Irresponsible Dog Owners are Almost Making Me a Michael Vick Fan!

This happens so much, I sometimes think of carrying a bat with me when I run. A few weeks ago I was attacked (actually bitten twice) by a dog during a trail run, and got the usual "Oh, he's never done that before!" BS from the owners.

I share your frustration. I have the same problem with one of the parks I run in. There are signs all over the place stating that dogs must be kept on the leash at all times. Yet every time I run there I encounter unleashed dogs. I usually try to size up the risk before I reach the animal and if the dog is large, ask the owners to leash it before I proceed. Of course, by that point I've already broken stride and compromised my workout.

I agree that if you're attacked by a dog you should defend yourself, and that you are justified in using whatever force is necessary to stop an attack. The problem is, it's very hard to arm yourself against dogs when running. You can't carry a club or similar weapon while running. I've considered investing in a taser or pepper spray. If anyone has had success with either of these devices, share your stories.

BTW, I have nothing against dogs (except pitbulls, which should be outlawed) and have one myself.

I usually get chased by dogs on the country roads I run on. I know my routes well enough that I know where the dogs are that run after me. I always pick up a few good rocks to throw if I happen to need them. I've only used a rock once. I hit the dog on the side and it turned back towards it's house. I've also found that if you yell really loud and put your hands in the air that you can usually scare the dog away. But neither of these methods are going to stop a dog who has it in his mind to attack.

Heard through the grapevine wrote:

A few weeks ago I was attacked (actually bitten twice) by a dog during a trail run, and got the usual "Oh, he's never done that before!" BS from the owners.

YOU SHOULD SUE THE JACK*SS OWNERS! Especially if it has affected your training.

I got attacked by two pitbulls that were off leash in a residential neighborhood. A three inch scar on my back and a puncture wound on my calf were the result. I was able to repel the attach by yelling at the dogs as loud as I could. I actually lost my voice for two days after the attack because I strained my vocal chords. I was not able to find the owner, even though police were there within 20 min searching the neighborhood and animal control canvassed the neighborhood for 10 days.

Most of the time, having a dog of leash is a bigger danger to the dog than humans. Everyone I know who lost a dog or had it get hit by a car had the dog off leash and were stunned when their dog actually behaved like a dog and ran off.

Running clubs should get in touch with local animal control/police to have them come out and write some tickets at running hot spots. I was lucky that the pit bulls didn't hit an artery. But, a dog's teeth will go through you like a hot knife through butter.

I am frustrated as well...

I run with my dog (off leash) on various trails that also have walkers and joggers. As me and my dog are merrily moving along a very select few of the hikers and joggers take one look at this ferocious beast of a mutt (he's part Australian, part Collie) and jump to the side of the trail screaming something about how dangerous he is and why there are leash laws, blah, blah, blah... Fortunately for me, by the time they've taken another swig from their fuel belts, we're long gone.

There was this one time in particular though when a jogger suddenly out of nowhere came plodding up the trail, as he got closer my dog...absolutely ignored him – that’s odd I thought because that is what he does EVERY SINGLE TIME!

Look you might have a point if this mutt that you kicked was bigger than a bread basket but from your post you just sound like you have very low testosterone levels. In the park or on the trail, some dogs are distempered enough to bark, a smaller percentage are even brave enough to bark and run at you and an even smaller percentage are likely to bite. Treating all of them the same is both illogical and pussyfied…

Now, this is a good post.

broadstreetbob wrote:

Of course, by that point I've already broken stride and compromised my workout.

Now I agree with wanting the dogs kept on leashes but jesus, do you realize how big a tool you sound like here? You compromised your workout? Give me a break.

Well next time i planned on shooting the owner instead of the dog. Since i would get a lesser jail sentence maybe 2 months, compared to 2 years. (quit thinking dogs are people, the stupidity)

In high school we had on country road run where we had to run past this house with an insane doberman. The house had a big front yard with a row of trees in front of it so it was difficult to tell when the dog was out. We stayed on the opposite side of the road and more often than not the dog would burst out of the trees and go after us, even with cars coming. Teammates didn't believe us till they experienced an attack themselves. Eventually we started carrying rocks across that stretch and the dog always broke off after a few came inches from its face.

At the park where my team runs, there are hordes of dog owners with their unleashed dogs. A couple days ago I had to hurdle over one in order to not hit it. Sometimes the dogs inconveniently stop right in front of us. Today my teamate got licked on the heal, which must feel disgusting during a run. He is extra careful around dogs, since he went to the hospital 2 years ago for dog bit wounds. My aunt has also been bitten by a pittbull

Seriously,

I've tens of thousands of miles in my local park and I pass dogs every day. I have never been attacked and only once or twice in the years that I have been running has the dog even impeeded my movement taking all of about 2 seconds out of my run.

I have a much bigger problem with people listening to I pods too loud and not moving when I yell "on your right/left." Not to mention Horses. Dogs however have never been a problem.

Pit bulls may be one thing, but your extra friendly golden retreiver is not going to send you to the hospital.

100 mile a week runner wrote:

Seriously,

I've tens of thousands of miles in my local park and I pass dogs every day. I have never been attacked and only once or twice in the years that I have been running has the dog even impeeded my movement taking all of about 2 seconds out of my run.

I have a much bigger problem with people listening to I pods too loud and not moving when I yell "on your right/left." Not to mention Horses. Dogs however have never been a problem.

Pit bulls may be one thing, but your extra friendly golden retreiver is not going to send you to the hospital.

gotta vastly agree with you there. the only thing I ever had to do is hurdle a few dogs/their leashes because they changed direction too quickly. But at least that is good SC training!

OK, I'm sure you have the greatest dog in the world and it would never hurt anyone (of course, every owner believes that, yet mysteriously dogs do attack complete strangers every day). But let's take for starters that in the park I run through it is against the LAW to unleash your dog. Is it too much to ask dog owners to actually obey the law?

I've been bitten many times, sometimes even when the dog is on the leash. The dogs are allowed to run free all over the parks and streets where I live (Ann Arbor). The police refuse to enforce the leash law. I have run with a collapsible baton. I believe it would lay a dog's skull open pretty good if I used it. However, it rattles when I run so I don't use it much although it's easy to carry with a waist belt. I don't know if it's legal or not. Here in Michigan it's pretty easy to get a permit to carry a gun so that might be a solution where you live. I read an article in Runner's World once where a guy took it to the police and found a sympathetic ear from a cop who was a runner. This guy got chased every time he ran by a certain house. The cop went out for a jog with him. They went by the house. Sure enough, the dog ran out into the street. The cop shot the dog dead. Problem solved.

I concur with your post, 100 mile a week runner.

I've never had any problems with dogs. Occasionally I have had to run around one because it was in the way, but I don't own the universe so I'm cool with that. I wonder if the people who have such problems are the same people who get all worked up about someone being in Lane 1 at the track when they want to do a workout, because passing by them in Lane 2 takes a whole .2 seconds.

I was chased by a rednose pitbull on my short run six years ago. It was during track practice and I was doing my 20 min warm up jog until this beast came out of nowhere. I jumped over the fence and cut myself on my leg. I was safe but I was SOOOO PISSED. There were no owners around and the dog didn't seem to have a collar around him though I couldn't tell because I was scared shitless. Thank god there weren't any kids around.

Jefe in the CO wrote:

There was this one time in particular though when a jogger suddenly out of nowhere came plodding up the trail, as he got closer my dog...absolutely ignored him – that’s odd I thought because that is what he does EVERY SINGLE TIME!

Look you might have a point if this mutt that you kicked was bigger than a bread basket but from your post you just sound like you have very low testosterone levels. In the park or on the trail, some dogs are distempered enough to bark, a smaller percentage are even brave enough to bark and run at you and an even smaller percentage are likely to bite. Treating all of them the same is both illogical and pussyfied…

Here's the problem. If your running at a good pace for a long distance on a regular basis, you can encounter a lot of dogs that you've never seen before and that you know nothing about. So how are you supposed to know which are tame like your dog and which one is going to try taking a bite out of your rear? Is it "pussified" if your dog bites me while I'm minding my own business, running in a public park where he is supposed to be on a leash and, in response, I brain him with a rock?

pnw runner wrote:

I concur with your post, 100 mile a week runner.

I've never had any problems with dogs. Occasionally I have had to run around one because it was in the way, but I don't own the universe so I'm cool with that. I wonder if the people who have such problems are the same people who get all worked up about someone being in Lane 1 at the track when they want to do a workout, because passing by them in Lane 2 takes a whole .2 seconds.

The fact that you've never had a problem with an unleashed dog does not mean it's not been a problem for many runners.

And no, I don't get worked up about jumping out to lane 2 to pass slower runners (or walkers).