How many martial arists can truly use their techniques against an attack from a pit bull or Rottweiler? If it took you more than a second to answer that question, you should check out link removed

We had an absolutely huge discussion on this a while ago (maybe before the site facelift?) Like anything, it is too at the mercy of circumstance to say with any conviction 'yes' or 'no'.

ideally, all dogs should be properly socialised from young,shown nothing but love, be put on a leash in public, and their gardens/yards secured appropriately, so it shouldn't even be an issue.

It is also not breed specific. Rottweilers were not bred as 'fighting' dogs, they were bred as sheep dogs. Their reputation was not helped by being used in the Movies 'Conan' and 'The Omen', nor their 'demonisation' in the British press in the late 80's.
If a white man with a shaved head commits racial abuse, are all 'skinheads' racist? No.
If a black man mugs someone, are all black people criminals? Of course not.

Dogs are individuals, they have their own personalities and character. Their behaviour towards people is far more down to nurture than nature. There are no 'bad dogs', only 'bad owners' or people behaving badly around or toward dogs that make them feel they have to protect themselves.

Coach -

Would you care to share some tips for those of us that don't spar with dogs?

No offense, but this topic is just stupid.

In all honesty, dogs for me are the only true brethren of mankind. I love dogs a lot more than what I like man. If I ever see any dog owner hit there dog on the street, I will beat him up so badly he wont dare to lay his hand on the canine again.

I was raised with a husky, who was my best friend since childhood. His passing made me really [censored] at nature, but it's the cycle of life. Nothing we can do about it.

Like Cord said, there are no bad dogs, only bad men who instil bad nature into their pets. We are the only specie on this planet, alongside chimpanzees, who can be affected with the "demonic male hypothesis". Dogs killing an animal is never done in cruelty. Man however can kill for the sake of killing. Man enjoys hurting other men. Dogs however only attacks due to natural instincts like territorial, food, mating, etc. If a shark kills a man, is it cruel? If I murder someone, am I cruel?

No disrespect "Coach", but inventing self-defense against dogs is downright stupid. The only time you'll ever get attacked by a dog is when someone lets their dog loose on you.

Man and dogs go together like bread and butter.

-Taison out

Quoted from http://fearnodog.blogspot.com/ :

The loose, wayward dog was just about to rip into the man’s leg, when a tap, followed by several others, caused excruciating pain, preventing the dog from doing its damage. The “taps,” from the metal tip of an umbrella, came with jackhammer speed, timing and accuracy. All were aimed at the face of the vicious dog. Significant damage was done to its eye, tongue and nose, causing it to retreat, yelping loudly.

I personally believe that most (if not all) animals, including dogs, only attack when provoked.

If 'self-defence against dogs' techniques include information like being aware of the signs that a dog displays when it's about to attack, e.g. ears folded back, teeth bared, a fierce stare, then I think it's valid. Otherwise, using an umbrella to poke repeatedly at a dog's face is downright vicious. In any case, a dog's nose is extremely sensitive, so poking its nose is a very bad idea.

I have a Jack Russell and she has never attacked any human. The only living creatures she attacks are cockroaches and flies, although the living creatures who do provoke her are the kids who live in my area.

Celest

I agree with Cord on this. I used to work at a dog training facility in Houston (ranked #1 in Texas) and I was bit and barked at more by the little guys (daschunds, lhasa apsos, cairn terriers) than I ever was by the bigger guys. I have a mini schnauzer that is pretty fierce (I swear she thinks she's 10' tall and bullet proof) and my parents have a chow mix who is very laid back and I completely trust her alone with my kids (perhaps because she knows I'll lose a shoe in her butt if she tried anything with them). Some dogs really do have a bad wrap they don't deserve. Pit Bulls especially. I love those guys! We rarely had a truely mean pit bull walk through our doors. If we had one walk through that barked or lunged, it was later found that the owners never took him out of their yard. So I guess I vote yeah I could use some of what I have learned through the years to defend myself against a rotti or a pit bull or better yet against a lhasa apso or daschund.

Casey

Some dog facts:
• Roughly 800,000 dog bites per year with 368,000 needing medical attention

• 61% of all reported dog bites happen around the home

• 77% of all reported dog bites involve a family member or family friend

• Attacks that occur from dogs that have been treated cruelly make up a very small percentage of dog attacks in the U.S.

• The average number of fatalities from dog attacks each year is 17 (not a very big number)

• A 1997 study of dog bite fatalities in the years 1979 through 1996 revealed that the following breeds had killed one or more persons: pit bulls, Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Huskies, Alaskan Malamutes, Doberman Pinschers, Chows, Great Danes, St. Bernards and Akitas.

• The fact is a dog is a pact animal and very territorial. The way a dog acts may have a lot to do with: the sex of the dog, the bread, and how it was treated or raised.

• Since a dog is a pact animal it will attempt to find its role in the pact (or your family)
-- Male dogs are most likely to try to protect anything it considers part of its territory, but will also attempt to keep a higher ranking in the pact which means children and family members can be at risk if the dog feels its rank is being challenged
-- Female dogs are not as territorial but are more likely to be protective over certain family member’s especially younger children, or the youngest child

• Dogs have also been compared to having an autistic child in the family, where any major change to its environment or routine can cause them to become overly excited and unpredictable
-- The majority of fatalities involve the elderly, or an infant or child
-*- In many of the cases involving the elderly the dog attacked its owner for no more a reason than the owner may have forgotten to feed it
-*- In many of the cases involving infants or small children the dog many have attacked just because the child was now getting more attention or the dog felt its role in the pact was at risk.
-*- 77% of bits on children are facial injuries where the child was attempting to hug or show some other type of affection toward the animal

• Warning signs
-- A dog that knows you are aware of its presence will bark (obviously), and will increase the veracity as you move closer (your bad).
-- A dog that knows you many be unaware of its presence will lower its body, the ears fold back (hearing is a defensive weapon for the dog) and the hair on its back will stand up. This is a dog that is stalking its prey and if you are the prey you would never see this sign until it is too late.
-- 70% of the dog bites involving family members reportedly showed no prior signs of aggression

I love dogs and have had several in my 40 years and currently have a Huskie/Shepperd mix. I even dated a female police officer who worked a canine unit for several years. I think the only thing this type of training would be good for would be someone who breaks the law on a consistent basis and is worried about how to handle police dogs.

All love for dogs aside, they can be unpredictable at times. Especially to young children who do not know the warning signs of a dog who wants to be left alone. My wife had a young nephew who had his throat ripped out by a large dog.

It could have been sick, it could have tried giving warning. It could have been abused. Who knows, but bottom line is that they can be lethal under the wrong circumstances.

My best friend ever was a fox terrier from when I was 10 years old until just last year when he passed away (he was 17 years old) so I love dogs just as much as anyone else. That being said I would not hesitate to beat the snot out of any dog that seriously threatened my child, or anyone else in a vicious manner. (and by threatened I dont mean barked at or ran towards, adults know the signs of a dog who is going to attack)

Its kind of a silly thread though. Its like asking a group of men if they would hit a woman who was coming at them with a knife. Of course they would!