Has Anyone Else Had a Random Dog Just Start Running With Them?

I read in someone's running journal i think, that he was running down a trail and passed a lady with 3 large dogs on leashes going the other way. He heard a scream and looks back and the dogs are chasing him, dragging the lady behind them. Sounded like a pretty funny sight.

No, but... wrote:

There was one summer when I was doing early AM runs where this bunny rabbit would be at the same spot every day for 4 straight days one week, run alongside me for 10-12 strides then dart into the woods.

Never could figure that one out.

I've had this happen - I think they memorize a certain path to safety even if it brigs the closer to 'danger'.

At the 2001 Pasco Invitational (the largest high school meet in Washington state), a dog found its way onto the track during the 300m hurdles and started chasing after the runners. They recalled the race, but the dog kept going! He took off down the backstretch, rounded the curve, and the crowd went nuts as he sprinted own the straightaway. He looked like he was smiling. It was great.

I once had 2 dogs follow me for 6 miles! Unfortunately, we had to bring them back to their home when I was finished because they wouldn't leave our house. Even after all that, one of them showed up the next morning for some more fun!

I was once running late at night and had a rabbit dart in front of me and run there for about 200m. stupid animal. also, yesterday I saw 3 raccoons, and I made a little yell and they scampered away so quickly. It was funny to watch them try to run away fast, kind of reminded me of seeing a fat person run.

I was running in the Conoco Rodeo Run 10K in Houston back in 2001 - my first race as a masters. I was running in the trailing pack - Justin Chaston had broken away, so I was fighting it out for second place with two other runners. Just past mile three, I heard some girl yelling "come back here!" I looked back to see a rather large black girl chasing a little Lhaso Apso, dragging its leash (the dog, not the girl). Well,the girl didn't last long but the dog pulled beside us....... It was sooo funny to see that little dog running all out and having the time of its life! Keep in mind that we were running between 5:10-5:20 pace into a wind and a slight uphill. The dog actually ran with us until close to the five mile mark, when a cop on a bicycle was able to herd him away! Ah, the memories......

Yeah, I saw the dog at Pasco too. Pretty funny.

I had farm dogs run with me for a half a mile to a mile and half and turn back regularly in the 1970s and 80s where I lived. There was a lot of barking and as I went downt he road I had group after group, dog after dog, following me. I was sometimes accompanied for 4 or 5 miles by various dogs when running during the summer evenings at dusk.

The strangest but most amazing eperience I had was when I lived in Colorado. I ran on the same mountain trail every morning at 6:30 am (an out and back trail that had amazing scenery). One day, in early September, I was startled by some young elk laying on the side of the trail. They made a lot of racket as they rose to their feet and bolted. The ground rumbled and lots of sticks were breaking around me. A few days later they were there again, but this time they only run about 10 seconds, then stopped to turn around and look at me as if to say, "We're not scared of you anymore. Your funny looking, still, in those shorts and no shirt." The following days they were there again but this time instead of running away from me, some of the younger ones seemed to be trotting alongside of me in parallel for about 70 or 80 yards. After that, for about a month, I saw the very same elk every morning, and every morning they trotted with me for about 150 yards until the hill started to drop quite a bit. I felt like Grizzly Adams out there. I guess animals just love to run for fun, too.

Had a horse join me once. That was really weird. He ran along the ditch while I ran on the shoulder. We ran together for about a mile before he spooked.

I think everybody has had a random dog running with them

Many times. One time was during a period when I was still looking to adopt a dog. A very cool looking athletic mutt (likely some AK husky race dog in it) saw me with me with 2 miles to go before my turnaround point on an out and back run on a multi-use trail. It ran perfectly and contentedly at my side. It looked like a possible stray, no collar, so I thought that if it came home with me, I might keep it, but it left me 4 miles later at the same place that it latched onto me.

Once during college I was running at dusk down one of the ridge trails in the Santa Monica mountains and found myself running behind a coyote for several minutes. That was pretty surreal.

Once when I was running just around the neighborhood with my dog, we picked up two or three loose dogs without tags that followed us around. I think I found out that at least two of them were not lost, just loose, but the third might have been a stray. It didn't follow me home, so that's fine.

My gf's dog often found me at random times back when we were just friends and often went running at around the same time (and same trails, we lived two houses apart surrounded by trails), but not together. She would be so pissed that her dog would run off to find me. Later, when her dog would still occasionally run off when we did runs together, and we would split up to look for him. I was always the one to find him for some reason...

I ran in a 5K a few years back that included a long stretch right next to a pasture that had several horses in it...one of the horses ran right with us for the full length of the pasture fence, which was probably about a mile, it was actually really cool. He kept pace with us, and I have to believe that it was on purpose, a horse could outrun just about any runner if they wanted to. And talk about beautiful running form!

I have had a dog follow me, and as I approached what I knew would be a very busy road, the dog showed no sign of turning back, so I actually turned around and lead the dog back to the house it came from...the owner was in the yard and was very appreciative and apologetic, apparently the dog was supposed to be kept in the yard by electric fence, but the batteries in the collar must have died.

Mrs. Mulberry wrote:

you took a dog on a run and abandoned it it the middle of nowehere???!!! i'd hate to see what you would do if you found a missing kid.

jerk!

I wouldn't worry about that dog. It probably knows those country roads extremely well and could easily find it's way back home.

Heard about this from some runners up in Canada... weirdos. but funny as hell. poor dog.

I had an experience very similar to that of the first poster, and it also turned into one of the best runs I'd ever had. I was maybe 2 miles from home, running at maybe 7 min pace (I don't recall exactly) when this black blur came charging up at me from the right rear across someone's yard, barking. Scared the hell out of me, and I got a huge adrenaline rush and sprinted to get away from this "threat."

Turned out to be a black lab, wagging its tail furiously, looking for someone to play with. He (she?) ran along with me for a couple of blocks and I kept yelling "go home," but he wouldn't listen. It ran along with me, mostly at my heels, but sometimes crossing in front of me (nearly tripping me a couple of times) chasing after squirrels, noises and interesting smells. About three miles later, I turned around, and he turned around with me. Two more miles and some dogs were barking from an adjacent farm, and he took off to chase them and go play with somebody else. So the blask dog ran with me at a fairly good clip for maybe 5 miles total.

Most enjoyable running partner I'd ever had (with apologies to my wife - although she and I didn't run together much back then, so I'm probably OK). I've been wanting to get a running dog ever since. Unfortunately, I don't live in a place where it's practical to run with a dog off the leash.

Weirdest animal experience I had was on a trail in some woods one time, I turned the corner and saw these large upright things right there...wild turkeys. The turkeys (there were about five or six of them)then ran along the trail a few feet ahead of me for about 50m before they finally turned off into the woods. Kind of amuses me when I think about how much hunters will spend for camo gear, turkey calls, etc when myself and other runners can get within a few feet of these sorts of animals without ever even trying.

Yes! happened to me while I still lived in Utah and was out for a steady 5 miler. I was in a new area exploring and since it turned out to be mostly resedential I decided to head back the way I had come. Out from a drive way lolloped a friendly Golden Retriever, who proceeded to trot along with me. After a few "go homes" from me was met with happy indifference on said dog's part I resigned myself to the company of this cheerful canine. But as the minutes rolled by, I wondered if he would find his way back! Not only that but the motorists were none too impressed with the dog not caring about their presence and I started to get yelled at about "keep your dog on a leash."

It sounded lame to yell back "thats not my dog." Finally, by runs end the dog was still there, and as I went to my car decided to befriend a group of people leaving a restraunt. I did not check wether he got home again, after all, I did not invite him on the run, but it was certainly an interesting experience.

I do my longest runs in the morning at around 4:30am or so on a trail that cuts through alot of residential areas but gets pretty country at around the 8-9 mile marker. It's obviously pretty dark, but the trail is paved so I don't need a light. One morning, I had just turned around at the 10 mile marker and was in the zone cranking it up for the return trip when I see this big light blur crashing through the trees to my left out of the corner of my eye! I look over quickly and see this fairly large deer cutting through the trees! Kinda cool, as this trail is really popular during the day, so I imagine I'm one of the few to see one here. Took about 5 minutes for the adrenaline to work it's way out of my system after that!

I was running out in Portola Valley once years ago and I was attacked by Joan Baez's dog!!!

He came barrelling down a long steep driveway with blood in his eye. Baez was trotting behind him, calling him back! "Come back here! Now!"

I shouted, "Call him off, Joanie!!!"

When he got near he nipped at my calf, missed by about a foot. Then he cowered back to his owner, who grabbed his collar and hauled him back up the driveway. I kept on running.

Dog needed to get some canine non-violence training, huh?