CINCINNATI (WXIX) – A woman says she had to get stitches after an unattended dog attacked her during her training for the upcoming Flying Pig Marathon.
Jennie Harris’ face is bruised from what she says happened on April 13 in Oakley.
“When I was running by it started barking, and the next thing I know, it’s on my leg biting me,” Harris said.
Harris said she had to get a series of rabies shots and developed somewhat of a fear of dogs.
“It’s going to take me a while to not get anxious running around dogs,” Harris admitted. “Especially if they are unattended. I think I’ll avoid them altogether at this point.”
Just days later, a Ring camera captured video of another woman and her dog being attacked by a dog in Greenhills.
The woman, her dog, and a neighbor, who tried to help, were all injured, according to Greenhills police.
FOX19 NOW talked with dog trainer Scott Joyce and Sgt. Sholtz to find out how people can better protect themselves and their pets.
If a dog has your dog in his mouth and won’t let go, Joyce said you should “close off their airway through the collar. You can twist it. You want to get their front legs off the ground and stop their breathing. At that point, they will open their mouths and let the other dog out.”
If the dog has no leash or collar, using a belt, rope or your arm will also be effective, the dog trainer explained.
If a dog is charging at you, Joyce says trying to run away is not a good idea.
“Don’t run,” Joyce recommends. “They have four legs; You have two. You’re not going to win, but take a step towards them and get tall, and make a loud noise.”
If a dog is already under attack, Joyce says hitting the attacking dog with an object or your hand in sensitive areas like the nose or ears will help.
“If you can whack them across the nose with it, that’s your best bet,” Joyce explained.
Joyce said there are signs that an owner can detect in their dog before an attack.
Those signs include a shift in posture, a silence in their breathing, growls and their fur standing up.
He says you have seconds between these signs and the attack, so owners should stay vigilant and keep their dogs close to them at all times.
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