In the Urals, a pack of dogs killed a seven-year-old girl on a playground; last week, shepherd dogs attacked a pensioner; the woman died on the spot. AiF.ru found out from dog training instructor and competition judge Sergei Saltykov whether it is possible to escape from animals, what absolutely cannot be done in their presence, and whether these animals have weak points.
Article on the topic One bite. How to protect yourself from animal aggression and what to do if you are injured
What not to do?
1. Look deeply into the eyes and scream. In animals, looking into the eyes is a challenge. When you look at a dog, he takes it for aggression. And he begins to react to this in his own way: to attack.
2. Wave your arms. Dogs understand perfectly well when their potential opponent is confused, which means that at this moment they can attack him, he does not pose a danger.
3. Run. The dog's prey instinct will turn on, and even if it did not intend to attack you, in 90% of cases it will do so.
4. Use pepper or gas spray. These drugs will not have any effect on her, but will only cause aggression.
“If there is a mongrel in front of you, you must understand that, due to its highly developed instinct of self-preservation, it never attacks a person head-on, it always attacks from behind,” continues Sergei. - Maybe, for example, grab your legs. Service dogs are not afraid of humans, so they don’t care which side they attack from.”
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Is a barking dog a violation of the “silence law”?
The Law “On the Responsible Treatment of Animals...” states that “when keeping pets, their owners must comply with the general requirements for keeping animals, as well as the rights and legitimate interests of persons living in an apartment building in which pets are kept.” And the “silence law” sets restrictions on the noise level during certain periods (if we are talking about an apartment building). Therefore, excessive or prolonged noise from a dog barking is a violation of these two laws. If the barking of a neighbor's dog disturbs the apartment, the neighbors may complain to the owner, and he will have to bear responsibility for the actions of his dog.
It is also prohibited to make noise in common areas - in entrances, on staircases, in elevators. A dog also cannot live in these places unless permission is received from all neighbors without exception. By law, you can only keep an animal in an apartment.
From a legal point of view, the animal is the private property of the owner. Claims cannot be made against the pet itself, but the owner is fully responsible for the actions of the animal. The excuse “it’s an animal, it doesn’t understand” is not an argument from the point of view of legislation. If harm is caused to others (physical, moral), the owner is liable in accordance with the law.
How to prevent dog attacks?
1. Spin around yourself. Before an attack, dogs usually begin to walk around their victim in a circle. So they wait for the moment when it is safe to attack themselves. In this case, you should try to still stand face to face with the dog. If she starts to circle around you, do the same, just don't lose sight of her. But try to avoid direct eye contact.
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2. Place your hands width apart and walk towards the dog. Pretend that you want to catch it and slowly move towards the animal. A weak dog will most likely leave, a strong one will understand that you are a worthy opponent, and therefore will think before attacking.
3. Crouch behind the “rock.” If there are no stones nearby, just pretend to bend over to pick it up. The dog understands that you are going down for the weapon, which means that if it doesn’t leave right away, it will at least increase the distance between you.
4. Feel free to throw stones at her. Try to hit the dog, optimally the head. If you throw a stone past, feeling sorry for the animal, you can only anger it.
5. When you see a pack of dogs, press yourself against the wall. The main thing is that the pack cannot get around you from behind and attack when you are least protected. As long as they see that you are in control of the process, they will delay the attack.
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6. Put your bag, umbrella or any other item forward. They may mistake the bag for a weapon, realize that the victim is unsafe, and leave. The main thing is not to wave this object.
7. Identify the leader in the pack. This is usually the most aggressive and largest male. If attacked, try to hit him. Seeing that you have defeated the leader, the other members of the pack will retreat. Try to scare him away with stones.
8. When the dog gets as close to you as possible, hit it on the nose, ribs and groin area. These are the most vulnerable places for dogs. Once she feels pain, she may retreat.
9. Carry an ultrasonic repeller with you. It will be especially useful for people living near garages and industrial areas. People cannot hear ultrasound, but dogs immediately try to hide from it as far as possible.
10. Don't be shy to call for help. When people approach, dogs are likely to move away.
They threaten to kill the dog
Question for St. Petersburg lawyers. Sorry for the “discrimination”, please, representatives of other cities.
I was beaten by an elderly woman born in 1946 (neighbor), weighing 120 kg and 170 cm tall. My build is 60 kg/160 cm, I’m 31 years old, Russian. I'm pregnant at the time of the beating
(we went for a walk) next to me in a stroller was my one and a half year old daughter,
which I, protecting her and myself, protected. After the beating, the old woman still swung a stone at my temple, but as a result of my verbal “hypnosis,” she lowered her hand: “I’ll put you in jail, you old brute,” or something like that, I don’t remember now exactly what I told her.
1. The criminal nature of the injuries on the face and bruises on the body was certified by the emergency room.
2. There is a certificate from the LCD about pregnancy.
3. There are dated photographs of a normal me taken a week ago at my birthday party, and of me bloodied and scratched with abrasions all over my face, an hour after the beating (my husband took it with a digital camera,
rushing to my aid when I called from work).
The district police officer refused to initiate criminal proceedings against me under Article 116 “beatings”. I recorded the testimony and sent the case to the archives. My husband, my neighbors and I decided to fight “to the end.”
For a year now (we bought an apartment here a year ago, and we are on good terms with all the neighbors on the floor except this crazy one, and with the vast majority of the neighbors in the entrance) she has been threatening all the neighbors on our site and some in the entrance, both me and to my family: I will strangle, hack, stab, throw acid, etc. with a three-story obscenity and furious foam at the mouth. Throws, jumps, swings
. She’s lived here for 20 years, she’s intimidated everyone, they all say in unison that she’s managed to mess everyone up in life, they’re ready to testify, they’re signing letters.
The district police officer said: “Here I am also threatening you: “I will kill you,” with your husband as a witness. You can't attract me. And her too. There’s nothing they can do, such mad old women.”...I sympathized with them as a human being,
but it didn’t really help.
I wrote good detailed letters to 10 authorities on my own behalf (RONO, District Administration, department of gubernatorial control, deputies, ZhES, GUZHA) and sent a collective complaint written BACK IN THE SUMMER about this neighbor, signed by 10 neighbors, to 6 authorities (SES, veterinary medicine, etc. on the case). The conflict was due to the stench of boiled feces on our floor and the uncontrolled breeding of cats in dangerously countless numbers in our basement, at the instigation of one official from the Housing and Social Services Department - she gave this inadequate woman the keys to the basement! And I was also indignant - why do cats in the basement bother me if I live on the 12th floor? Here, he says, all the grandmothers feed the cats at all the entrances.
I'm not interested in other entrances, I'm interested in:
1. So that there is no unbearable stench of boiled rotten meat on our floor. So that the old woman puts muzzles and leashes on her mongrel, unvaccinated dogs.
2. The basement must be checked by the SES,
disinfected if necessary, and locked with a key so that I, as the owner of the property, can be sure that the premises of the house with communications are in a state inaccessible to strangers.
3. So that the crazy woman who is ready to kill you and your child for her cats, and who has already made a real attempt to do this, is imprisoned as quickly as possible or, at least, measures are taken so that she is AFRAID to even THINK that she can do something to us. then do it.
At the age of 20, I was scratched by a stray cat, I went through a good course of treatment for lichen, so I understand the real danger of this pack for myself and people. At the same time, in general, I love animals and cats—domestic and well-groomed ones. There is a dog at home, the neighbors have a cat, everyone is friends, everyone is vaccinated and healthy.
After the district police officer refused, I sent a set of documents to the head of my police department with a demand to open a criminal record under Article 116
“Beatings” and 119 “Threats to Kill.”
Uv. Lawyers, What are the chances for me and my family and neighbors? What to do next?
Is it really possible to imprison such a person?
I can provide documents to an interested lawyer from St. Petersburg and ask for your help in a district court with a private prosecution. But we don’t have too much money, especially if winning the case is not very realistic due to the age of this woman - she is about 60 years old.
Thanks for answers. Sincerely.
Find out why dogs howl
A dog cannot be turned off like loud music or silenced by threats. Even if the owner also suffers from her howling, it will not be possible to solve the problem instantly. Therefore, we suggest that you first understand the reasons.
Not all dogs howl - some calmly stay at home and wait for their owners, going about their dog business all day: eating, sweet sleep and attacking slippers. But some dogs become anxious when the owner leaves the apartment - these are the ones that usually howl, bark and disturb the neighbors.
This dog behavior can be corrected in 3 to 5 weeks. But first, the owner needs to make sure that the howling is not a reaction to physiological discomfort:
- the dog does not have a disease that causes it pain;
- the dog does not suffer from hunger or thirst;
- the dog has a comfortable place in the house, such as a bed;
- The dog walks outside enough.
If everything is fine with physiology, the reason may be fear, stress or a change in the rules. This is what dog lovers advise you to do.
Remove fear. Howling and barking can be a symptom of fear. For example, when a puppy on the street hears fireworks, he gets scared, clings to his owner and starts whining. Something similar can scare a dog at home - the same vacuum cleaner.
To reduce fear, the dog needs to be accustomed to loud and sharp sounds. This is done gradually, for example, at first they quietly play a recording of a vacuum cleaner on YouTube, then they make it a little louder, a little louder, and so on until the maximum volume. The dog gets used to it and is no longer afraid.
The main thing is not to reinforce howling and barking in a positive way. You don’t need to cuddle the dog, stroke it, feel sorry for it, but you can switch its attention, for example, ask it to give its paw for a treat.
Reduce stress. When the owner leaves home, the dog becomes stressed. To reduce it, you need to leave your dog a plastic bottle with his favorite treat inside. While she rolls the bottle and tries to get a treat, she will be able to distract herself from the owner’s departure.
Yes, then the dog will notice that the person has left, but there will be no acute stress, and he will be able to calmly spend the day alone.
Don't change the rules. It happens that a dog has learned a rule: I bark, the owner plays with me. This could happen by accident, for example, when the owner was in a good mood and in response to the dog barking for no reason, he did not scold it, but decided to play. The next time the dog barks, he will expect the same reaction, but the owner may be busy or in a different mood. The rule will not work, and the animal will begin to worry. The owner must either always not respond to barking, or always scold the dog for such behavior.
Train. Training can begin in the room: the owner leaves the room and closes the door, but the dog remains. Every time the dog begins to squeeze toward the door or bark or whine, the owner needs to command “No, you stay” and move the dog away, or give it the command to sit. And every time the dog remains in the room, praise it and give it a treat. After 10 - 15 successful repetitions, leave only praise.
Contact a dog handler. A dog trainer will help you correct the dog’s behavior and give tips for self-training.
A dog can howl and bark for other reasons: a change of owners, the birth of a child in the family and lack of attention. If this continues all day, it is difficult to remain calm and treat your neighbors with understanding, but you can try to imagine that this is not a dog, but a child, and with that attitude go into conversation.
Doghunters - dog hunters
In big cities, all dog breeders have heard about them. These are the individuals who throw out intoxicated bait for the dogs.
Various people belong to this trend - some with mental disabilities, some who are balanced. The cause of this behavior is also different - the fight against stray animals; targeted revenge; hatred of animals.
The drugs and poisons used are countless; there are a huge number of such drugs in the world. Even medicines for people are used.
A large number of dog hunters are not particularly sophisticated. They use “canonical” remedies against which there are effective antidotes. But their effect depends on the duration of intoxication. After a few hours it will be powerless.
