Be prepared. It’s not your responsibility to take a wait and see approach when a unfamiliar dog comes charging in. Swat it away if it comes that close. Take the confrontation seriously while also making noise (partly for the dog, letting it know it will be getting a fight, and partly for the owner, letting them know to get a handle on their dog). Dogs, like bears, will usually shy from an actual fight. You just have to be prepared to actually give them one. Not unreasonable to let an owner know that leashes can be as much for a dog’s protection as for yours.
Best not to kick the other person's dog if you can help it. If attacked and you are in a position of being bitten then yes all measures can be taken. If it's just nuisance barking then do your best not to escalate the situation. Not an ideal situation for all parties involved.
True story…was working out in Boston at local track (happened to be a particularly entitled section of the City).
I spot woman with dog off leash…ask her several times to please keep dog away from me…she can’t be bothered. Dog bugging me a lot jumping growling licking my gym bag…
I yell over to the woman…lady how would you like me to come over there and lick you? between clutching her pearls she grabs dog…throws her nose up and leaves.
A few times I've been pursued by dogs off their lead. Sometimes they just want to play but other times I can't be sure. A local runner got bit recently whilst running along the canal. Obviously the owner will get mad but on the other hand it's not right that aggressive dogs are off their lead in public...
Depends how you define “going for you”. I‘ve been chased by dogs on runs before and am also a dog owner so see both sides. Some people aren’t in control of their anxieties and think a dog barking, snarling or running at them is “going for them” and akin to being assaulted. Heck, this happens to me with other dog owners when mine goes to say hello. It’s mainly because my girl is a husky cross shepherd and looks like a wolf but is only interested in play. If my dog was ever kicked I would be seriously pissed but if a human was bitten by a dog (mine or anyone’s) they’d be at liberty to hit back.
Most people really don’t know how to read dogs so it shouldn’t be someone’s first move. It can put them in danger when they weren’t before, it can make that dog scared of humans for life and likely to attack in future and many other problems.
I’m lucky in that my girl is generally indifferent to people and I’ve trained her not to chase runners and cyclists.
Yep. Wait until you're bitten and then you can kick the mofo.
LOL!
How about keeping the pooch on a leash so we don't have to worry about it. Many people are not just anxious around a loose dog, they are pretty scared. Dog owners saying "don't worry about him he just wants to play" while the animal is snarling at you or jumping on you doesn't do any good.
I've kicked a few and they run and the owners call me all sorts of names and I fire back.
Keep them on a leash if you don't want fifi being kicked.
I always stop and face the dog head on to avoid being bit from behind. If dog still keeps approaching, then it's no holds barred--feet, fists, rocks, sticks, whatever it takes. And if the owner is upset, good for him, maybe he and his dog have learned a lesson. Make sure you're in a situation where you can outrun the owner if necessary. This happened once in full view of owner while I was running with my infant son in a stroller. Parenting instinct supersedes any other law on the books in my opinion.
Years ago and I was attacked while running so I turned around and smacked that bi!%ch across the face. She ripped my favorite Nike pants. Then I got the owner to pay for them.
I wouldn't try any kicks or anything unless you're a trained kickboxer or something because you could end up falling and being at a big disadvantage and give the dog access to your face and neck.
I would just get in a low defensive position and try to wrestle it to the ground and pin it with you knee and keep it like that till people come to help.
1st time: neighbor's rotweiler jumped over our fence and clamped onto my hand. They did the right thing and had it put down as they were expecting a baby.
2nd time: Friend's rescue dog would bite the crap out of me everytime I visited. They didn't put the dog down until AFTER it bit, and scarred, their 1 month old.
3rd time: On leash (but too long) dog bit me in the ass. When the owner wouldn't believe me, I showed them the proof.
4th time: off leash dog that lived near my in laws. It knocked me down and bit me while I was down (probably a 65-75 lb mutt). on the way back I scooped up one hand full of gravel and a big rock in the other hand. When it attacked, I threw the gravel and stunned it. The dog came for more, so I thumped it on the head with the rock (lucky throw). I'd kill that dog today if I had the chance.
Dog owners: if your dog bites people, have them put down. It's pretty simple.
How is this even a question? Of course. The injuries I've seen from random dog attacks are gruesome. Dogs, followed by cars are the top 2 dangers in safe suburban neighborhoods.
I work with dogs. I also run and get irritated at off leash dogs and their (often) clueless owners. I've also run around some in the countryside of developing countries where dogs are actually scary.
The answer: it depends. most of the time kicking a dog will not help. Either a dog is non-aggressive, in which case you don't need to kick it, or a dog is aggressive and kicking it might further enrage it.
1) some dogs are off leash, poorly trained, but benign. They see someone running and instinctively chase. The best thing in this case is to slow to a slow jog (which is more boring for them, less instinct to chase) and slowly jog away. I'm talking about poodle mixes, hounds, retrievers, and dogs most people keep as pets.
2) some dogs may be prone to aggression. Maybe they will chase you aggressively but as long as you slowly jog away, nothing will happen. If you kick this sort of dog, they will probably attack you. And they very well may win. Again, slowing to a jog and acting less like you are running away will help. This category of dog might be a pitbull or shepherd type dog.
3) Some dogs may actually be trying to bite you. This is thankfully less common in the U.S. If a dog actually is going to bite you, maybe you should kick it. Better yet, if you run in places where there are dogs like this, the best thing to do actually is to carry rocks to throw at them before they get near you.
4) Please don't kick dogs below 20 pounds. They might be aggressive but you could actually really hurt them.
I work with dogs. I also run and get irritated at off leash dogs and their (often) clueless owners. I've also run around some in the countryside of developing countries where dogs are actually scary.
The answer: it depends. most of the time kicking a dog will not help. Either a dog is non-aggressive, in which case you don't need to kick it, or a dog is aggressive and kicking it might further enrage it.
1) some dogs are off leash, poorly trained, but benign. They see someone running and instinctively chase. The best thing in this case is to slow to a slow jog (which is more boring for them, less instinct to chase) and slowly jog away. I'm talking about poodle mixes, hounds, retrievers, and dogs most people keep as pets.
2) some dogs may be prone to aggression. Maybe they will chase you aggressively but as long as you slowly jog away, nothing will happen. If you kick this sort of dog, they will probably attack you. And they very well may win. Again, slowing to a jog and acting less like you are running away will help. This category of dog might be a pitbull or shepherd type dog.
3) Some dogs may actually be trying to bite you. This is thankfully less common in the U.S. If a dog actually is going to bite you, maybe you should kick it. Better yet, if you run in places where there are dogs like this, the best thing to do actually is to carry rocks to throw at them before they get near you.
4) Please don't kick dogs below 20 pounds. They might be aggressive but you could actually really hurt them.
A 20 pound dog can do a lot of damage. Those bites are very high risk of infection. Obviously I understand most severe injuries are caused by pitbulls. But when I'm running down a dark street I'm not obligated to size up a dog before it attacks me. My priority is my safety. I personally run with pepper spray, so I don't need to make this decision. I've definitely maced "small" dogs chasing after me and don't feel the slightest guilt. Even a small bite is very dangerous. I see it all the time.
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