What to Do if a Stray Dog Follows You [How to Get a Stray Dog to Stop Following You]

Stray dogs can be very dangerous. Stray dogs can chase and maul people or other dogs when they are frightened, startled, or cornered. If you inadvertently pose a threat to them, they could become defensive and aggressive. However, if certain steps are taken, you can tame a stray dog and bring him home. In this article, you are going to learn simple practical steps to take if a stray dog follows or chases you:

What to Do if a Stray Dog Follows You

If you notice that a stray dog is following you, don’t run or turn your back on him perhaps to scare him away. Stand motionless and remain stiff. Maintain a boring look as much as possible. If he finds you less scary, he should drop his guard and be less defensive. Stray dogs follow people for several reasons. He might escape from home or miss his way home. Seeing and following you might be his way of showing that he wants to reunite with a human partner.

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How to Get a Stray Dog to Stop Following You

A stray dog may exhibit certain body language demonstrating his aggressiveness. This might include unusually enlarged eyes, lips slightly opened to show teeth, a stiff tail perhaps with a steady wag, hair standing along the back, and more. Once you notice these signs of aggression, do not come near the dog. Avoid eye contact. Prolonged eye contact can scare or piss him off. 

Try looking in another direction instead of giving him a full stare. Don’t scare or startle a stray dog. He might feel threatened and attack you in self-defense. The less intimidating you appear, the more successful you will become at getting the dog to stop following you. If the dog bares its teeth or snarls at you, remain calm and move back slowly. Do not run. He might want to chase you, leading to something disastrous.

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Why Stray Dogs Attack Humans

Stray dogs attack humans when they feel threatened, scared, cornered, angered, or frightened. If a stray dog senses danger or threat in your movements, voice, facial expressions, or body language, he might resort to self-defense by attacking you. It’s his way of being proactive and defensive. Stray dogs also attack humans to show their aggression and dominance. If you step on their tail or manhandle sensitive or injured spots, they may react by attacking you. Stray dogs tend to be aggressive when they are very hungry or because they have missed their pack so much. Since most stray dogs are not properly trained to relate and socialize with humans, they might attack strangers.

What to Do When You Are Being Chased By a Stray Dog

When you are being chased by a stray dog, stop, and stand still without flailing your arms, or walk slowly. Dogs don’t see this as a threat. You can kneel and pretend to pick up rocks just to scare him off. Don’t act aggressively towards him. Avoid aggressive behaviors like turning back and yelling at him, staring him down, walking, or running towards him. If the attack looks inevitable, you can yell out to locals for help. They might know how to handle the stray dog.

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What to Do When a Stray Dog Attacks Your Dog?

If your dog has a leash on him, try and remove it. In a situation where your leashed dog is attacked by a stray dog, the stray dog will have free movement while your dog will find it difficult to defend and fight back. Release the leash so that your dog can either take to flight or unleash his natural defensive instincts when attacked by a stray dog.

Before you leave your dog to roam around the street alone, take time to walk around and study the area if there are stray dogs. In an event where physical force seems like the last resort, get anything to hit the attacking dog until he lets go of your dog and runs away.

Read more: Can a Spayed Female Dog Still Attract Males?

Source:

  • http://www.runheiferrun.com/blog/2017/1/6/what-to-do-if-youre-chased-by-a-stray-dog-during-your-run
  • https://www.quora.com/What-shall-I-do-when-a-stray-dog-follows-me

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Hi! I'm here to share how to best take care of your dogs and give them a happy life!