6 Steps for Evading Dogs

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There are approximately half a billion dogs in the world. How do you evade them after escaping from unlawful custody?All dogs bite and any dog can alert others to your presence. The military, law enforcement and private security companies in Africa often  use them as both watchdogs and bloodhounds.Irrespective of breed, such dogs share common characteristics.  They are about 60 cms tall;weigh about 40kg; can run about 40 kph over a short distance;  and tend to have a faithful and courageous temperament.

Typically, the preferred breeds for guarding and tracking are Dobermans, Alsatians, Mastiffs and Labradors. Although, the dog that accompanied S.E.A.L. Team 6 which killed Osama bin Laden was a Belgian Malinois named Cairo.

By understanding how dogs function you can practice successful evasion.  Dogs have good vision and are attracted to movement. Yet, their primary senses are hearing and smell. 

Dogs hear better than humans but their hearing is impaired by industrial noise, traffic and bad weather. But,  their sense of smell is 700 X that of humans, and dogs ” see” smell- both air scent and ground scent. Disrupt their primary senses and you can evade dogs.

6 steps for evading dogs

  1. If a dog sees you, freeze in place. As you are not moving, the dog might lose interest.
  2. If you are in a group, split up. Agree a time and place to rendez- vous and go your separate ways.
  3. Run at a steady pace. You will not be able to outrun the dog but you could tire it’s handler.
  4. Climb up, over and along physical features before dropping to the ground.
  5. Cross a body of water or an area that experiences heavy pedestrian or vehicular traffic.
  6. Confuse the handler by repeatedly crossing over an obstacle for no apparent reason. Your erratic actions might persuade the handler that the dog has lost your scent.

During our Urban Escape and Evasion courses, you will learn how to: escape from a variety of restraints, get out of any building, scale perimeter fences and defend yourself. 

H.E.A.T. tip: The most effective weapon for disrupting a dog attack is a fire extinguisher.