Fact: Any breed of dog is capable of attacking a human. But 56 percent of all fatal dog attacks in the United States in the past five years were committed by pit bulls, according to a report released last week by the organization DogsBite.org. “During the 1980s and 1990s, fatal dog attacks averaged 17 per year. The death-by-dog-bite rate now is nearly double this amount at over 30 per year and largely due to pit bulls,” the group says. The tips below can be used against any breed of dog that happens to attack, up to and including the pit bull. (And to those who claim that humans’ anxiety about pit bull attacks is fostering an environment where pit bulls are subliminally encouraged to attack: I will not discuss matters of human culpability and mind-reading pit bulls because YOU ARE INSANE.)
“Trying to make friends with strange dogs is not a good idea,” says David Wiley, a Seattle dog behavioral therapist with BarkBusters.com. “Don’t try to pay attention to a dog in a car or behind a fence—even friendly dogs can be territorial.”
Never let yummy little kids—who make sudden, startling, unpredictable movements—anywhere near unleashed pit bulls.
If you find yourself on what feels like the verge of being attacked: “Don’t run—the movement can make the dog more excited and chase you. Stand completely still and cross your hands in front of you. Don’t make direct eye contact, which can come across as a challenge. Don’t turn your back, as it may embolden the dog. Just stand still. Once the dog loses interest, back away,” says Wiley.
So you’ve stood still and avoided eye contact, and still the dog in question shows signs of dangerous aggression. If you can get yourself somewhere higher than the ground, do it. If you can stand on a car, stand on a car. (You can worry about possibly denting a stranger’s hood and roof later—just get the fuck up there.)
If there’s no car or any other higher level handy, “don’t try to defend yourself, just protect yourself,” says Emily Keegans, behavior program manager at the Seattle Humane Society. “That basically means to get down on the ground, pull your knees to your chest, clasp your hands behind your neck, put your elbows around your face.” This play-dead-while-defending-your- tender-face-and-lap-bits approach is seconded by Wiley: “Stillness is the best thing. If a dog gets its teeth into you, fighting back can make things worse.”
There’s nothing as low drama as spraying the animal with a pain-inducing repellent. If your life regularly takes you through areas populated with dogs, get Mace (or pepper spray, or citronella). Do it now, because all other “fighting back” options are nauseatingly violent. Butch’s Gun Shop on Aurora Avenue sells a small container of Mace for around $12, while REI sells an eight-ounce “bear spray” for $30.
Is there something heavy you can grab? A rock, a brick, a boom box? If so, smash it against the dog’s head until it retreats or loses consciousness.
Or can you or someone else grab the attacking dog’s legs? If so, yank them apart to break the dog’s knees.
If that’s not possible, choke it. Don’t straddle the dog, but get into a position with the bony part of your forearm against its throat and put pressure on the windpipe “for at least 30 seconds until the dog is unconscious and has stopped struggling,” says self-defense specialist Charles Prosper.
Is choking not in the cards? Do you have something to wrap around your arm? Say, a jacket? If so, wrap it around your nondominant arm and let the dog bite it. Then fall on top of the fucker and dig your fingers into its eyes. Don’t stop until the dog’s a whimpering mass of blindness, then get yourself to safety. 
The follow-up: How to Defeat Someone Made Furious by ‘How to Defeat a Pit Bull with Your Bare Hands.’
Number one thing you always hear from pit bull owners:
“oh not my pit bull. My pit bull is the sweetest dog in the whole world. It’s all how you train them.”
Yeah right!
WTF? Is The Stranger going to have a feature on how to protect yourself against aggressive panhandlers next?
Seriously, keeping on this sensational anti-pitbull stuff is not doing anything for your alternative journalism credentials.
“Pit bulls” are a type of dog not a breed. There are over 20 types of dogs that people refer to as “pit bulls.” Police reports are made by people who only know that the innocent that they’re reporting was caused by a dog that looks like a pit bull. It’s like saying that a dark-skinned person mugged me and describing them as black.
Yes, there occasionally are horrible consequences that arise from people owning powerful animals that they don’t have the ability or desire to control. Same with guns. And booze. Talking about how to defend yourself against a drunk hobo, crack head or street thug won’t rile people up enough for the Stranger though.
The Stranger should stick to covering what they’re good at – lame bands, nightlife and city council members.
Obviously it has been a slow week for the try-hard reporters at the Stranger. Now, for those readers who are intelligent enough to do some actual research on canine aggression, or for those readers who might want to at least educate themselves before believing the rubbish depicted in this ‘cartoon-like’ article or leaving ignorant comments, please visit http://animalfarmfoundation.org/view_art…
Despite the advice given here (and it seems like there’s a lot of discussion as to whether this can even be called that), I can’t shake the feeling that because I read The Call of the Wild, I’m capable of defending against dog attacks like the man in the red sweater. Apparently the part of my brain that thinks this way has already beaten the logic center into submission.
Funny as hell article. Loved it.
It’s dead simple, pitbull fans (no pun, really).
What is a breed designed FOR?
Dalmatians were bred to run alongside French royalty’s carriages and snap and bark at any commoner who got too close.
German Shepherds were bred to assist WWI veterans who had been blinded by mustard gas.
Greyhounds were bred to run.
What do you think a breed called PITBULLS was designed to do?
You put them in PIT with a badger, bear, lynx, or other dog and bet on which animal will survive. Pitbull fighting goes back over 500 years in Spain and central Europe and longer than that in China.
They are not, nor have they EVER been, a companion breed or a dog bred for guarding people or property (like German Shepherds and Rottweilers).
They have a powerful stalking instinct BRED INTO THEM and they have a ‘gameness’, meaning they’re willing to take on an animal larger than themselves (including people).
It’s like reading the label at the grocery store.
@ 159
Owning a pit bull is not like owning a gun. A gun is not capable of acting independent of its owner nor can a beer act independent of its consumer.
I’m stunned how polarizing this article is, as it simply outlines how to defend against any dog attack. And even if you hate math and facts, statistically speaking if you are going to be attacked my something it is a pit bull.
Pit bulls are dangerous because their size and potential for aggression can cause greater bodily harm than most other readily accessible to the general public . There certainly are larger and stronger dogs but they are hard to come by and expensive. An out of control Bull Mastiff will kill the pit pull attacking you then kill you.
Your “pit bull is like a gun” simile however does touch on the idea of regulating the ownership of certain breeds based on size and aggression like guns should be regulated. Do you need a license to own a bb gun? No. Machine Gun. Yes. Breeds like Bull Mastiffs are already regulated to the extent that the cost of buying one means (mostly) those owning have invested time and money into dog owner ship.
Of course gun regulation hasn’t been going very well either as equally hysterical arguments are made about impinging on freedom, or demonizing guns when really guns don’t kill people, people kill people. Just like pit bulls don’t kill people irresponsible owners kill people.
It reminds me of some of the unforgivable BS spewed by republicans when they attacked healthcare when they said “oh sure thousands might die because they don’t have insurance”, but LOOK thousands die in car accidents.
Again, NOT THE SAME THING. These are preventable deaths. And anything that may educate the public in preventing these death is quite simply a public good.
162 FTW. For Reals
And all you folks out there who are frothing over with outrage over this little newspaper piece: just what is so AWFUL about learning how to protect yourself w/o weapons against an attacking dog? Isn’t that good information to have?
If you’re shitting yourself over the term ‘pit bull’ in the title, ask yourself why that is. Don’t pit bulls, like other dogs large and small, attack? Wouldn’t it be good to know what to do in the case of a sudden canine attack, when you find yourself without a handy 2×4 to pick up to defend yourself?
Critical Thinking: It’s Not Just a River in Egypt!
such nice dogs…
such nice dogs…
such nice dogs…
@34 and @35
Where in the link you provided by CDC the breed of the dog responsible for bodily harm is mentioned???
To the author, I really wish you’d receive a good education from a reputable institution where they actually teach you the data gathering science and use of verifiable sources – dogbites.org is a hysteria fueled website that does not provide any factual statistical data, nor do they reference verifiable data sources.
We can all write articles but we are not all editors.
Have a good day.
Boris.
P.S. David, I hope you reply to my email. Well, it is my hope.
Wow, you are so uneducated.
Might be worth your while to do your homework on the groups you cite.
You want to know about dogsbite.org? Take a look at this link.
http://btoellner.typepad.com/kcdogblog/2…
I can tell you’ve never even interacted with any of the breeds known as pit bulls. In the infamous words of bugs…….what a maroon.
Wow. I only come to the Stranger to read Dan Savage’s blog and today I realized why. This article is disgusting. To use “pit bull” in the title is a blatant attempt to get attention and perpetuates the stereotypes of this breed.
Everyone knows the stereotypes about pit bulls. Why not write an article with the FACTS that dispel some of these myths? That way you could still have pit bull in the title, you could still have controversy in the discussion board, and you could have an actual piece of reliable journalism on your hands instead of some bullshit drivel that references one wholly inaccurate and sensationalist website.
By the way, the author’s “reaction” was pure masturbatory bullshit. You sir, should be ashamed to call yourself a writer or, god forbid, journalist. Do some fucking research.
This is horrendous, arrogant, ignorant and just really sad. I’m so disappointed in The Stranger. Really?!
In response to 162 – Rottweillers were the ONLY breed (of the 32 you mentioned) specifically bred FOR attacking humans. Do YOUR research!
(of the “32” was a typo – should have been “3” – geesh!)
Pit Bull owners (like me) can’t get too upset over this sort of nonsense…. Schmader has never been much of a writer, and it’s not the loons like him who have much effect anyhow…. people really DO “consider the source” occasionally, probably more often than Schmader realizes…. I’d just as soon listen to George Bush speak on Education Reform, or Ann Coulter talk about what is wrong with American Society…. on the other hand, for REAL information I listen to folks who DO know what they’re talking about (and Schmader does NOT make THAT list, LOL, not by a LONG shot!)
@162
Here’s the answer to your question:
American Pit Bull Terrier was designed by selective breeding for dog on dog combat, and be gentle with people because there were at least 3 people handling the dogs in the pit.
All I can say is my neighbor has two Pit Bulls and they’re MEAN. Yes, I blame the neighbor for leaving them outside all the time, alone and unloved. When he’s around they’re practically puppies. But just because it’s his fault doesn’t mean that they’re actually nice dogs on the inside. It’s too late to retrain them. No, not all Pit Bulls are crazy, but the ones that are crazy are REALLY crazy.
I hadn’t thought of pepper spray, it seems so obvious now. Thank you, David. It was a very good article.
There’s nothing wrong with posting a list on how to handle a dog attack, but it’s not necessary to identify them with pit bulls, considering how even golden retrievers have killed people.
If we give singular non-expert opinions like Colleen Lynn’s idiot website media plugs, can I expect the Stranger’s next major article to be on the Flat Earth theory? Got’s to be journalistically fair, and all that, them’s round-earthers have hogged the media outlets for too long.
The attacks are getting worse because BSL is banning these dogs so there are more strays due to owner abandonment. People think this is a better option for the dog than being captured. That is just one of a million reasons why these dogs are so compromised now more than ever (in society, not behavior) and we are advocates looking to change this in the very near future. I work w/ and rescue pit bulls and even the severely beaten and abused dogs have never EVER displayed so much as an ounce of aggression. They want to be loved. If you were beaten or mistreated by a certain species, you’d probably want to rip it to shreds too, so lets stop using the F bomb to describe why MACING a dog is ok. This article has pissed me off and I am writing to the editor for a retraction. Want to avoid a dog attack?? Then get REAL education because I am a 5 ft tall 110 lb female and I’ve approach MANY stray pits and had them licking my face w/in seconds. They are afraid of you, they don’t attack to be vicious you idiots, they attack because a human mistreated them somewhere or they were abandoned and starved, it’s fear. Not temperment. Get educated before you print this crap. Really! It’s shit like this that is hindering the cause to save these dogs and their reputations. If you want to educate people than YOU yourself must get educated. You have NO real facts in this article to back up anything you are saying and Dogsbite.com is not exactly a great source to use info to write something like this. You want the REAL facts?? Go to http://pitbullrescuecentral.com/ and STOP WRITING THIS NONSENSE. YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT. Jump onto a car? Are you serious? LOL I am never reading this magazine again, I had no idea the morons that wrote for it. “mace the fucker”??? Really? Nice vocabulary skills!!
Angie
Pit bull Advocates of Washington
Pit Rescue and Foster
“PUNISH THE DEED NOT THE BREED”
And to soulcat…sorry, but you too are very wrong. It is 100% all the owner and I guarantee you I could have both those dogs calm and happy and licking my face in a matter of seconds. Pits were not meant for the outdoors and seclusion does not make them “crazy”, it makes the frightened. I’ve been doing this for a very long time so I do know what I am talking about. One very important thing for everyone to remember is this..”If a persons mind is closed to the real facts about this breed, then SO should be their MOUTHS”
soulcat, well, what I meant to say it is 100% all the owner and I guarantee you I could have both those dogs calm and happy and licking my BALLS (not so much my face) in a matter of seconds. That’s how damn good I am! And remember, “If a persons mind is closed to the facts about real breeding, then their MOUTHS ” . . . ah shit . . . “If a persons real MOUTH is open to breed facts” Ah! Nevermind!
Pit bull advocates did NOT post comment 181. But whoever did, thanks for proving our point of idiocracy at it’s finest.
I am so beyond apalled at this article. Advocating animal abuse?!! This is upsetting, ignorant, and just sad. This paper is dead to me.
What part of Dog Aggression does NOT equal Human Aggression do you people NOT understand? Pit Bulls were bred to be Dog Aggressive NOT Human Aggressive.
How intelligent would it be to try to fight dogs that a person cannot handle? When it is hurt? Excited? Angry?
Are there misbred Pitbulls that are Nutty as a fruitcake? YES Should they be put down? Yes.
Blame the owners of the Human Aggressive dogs and NOT the entire breed of dog.
My daughter was severly bitten by a Husky. Here we are Pitbull owners and she is bit by another breed.
Go figure. How about the stray dogs that killed my cat but my pitbulls love my cats?
I would gladly kill an attacking dog of any breed but guess what? Not ALL owners are dumbasses like the ones that let the dogs run loose,.
If a breed has a higher propensity for attacking people than other breeds, perhaps a group such as say the Seattle City Council ought to ban them from the city limits. Anyone here who’s been attacked could lead the effort.
Next week, can we have an article on How to Protect Yourself From Getting HIV from the Gays (And Everyone Else, Of Course)? People should know how to protect themselves.
Thanks for the fear-mongering bullshit, The Stranger. You sure are getting good at it.
While on my bike, I’ve been bitten once, charged by other dogs twice, and chased once while on foot. Not once by a pit bull.
If you’re on a bike while charged by a dog, stop while swinging your dog – side leg high and dismounting opposite the dog. Keep the bike between you and the dog. They’ve turned away when I’ve done this, but you gotta be prepared to fight ’em.
Unless you already have a good head of steam, it’s a gamble trying to outrun the dog, if you lose the race, it’ll put a hole in your thigh.
The bear spray is the best idea. And carry a legal size folding knife.
People who own pit bulls should have to carry a $5million bond on each animal. Those that can’t or won’t get said bonds should have the dogs taken away. All pit bulls in existence should be sterilized immediately and let the species die out in a few years.
@26: doubt it, since i’m in the same area every day jogging with my lab. if this were true, there would be more pit bulls trying to chase/attack my dog. breed bans are for pussies.
If I thought it would do any good, my comment would include credentials, an explanation of learning theory, the interaction between genetics and experience when it comes to a dog’s temperament, and blah, blah, blah. Or I could refer anyone who’s interested to the book “Dogs Bite, but Balloons and Slippers are More Dangerous.”
Additionally… What miserable journalism. I bet you’ll make a lot of money by pissing people off. As a dog trainer/lover/advocate, as well as someone who is painfully aware of how obnoxious and yes, occasionally dangerous a dog (of any breed) can be, I would be quite satisfied if you lost your job over this article. If you’d done some research into the most up to date, scientifically sound training methods, you’d probably be embarrassed to use a Bark Busters “behaviorist” for your expert. And I’ll bet Emily Keegans would rather gouge her own eyes out than be associated with this article. Great job.
Wow, I had no idea so many mal-adjusted psychopaths read the stranger.
@191 Or, apparently, write for the Stranger…
Very disappointed, but not surprised. The Stranger has been a shit stack since you began writing for it. Where the hell did you get 56% from? You are fucking retarded!
LOL! You actually quoted Dogsbite.org in the first paragraph and you expect any educated reader to take your information seriously!??
Fact: Dog bites haven’t been scientifically tracked in the U.S. since 1999…dogsbite.org is a fanatical group of bloggers who clip news articles with the word “Pit Bull”, that’s all.
I bet they even included the recent attack by a guy’s PET BULL that was initially mis-reported as PIT BULL and later corrected…nothing to do with a Pit Bull but I bet it’s in their “statistics”.
Chances are you’ll be molested by a catholic republikkkan before you, or anyone you EVER know is killed by a Pit-bull.
Your last president & Co. Just laid waste to well over a million humans…whats 30 more…
Really Though, I’ve known more Pit-bulls since the ’80’s than I can even begin to count. Without admitting to any felonies, I can honestly say that I’ve owned, seperated two males intent on hurtin each other countless times…(my bare hands damn near in their mouths with a breakin stick, never once been bit) & lived with Killer, Champion Fighters that you could let loose in a daycare center fulla kids & the worse thing that would happen is a kid gets hit too hard by a wagging tail. Personally, I’ve only known one person thats been bit by a Pit-bull and as soon as the dog realized he was biting a human instead of the dog that was try to attack him, he let go. Accidents happen.
Unless an idiot makes the mistake of teaching a pit to attack humans, this breed does not have it their genetic code to want to hurt people,only other animals, they love us. Unlike German Shepards, Rottweillers, Dobermans, etc. Man-made Breeds created for the sole purpose of protecting Man from Man.
Never teach your Pit dog to harm a person…bad,bad,bad…get a Nazi dog for that.
And If a stray pit looks at you funny and your thinking about(trying to)gouge its eyes out or, play Turtle, At least try this tactic first: Yell at it in a demeaning voice, “Bad dog”…”Did You Do This”, & Point at the Ground away from you…You might be surprised at what happens.
I KNOW that I could kill a pit without getting to badly hurt, I also KNOW that this particular breed has an insane tolerance to pain…Physical pain that is, but their ‘feelings’ are sensitive.
There are exceptions to every rule. Of all the Pit’s I’ve known, only one was Born Bad. I wish that was my same track record with humanity.
What a ridiculous article! I am a pitbull advocate and think that this article is totally absurd. Let’s see the statistics on other breeds. Why discriminate on pitbulls. Do you know that 90% of the time….. dogs are called pitbulls even though they are not. Do you know a REAL pitbull when you see one?
Congratulations David…you may reach 200 comments on this one! Is that why you wrote it? I can’t come up with any other logical reason. In 15 years of reading The Stranger, this is by far the most unfortunate thing I’ve seen published.
this is oooh i wanna curse retarded if you was in the real world for one you would know american pit bull terrier yes was bred 2 fight other DOGS and the ones that would even think about biting the handler were takin out of the breeding stock usually killed APBT’s do and will not just attack someone i breed HELL YES i breed purebred american pit bull terriers and any of the kids can kick punch slam grab they would never ever ever even think about biting now if u come in the house sorry for your bad luck and most of these so called pit bull attacks ive seen 100’s of pictures they aint even APBT’s @ all the are some bully breed mutts that resemble why put the blame on the real entire breed remember the rottie’s dobbies we have went thru this with all these breeds get a life and leave the tru APBT’s alone and plus nowuhdays with the american bullies even the gameness is being bred out of them were they dont even wanna catch lizards etc no more grow up and quit blamming the purebreds!!!!!!!!
wow i have 2 start over first the real APBT’s rank 3 in smarts and do ur math research whatever dere is plenty of dogs lets see 4 1 germain shepard that will bit u way b4 i APBT yes they was bred 2 fight DOGS and any APBT that wuld even think of biting dere handler would be killed and taking out of breeding stock thats why they r so eager 2 please humans 2day im so sick and tired of the bully breed mutts or just resemble giving all this hasstle 2 the tru APBT’s i breed hell YES i breed purebred american pit bull terriers and american bullies my dogs will let the kids jump kick punch poke stab do anything they want 2 them and never even think about biting them..u break in my house well diff story ok back 2 this remember the rotties the dobbies all them other breeds that went thru this same shyt get over it let the APBT’s free now when i say APBT im talking purebred look it up if u dont know whut that stands 4..lmao now a pit bull could be any mongral that resembles the breed or a mix of a bully breed why does the APBT get all the heat god wish i culd of sent me last comment better yet get a life str8 up do ur freakin research and see were APBT’s rank in smarts and the chart of dogs that bite u might be suprised 1 the APBT last i seen was the 3rd smartest breed out of all dogs ill keep the biting one a secret ill give u a clue a germain shepard will bite b4 a APBT and a bunch of litte dogs LOOK IT UP!!!
” In response to 162 – Rottweilers were the ONLY breed (of the 32 you mentioned) specifically bred FOR attacking humans. Do YOUR research!
Posted by lance”
Where’s your research ‘lance’? If you knew anything about Rotties, you’d know they originated in Germany as guard dogs (NOT a fighting breed). Prior to that, they were used by ancient Romans to herd and guard livestock.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rottweiler
One of the tests done on Rotties (and German shepards AND Dobermans) at national kennel shows is the disposition and response to strangers test. The judges walk up to and around the animals, look them in the eye and then squeeze their ears to check for over-aggression or fear biting. Dogs that snap or react aggressively are removed from the competition.
That said, backyard breeders of America have done a good job of destroying the qualities of the Rottie breed by specifically breeding them for aggressive/fearful behavior so they can be used in pits … to fight pitbulls.
Further proof pitbulls are a stupid breed, stupidly over-bred by idiots who live in slums and think it’s butch and cool to walk down the street with an animal they can’t control.
Although, if enough pitbulls “accidentally” bite and kill their idiot owners … maybe that’ll be progress.
@brooklyn reader– you are ignorant. did you even read what you wrote?
@grrrrl– you have absolutely no idea what you are posting about. rambling on about a bunch of random nonsense. did you just make those facts up? pit bulls in china 500 years ago? wtf are you writing about? moron.
to those posting that pit bulls aren’t a specific breed you also have no idea what you are writing about. unfortunately, the name pit bull has taken on a generic meaning similar to kleenex. kleenex is a specific brand of tissue, but when someone needs a tissue (like tito) they ask for a kleenex. got it? so any big headed stocky dog is called a pit bull. el wrongo.
for pete’s sake, the majority of dog owners have no business having a dog in the first place. dogs give plenty of signs before something bad happens. people just don’t get it. regardless of breed.
how about just banning all dogs over 25 lbs within city limits?
Lots of comments about the unlikely chances of being killed. Very likely to be mauled. Work in any urban ER, spend three hours irrigating and sewing hundreds of puncture wounds and a dozen flaps, do it again a week later, then again on a kid, then come talk about how this whole concept is overblown.
shameless sensationalism. i feel like i just read some BS churned out by Fox News
http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/02…
if my pit bull ever grew its balls back to attack a person, standing on a car is not going to stop him from getting to you. neither is playing dead, and i highly doubt you are quick enough or strong enough to get your hands around his neck to choke him out. with that being said, i take this entire article as a joke.
i wish i could give a dollar for every time i was scrutinized for being a pit bull owner. maybe then some of you guys could buy a clue and realize that its not the dog, its the owner! if you don’t have the time, means, or patience to be a responsible owner, you should not own a dog (any dog).
I love how outraged readers are to this article, especially in light of how many cheered on that STOOPID feature a couple of years ago about hunting urban wildlife. Some idiot’s story of trapping and killing rabbits, squirrels etc. He didn’t know the first thing about hunting and his clumsiness caused anguish to the creatures he killed – and they weren’t even attacking him!! Where were you people then?
Defending oneself from animal attack is at least useful. And for all you shocked and outraged readers, it would help to remember that the first line of defense (rightfully listed here) is to avoid conflict. Re-read the first item – it’s not that different from advice given by most wildlife experts when dealing with cougars, bears etc. Don’t pose a threat, and don’t make eye contact.
An aggressive pit bull or Rottweiler simply cannot be handled the same way as a Lab. Except for the eye-gouging, everything here cited expert advice. If you disagree, why don’t you find a better expert and post about it? You can debate the odds of a pit bull attack all you want, but if you’re ever in that position I doubt you’ll all be so squeamish about protecting yourselves.
What happened to just clicking the right thumbstick to snap its neck?