by Danois

Created on: January 08, 2007   Last Updated: April 30, 2007

A five year old girl died of severe head and neck injuries after she was mauled by a dog a couple of weeks ago. It seems this was just an accident waiting to happen with the big increase in dangerous dogs across the UK over recent years.

Living in inner city London you can hardly leave your house without seeing young men with their latest fashion item; a stocky, strong terrier type dog. Dog fights also seems to be on the increase, with weekly combats taking place on streets and in parks with groups of big kids edging the dogs (and themselves) on.

The police has been clamping down on people breeding dogs for fighting as well as "normal" owners of dogs belonging to the so-called "dangerous dogs" category. Several people have been arrested and their dogs removed.

But what can you do to fend off a dog if you are being attacked? Experts say there are a few simply things you can do to avoid being bitten if an angry dog is approaching.

1. Keep your arms and legs close to your body. Dogs will see them as an obvious target for an attack.

2. Avoid eye contact.

3. Move away slowly without sudden movements.

4. If you do get bitten, do not pull your arm away as its teeth will tear your flesh. Punch the dog on its nose and try to kick it in the ribs.

But best of all, learn to read the dog's body language. If you come across a dog showing the typical warning signals such as snarling, showing its teeth and staring directly at you, you should back off slowly, but do not run as you cannot outrun the dog.

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