Hastings & Hastings Educates on Dog Attacks

    PHOENIX, AZ, September 08, 2015 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Dog bites can even be fatal, a reported 72 percent of fatal dog bites involve children. Hastings and Hastings, Arizonan's premier discount accident lawyers, wishes to educate the public on the best ways to avoid dog bites.

The easiest way to avoid being bitten by a dog is to learn to read a dog's body language. Body language is a form of nonverbal communication. Almost all living creatures, including humans, communicate through body language. Reading a human's body language comes as second nature because individuals are familiar with the emotions and thoughts that other individuals portray. Reading a dog's body language is not so intuitive and must be taught.

Dog bites primarily occur when a dog is experiencing one of two different emotions: fear and anger. A dog experiencing fear will typically exhibit a few of the following behaviors: growling, shaking, crouching, backing away, or tucking its tail under its body. The worst thing someone can do to a dog exhibiting any of these behaviors is to approach or attempt to befriend it.

An angry or aggressive dog is even more likely to attack an individual than a fearful dog. An angry dog will usually have its ears up, will look directly at a possible threat, and wag its tail slowly. Further, the hair on the back of its neck may stand up. Stay as far away as possible from a dog exhibiting any of these behaviors.

If unable to avoid a dog that is showing signs of anger or fear the best possible course of action is to remain still. Avoid any motion or sound that may provoke the animal. Avoid eye contact as dogs interpret it as a challenge or a threat.

In the event that an attack is unavoidable, the best thing someone can do is protect themselves. First, victims should attempt to discard something in their possession, perhaps a purse or backpack. This is done in hope that the dog will engage with the discarded item rather than the individual. If the attack is unavoidable the victim should do their best to protect head, neck and face.

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