Does it hurt when a dog gets kicked in the scrotum?

Our question this week was:

Dr. Debra – Does it hurt when a dog gets hit in the scrotum like it does in people? If an aggressive dog was trying to attack you – could you kick him in the “balls”? I know this sounds like a strange question but I was curious. I had a friend that was attacked and didn’t know what to do. I know in a human self-defense class I took years ago – they said to kick men there.

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Anonymous

Answer

Hi – thanks for your email. I have to admit – no one has ever asked me this question before and I’ve never really thought about it. What I would say is this – I think being kicked in the scrotum would hurt any human or animal. I think it hurts dogs less than men but I don’t know that for sure.

The scrotum in men is relatively exposed and easy for someone to “kick” but in dogs – the scrotum is more sheltered. Since they walk on all fours and have a tail – it is relatively un-accessible. If you were looking to fend off an aggressive dog – I would not use this as your first target or line of defense.

An article that might be helpful to you is Vicious Dogs and Dog Attacks.

Best of luck!

Dr. Debra

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