you are being attacked. 1) Try and grab a weapon. 1) try and use clothing as a distraction or for protection. 1) Fight with everything you have. There's lots more but so much falls into the Maybe It Will Work or even Urban Legend categories that I'll leave them out.
Oh, and I would talk to the dog telling it it's a 'good dog' a 'lovely dog' trying to make friends - most dogs would rather have a belly-rub than a fight !!!
Depending on the situation and the dog probably not a whole lot you can do, protect your throat because dogs like pits go straight for the throat and have lockjaw. I was told as a kid by someone sometimes it's best to let the dog bite you or lock on to your leg, so you can use your weight to push their head into the ground, and something about spreading the legs because of their rib cage? But I'm pretty sure this guy was a bit wacky so I'm not sure how much there is to base on this.
I've seen a German Shepherd get knocked out by a solid hook from a drunk before, that being said it was just over-excited and not trying to cause any real damage. It's not like a dog is invincible, though I'm sure it would definitely cause some damage. Most dogs won't attack grown adults anyway, aside from trained police/military dogs which you should have no reason to worry about!
If its unavoidable, if the dog has your arm, push your arm towards the back of the mouth (yep further in) to the point your arm is up against the hinge, this will inhibit it's bitting ability, up to you with a follow up eye poke etc, or dogs also have a large nerve that runs down the inside of its back legs, place your hand so your thumb is inside, run your thumb up or down to just above the knee, and you will find a recess, ram your thumb in for all its worth, best and humanist way to finish would be a choke or a blood hold.
I kind of doubt, that you can get to the leg in that way easy enough, that it would be practicable. I have trouble touching or getting certain parts of my dog, when he is just jittery, I don't even want to imagine having to do that, when an aggressive dog gets to me - and my dog isn't exactly a big dog (roughly 50-52cm at his shoulders; difficult to say, as he won't stop moving when I try to find out ). Admittedly I wouldn't care much if I hurt a dog, that is attacking me, whereas I don't want to hurt my dog, only because he goes a bit nuts. That said, I'm sure the idea isn't bad - I can annoy my dog by putting my arm far into his mouth for example - but I doubt it's too practicable, when the dog is full of rage.
When I was a kid, every time that I dropped down pretend to pick up a rock, the dog would always run away. I have not tried this method in US. Not sure if the US dog would associate "dropping down" with "rock throwing". I have seen a dog was killed in the following way. - Grab one of the dog front leg. - Spin your body, and smash the dog on a tree.
I've done play fighting with dogs, and whilst they grab my arm, I imagine if they were really biting down it would be difficult to push your arm further into the jaw whilst a row of canine teeth are firmly embedded into you, both physically and mentally. Probably the equivalent to pushing your neck towards someone doing a cross collar choke. Dropping down to my dogs was always a sign that you are going to play. I think it was covered well that the dogs reaction will depend on its "mode" guard/attack/scared? Grabbing a dog by the front leg, they have 3 others to base on, also putting your head/neck closer to their mouth? I wouldn't risk that. Using legs/shoes and keeping upright is probably a safer option. Maybe if you can take its back and pickup round the waist, but dogs can spin around at speed.
As is usual with YouKnowWho it's less of a sensible suggestion and more of a chance to post another of his own videos.
