I don't know how many people here, have been bitten truly, but in the animal kingdom, you should shout as load with NO fear as you can, and generally that should get you out of trouble....in the thoughts of education. As soon as you smell of fear, it knows, and will keep coming.

The wolf as belly has said well in all, is very true.....And sometimes some will be in that situation....and there was a time, where we too were hungry for blood....its EVOLUTION...and that's a fact.

The Question on pit bulls is still the owner's responablity, and if one cant control it, you will pay the price.

LEAP

we don't need pit bulls & people who think they need one.

I am still very strong, once when both younger and extremely strong I fought a bull terrier.
To rescue my blue cattle bitch from its jaws.
Let us not kid our selves.
The shout, firm stance, no eye contact is best, if anything can help, and that is if.
I had a draw with that fight.
grabbed the back legs split them apart held both it and my poor girl blue up in the air.
Seemed like hours, the owner of the bully [a woman] took to shouting at it and thumping it.
We got my dog, attacked on its own veranda by the neighbors dog it was alright.
Later the bully was disposed of, after biting its owners partner, they got a pit bull!
It had a go at me,let run free, every day, until I took the owner on away from home and it stopped.
Fight no dog unless you must but fellas, lets stop the silly stuff just do this for me,keep the pit bull in the back ground, goggle dog related deaths in Australia/New Zealand.
Do not blame only the dog, it always runs second to its owner but tell me? why should any human die that way?
PS
tragic event killed that loverly lady,their dogs? both picked to guard a crop we never knew about till the morning of her death.

Many posts here are defending dogs, and the right to own them.
It should be as clear as a full moon on a clear night I am blaming owners.
And questioning is every owner of a Savage dog fit to own it.
As every breed, yes every domestic dog breed can be traced back to its beginning the Wolf.
It is clear to me we changed the breed for many reasons, to herd cattle or sheep,Australian Kelpies is ours.
Just think what we let happen in dog fighting circles or just let them breed with any thing homes.
Border Colly, cuddly little squeakers so some could have a would be child[no mater the harm to the resulting breed].
We must ask what dogs kill, how many, why did they kill,why was that breed owned and by who.
I just know, no human never should be killed by a dog ever, no human should own a dog as a weapon or extension to his/her ego.
Like almost every thing, if pet owners do not take control in this matter government will,forced by our lack of responsibility.

As Belly said,
"Like almost every thing, if pet owners do not take control in this matter government will,forced by our lack of responsibility"
and that means putting the matter into the hands of opportunists who will decide in a manner that they perceive will do the most to win votes not that which will have the best outcome.

Having said that, be it noted that we are not allowed to keep the big cats as pets so to there ought to be some restrictions on keeping animals that are dangerous.

Certainly dogs do not attack unless they perceive a threat but the important thing is to know their level of perception.

There has been advice to not look an aggressive dog in the eye, it has been my experience that looking an aggressive dog in the eye will, if one stares hard enough, often lower the aggression and 'bring the dog to heel'.
Another piece of advice, never kick at a dog, the dog is faster than most of us, and can come in under the leg thus gaining an advantage, in a fight with a dog keep both feet firmly on the ground, one needs both feet to manoeuvre.

One technique, which I DO NOT recommend is to stare the dog in the eye, give a low pitched growl, drop on all fours and still growling, aggressively advance.
The dog will usually get such a surprise that he/she will back off, however be prepared for a fight if it doesn't.

I've found the last thing to do with a dog that's aggressive is to try to stare it dowm. Let it know you're watching, but don't offer e threat unless you can back it up.

The reason for suggesting a kick was simple: it gives the dog pause and you time to move away. The dog will instinctively dodge the kick.

The other ideas are well and good for a fit person in good physical nick who is able to be properly aggressive. For most people they'd just result in a mauling.

The growling is very good. I've always used a low guttural growl to let my dogs know they're in trouble and it works very, very effectively. The secret is to make it very deep and very guttural, like a dog growling from the back of its thraot. The dog will either run away or attack if it feels confident.

One other thing to note is that dogs adopt a stiff-legged, high-tailed posture if they feel dominant and in charge, whereas they keep the tail low but not right down and have a much more "slinky" posture if they're feeling threatened or aggressive. Of course, in that case the hackles will also be raised.

The first type of behaviour will respond to a submissive posture (get down low, use a high-pitched voice) by relaxing, while it would respond to an attempt to be dominant with an attack, quite likely.

The latter case would be the time to use a growl/dominance approach.

It's not hard - dogs communicate very well, it's just a matter of learning what they're trying to say.