Dog Attacks

I remember the days when I read that dogs attacked, mauled or even killed humans, most recent one being the case of an old man being mauled by a bull terrier in Subang Jaya during his morning jog. Most have typically blamed the dog, many have blamed the owner, but how about the victim? (Please note that this post has no offense towards any victims of dog attacks and is not blaming anyone in particular, this is just to only share knowledge so that we can reduce the possibilities of future accidents)

It is the owner's responsibility to ensure that their dogs are inside their home's compound, no matter what the reason, there is no justified excuse to let a dog roam freely in the streets, especially ones that are strong enough to injure people. Dogs are always going to be animals, although loyal, their natural instincts will never be wiped out from their blood. Trainers can only train a dog to be obedient on command, but dogs will always be the descendants of wolves, it is not something that can be trained to be forgotten. Most people tend to think that because they are domesticated, they would start to think logically or humanly.

Here's an example of what I see everyday. My dogs are within the garden compound of my house. Now due to the transparent fence and gate, practically they can see everything happening outside. What I notice is that sometimes, joggers passing by would stare at them and taunt them. What they fail to realize is that by doing so they would only make the dogs feel protective of their territory,making them aggressive but still within a boundary due to the fence, so what do they do? They bark.

But let's just say, the gates are opened for some reason, and the dogs are out, most likely the dogs would aim for the person that taunted them before, because to the dogs, that person is a threat. Now, who's to blame? Other than the owner that failed to make sure the gate is not closed properly, who is the one to blame in this attack, the dog which was trying to protect, or the victim that taunted the dog in the first place?

Every morning on my way to work, passing by SMK Damansara Jaya, there is a piece of land beside the school at the traffic light going into Sprint Highway, I would see this black dog (mongrel, medium size) practically staying on that piece of green grass. I noticed that when strangers go by the roadside while ignoring the dog, the dog would only follow behind them, obediently. Was the dog trained? I don't think so. Was the dog a pure breed? After years of looking at dogs, I doubt I'd miss that mongrel look. Without posing a threat to the dog, the dog could co-exist with other beings (not sure with cats though, that's another story).

Now, I'm not denying that there are dogs that would attack anything that moves, but dogs should not be natural attackers for no reason. There are numerous reasons they could be at that state, they could be mentally unstable, tortured, traumatized, startled etc. I'd believe even humans in these conditions could attack others more likely than others (but hey, maybe that's just me).

But looking at it more subjectively, a dog normally doesn't  bite unless it needs to or is commanded to. Now, I wasn't at the scene of any of the past dog attacks, nor I cannot say that would started to attack, the victim or the dog. But there are a few pointers for someone without dog knowledge, on what to do when you see a dog roaming the streets:

1. Never taunt a dog without a valid reason, don't throw stones or swing a branch at a dog for being too close. You'd just be taunting or challenging it for no reason. And if the dog is aggressive, you're just picking a fight with it.
2. Don't act afraid, or get frozen. Dogs can literally smell fear, it's the chemical reaction in your body that let's them smell that you are afraid. Once that happens, you're the prey. Just act normal, or try to act normal and walk off the other direction calmly and don't look back. After they see that you are "retreating" they might follow but after a few steps, they might also leave you be. Never run, as that is a sign of being scared and they will chase.
3. A dog is basically challenging your stand in his territory. If you don't plan to fight the dog, don't stand up to the challenge. Just walk away calmly.
4. Never try to think that you are OK with all animals. Even dog trainers/owners not necessarily get along with all dogs. Dogs are loyal but only to specific people. They will snap at anyone that they feel is a threat to themselves and to their owners.
5. If you see a dog faraway, and you have to go that direction, but it doesn't show any sign of trying to attack, it just looks at you at a more normal way. Just walk by, don't look at it, don't care for it and walk on calmly. The dog most likely will lose interest in you as there's nothing for it to be attracted to.

Now, in the media, certain dogs have been characterized as dangerous and aggressive, first it were rottweilers, then German Shepherds, Pitbulls and Bull Terriers. Personally, I think it's nonsense, just because a few dogs from a breed attacks, that makes them dangerous? It's just like saying a Malaysian that killed someone in another country, then that country should brand Malaysians as dangerous. Or someone driving a Ferrari crashed, the car should be branded too dangerous to be driven. This doesn't make sense to me. It is constant training and socializing that can help dogs to be less aggressive and obedient, but there will always be accidents if precautions are not carefully taken. This all depends on how much work the owner put in and how the public as a whole react to dogs.

I know this Japanese lady, Sayori-san, that comes to Bandar Utama Central Park almost every week day. She adopted a traumatized black German Shepherd by the name of Bangsar (yes, because they stay there). Bangsar was a victim of torture, because there were obvious burn marks on his neck, due to constant usage of the electric collar. Now electric collars are common tools to train security dogs, so that they are obedient and aggressive at the same time. But sadly, some trainers tend to go over board, and when the dogs are not coping to their training program, they could use the collar as a torturing tool without noticing it.

Bangsar was saved by a Non-Profit Charity Organization, and was adopted by Sayori-san, first time I met Bangsar, he didn't trust me, he was not aggressive, but he didn't let me touch him. It's normal as he was tortured by humans. But after a few months of constant introductions to the park, my third meeting with Bangsar let me to be surprised, that he was much opened German Shepherd that is now approachable and of course lovable.

Dogs, like humans, can be great at times and aggressive at other moments, it only depends on when and where. Hope this knowledge sharing can bring some insight into how a dog reacts and how humans should react to them.

Like always, please post your comments below or send me an email if you want me to post some information that you'd like me to share at wchui22061985@gmail.com

Till next time, woof!