Forums >Off the Beaten Path>Dog encounters
Feeling the growl again
I'm also thinking of carrying bear spray. I'd really love to give one of these aggressive dogs a face full of pepper spray.
Bear spray is not your standard pepper spray....it is stronger and has a better applicator to keep it focused for longer reach. I have not seen it used on a dog but have no doubt it would work...just check the wind first!!
"If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does. There's your pep talk for today. Go Run." -- Slo_Hand
I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills
I've actually done the opposite and started trying to do more runs in the park instead of the roads because the dogs outside on people's lawns are never leashed up and are very protective of their property. I had a rottweiler run in that had me diving over a ditch into a thicket. I had run by this place many times and the dogs would normally stop at the invisible fence, but I was later informed that on this particular day the fence was off and the person who retrieved the dog was housesitting. With no visual indicator I can never know when one is working correctly or not, so I am afraid of ever trusting one of those. Plus dogs have been know to bust out of electric fences too. I stick with certain routes where I know the dogs are small and fenced in with a physical fence now. I haven't been past the rottweiler house since.
I had one today too. Was in a large metro woods covered park. Dogs are required to be leashed and are not supposed to be on any trails. I popped out of a trail near a picnic/swings area when this large lab/rottwhiler (sp?) mix comes charging me as fast as it can. I'm back peddling as fast as possible and waving my arms. Its trying to get at me. Owner is running over with stick in hand. If I had turned my back and tried running away, I'm sure I wouldn't be sitting right now. I told the owners to keep it on a leash. 20 feet later a ranger comes by and I wave her down and complain. Later she told me she was headed to them already to warn them about not being off leash. I really have to say, since I started running, I've developed a real dislike for dogs. Too many of them are too unpredictable around runners. I've had to give up running in the park closest to me as a dog training group meets there and I've been charged and snapped at dozens of times. I had to decide that running with cars on the street was safer. I'm also thinking of carrying bear spray. I'd really love to give one of these aggressive dogs a face full of pepper spray.
I had one today too. Was in a large metro woods covered park. Dogs are required to be leashed and are not supposed to be on any trails. I popped out of a trail near a picnic/swings area when this large lab/rottwhiler (sp?) mix comes charging me as fast as it can. I'm back peddling as fast as possible and waving my arms. Its trying to get at me. Owner is running over with stick in hand. If I had turned my back and tried running away, I'm sure I wouldn't be sitting right now. I told the owners to keep it on a leash. 20 feet later a ranger comes by and I wave her down and complain. Later she told me she was headed to them already to warn them about not being off leash.
I really have to say, since I started running, I've developed a real dislike for dogs. Too many of them are too unpredictable around runners. I've had to give up running in the park closest to me as a dog training group meets there and I've been charged and snapped at dozens of times. I had to decide that running with cars on the street was safer.
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"don't worry, he's friendly and would never bite anybody"
Fletch
Damn, Spaniel - That's a scary encounter. Glad you're ok. Nice reflexes!
I own dogs, and one of them is a frequent running partner (always on a leash). It really ticks me off when we get a bad rap from the irresponsible dog owners without enough sense to properly restrain and control their dogs. I feel certain that none of my dogs would pose any threat to another person, but I'm not willing to test that. There are only two places that you would encounter my dogs off-leash - at the off-leash dog park, and inside my fenced-in back yard.
Stay safe.
Geez, that could have ended very badly. Glad you were able to get your hands on him. I was bitten last summer by some yip yap, shoved him away with my foot, and when he came back for seconds, I stepped into him like an NFL kicker. Sent him flying twenty feet backwards and enjoyed it. I think I hurt him more than he hurt me.
When I used to do a lot of road cycling, I carried an air horn with me. Blasted a few dogs right in the face with it. Scared them out of their skins.
Yeah, well...sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
That's some scary stuff guys. Glad you're all okay.
A few years ago a running friend of mine wasn't so fortunate. He was running out in Barrington Hills, IL (a rather posh, bur rural area) in the dark early morning on a route numerous runners and cyclists use all the time. Out of the blue a pit bill attacks him. He tried to get away, but didn't. Not sure what eventually made the dog sto... I still get the jitters when I run by that area.
Turns out the dog didn't actually live there. People were visiting and brought their pitbull along. I ask... who would bring their dog to a strange area and not have it tied up?
Reminds me of the time a loose dog (lab mix) ran across the street and bit my leashed dog in our driveway as we were getting out of the car.
The owner was appropriately apologetic, and thankful, the following day, when I brought the bill over, but didn't ask him to pay it. (It was a minor bite and the owner was a broke college student that a respected acquaintance of mine vouched for as a good kid that was a first time dog owner and had learned his lesson about leashing his dog. I told him to spend the money on obedience training instead of paying the vet bill.)
But this friend with him kept insisting what a sweet dog it was, that it would never hurt a fly. I ended up screaming at him about how my dog had the stitches to prove otherwise. Some people just don't get it.
unfortunately...dogs are animals. it is impossible to predict what any animal will do at ANY given time when a certain circumstance arises. all dogs have that instinct to chase anything that runs...relentlessly. you can't break any dog 100% of that if it is "locked" in. we as runners must treat all dogs we encounter as nothing less than the wild rabid beast they very well could be. what you can do 1st though is "NOT" make eye contact. i thought everybody knew that is taken as a challenge by dogs so if the dog IS intending on establishing it's hierarchy with you, you just signed up for trouble...especially with one charging and baring teeth. dogs are unpredictable...treat them all as nothing but sharp teeth. if the eye contact thing don't work however...it's time to choke it out.
and then there's...unfortunately...people are human. even with our best intentions, we can screw up and let the dog get loose while joe shmoe is running down the road. the dog that is confined constantly is going to have a hard time listening to "no rex! get over here!" i mean really, would you? this instance can make the most human friendly dog into a ramming clawing nipping beast to a runner while all the dog sees is freedom and fun. even getting tripped and injured is bullshit in my book.
bottom line...be aware.
all dogs should be pocket sized...like hamsters.
In order to see the truth, sometimes you have to loose an eye.
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Funky Kicks 2019
Spaniel I am very glad you are okay, thanks to your quick reflexes. I hope you contacted your local dog control officer. Sometimes it takes the threat of a substantial fine to change people's behaviors.
Leah, mother of dogs
true. there are some pretty good odds that this is not the last time the dog attacks a runner. and humans rarely "win" an engagement like that.
Did we win?
I've been chased by dogs so many times that I purchase pepper spray in three-can packs.
What got me to carry pepper spray was an encounter with two dogs a few years ago when I was running (with an axe handle). The dogs were in the street barking at me, but not really advancing, while the owners were in the yard yelling at their unresponsive beasts. When one of the dogs appeared to be flanking me, I took a swing with my stick but barely managed to tap the dog's head. The owner, understandably, was upset at me for doing that and began to scream obsenities.
The first dog I hit with pepper managed to find me before I had learned the habit of holding the can in my hand so I could access the trigger/button quickly. The result was that, as I was fumbling with the can, the dog was able to close the distance much more than it would have otherwise. The dog was only a few feet away when I finally found the button, resulting in a face-full of spray that immediately changed its mind. It staggered back home, foaming and scratching its eyes, while I continued my run (at a higher heart-rate). The owner had heard the commotion and called me back to apologize. He's a nice guy.
The most recent encounter had me facing three dogs all running quiclky toward me. My pre-planning says to draw my gun in this case, but my reaction was to square off and point my pepper spray. When they got in range I sprayed the first and then the second. The third one stayed out of range. Funny thing was that when one of them was hit, its front legs failed and it crashed like a plane without a nose-wheel. The humor in that almost made up for them interrupting my run.
I understand that the dogs are just animals, undisciplined at that, but I'm not at all concerned for their well-being when they're in the road being all anti-social. My only concern is for a potential encounter with the police after I defend myself.
2014 races"
Heart & Sole Half-Marathon, Goldsboro, NC, Feb.8, 2:22
Umstead Trail Marathon, Raleigh, NC, Mar. 1, 5:48
Johnston Health Champions 5K, Smithfield, NC, 26:53
Rattler Trail Half-Marathon, Sanford, NC, 2:52 (wow)
2013 races:
Heart & Sole Half-Marathon, Goldsboro, NC, Feb. 2, 1:56:40 (PR)
New River Marathon, Todd, NC, May 4, 4:59:32 (PR)
Triple Lakes Trail Race (40 mile), Greensboro, NC, Oct. 5, DNF after 31 miles in 7:48
I've taken to running with a chainsaw lately. If it's good enough for a shark it's good enough for a dog.
Wife and I watched Sharknado last night on Netflix. Too funny!
Glad you're OK, Spaniel!
Based on the owner's reaction, I did not contact animal control. Based on experience they would not do anything anyways, other than maybe show up and talk to the owner. I will, however, be going back by there in a couple weeks to make sure the dog is not still running loose.
The next passer-by could be a kid on their bike.
gotcha.
I've surprised a few dogs on trails that basically protected their owner. It kind of sucked for me. But I figure that's not indicative of a dog that's going to chase me down. I just came up on them in the woods without much warning. Sure they should have been on a leash though.
The case you described? Yeah... that doesn't seem like a dog in defensive mode at all.