One day when I was walking my dog, a huge black dog (no owner, no collar) came out of nowhere and approached me. I was immediately alarmed. I didn't know what to do -- all I could do was pick up my dog (thank goodness my dog was small enough for me to pick up!) slowly and freeze. I literally couldn't move because I was so terrified. The dog was neither friendly nor hostile, and so I couldn't read its next move. Luckily, the big dog lost interest in me and my dog, and walked away. I was relieved, but I remember running back home immediately.

After the experience, I realized that I didn't know anything about what to do if I'm ever approached or attacked by an aggressive dog.

An article in the September issue of Whole Dog Journal talks about "How to Save Yourself" - in case of a dog-attack emergency. The article immediately caught my attention as I was casually flipping through the pages of this month's subscription.

It seems I did basically the right thing when I was approached by the big black dog - standing still. According to the author of the article (Pat Miller, CPDT and the Training Editor of the Whole Dog Journal), when an aggressive dog approaches you, stand still but remain relaxed. Avoid direct eye contact and don't scream. If the dog attacks, either climb up somewhere higher or drop to the ground with hands behind your neck and legs pulled up to your chest. She also suggests finding a shield (such as a garbage can lid) to place between yourself and the dog, and find a weapon (such as a club) -- but not for hitting the dog; the club is a target for the dog to bite instead of you.

Let me remind you that these are only the basic and tiny pieces of information I got from the magazine. Actual situations are usually more complicated. It's worth doing more research on your part beforehand (especially considering everyone's scenario is bound to be a little different - some people may be walking more than one dog, others may walk with their children, etc.). Getting more knowledge and being prepared for your particular situation is very important. It may help keep the damage to a minimum, at least, by not aggravating the situation should you do the wrong thing to an attacking dog.