Dog saves choking owner's life by slapping her on back

A dog is supposed to be a man’s best friend but a woman from Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, has an extra special relationship with her beloved pet after it saved her from choking to death. Aysha Perry was settling down to watch some evening TV with a plate of chicken while Sheba, a Japanese Akita, was asleep in the kitchen. The 18-year-old then began choking with a piece of chicken stuck in her throat. Aysha helplessly tried to reach for her phone but was struggling to breathe and thought she was going to die.
Sheba’s protective instincts kicked in and the bitch bounded into the living room to aid her struggling owner. Aysha said: “She whacked me on the back with one of her huge front paws and the piece of chicken flew out. I was at home on my own and genuinely thought I was going to die. I’ve only had her for two weeks, she must have heard me choking and came running in. My flat mate wasn’t home so there was no one else around to help me.

“I was on the floor trying to get to my phone when she came running in. It’s a good job she has such big paws otherwise I don’t think it would have dislodged the chicken.” Aysha wasn’t aware of four-year-old Sheba’s life-saving skills but has done some research into the Akita breed. She added: “They are quite an unpredictable breed and were used for bringing down bears. She could obviously sense I was in distress.”

Aysha said she has since repaid the favor after four-and-a-half year old Sheba got her paw stuck in a fence. “I don’t think we are quite even yet but have definitely got a special relationship. After she helped get the chicken out of my throat she began licking my face to make sure I was okay. I think she deserves some recognition because it was a very heroic act. I don’t know anyone else whose dog would do something like that.” Japanese Akitas are known for their ‘fierce protectiveness towards their human companions’.  Enthusiasts claim mothers in Japan, in ancient times, relied heavily on their pet Akitas to take care of their very young children. In 1931, the Akita was officially declared one of Japan’s national treasures.