If A Dog Charges You On A Run, Should You Kick It?

When I encounter a dog in a run, unless it looks curious and friendly, I'll slow to a walk until I'm 5-10 yards past it or, if the dog comes straight at me, I'll just stop and offer the palm of my hand for the dog to smell. Usually dogs are friendly afterwards and I'll pet them a little before resuming my run.

Most dogs that get excited and start barking when someone is running nearby will calm down if the runner slows down to a walk. Even if the dog is on a leash, there's no need to get the poor thing all riled up. Give them some space.

Dog person wrote:

If you say yes you should honestly kill yourself.

Don't kick the dog, just shoot it and move on.

When a dog charges, you should always stand your ground. The problem is that it is difficult to tell whether a dog is charging because it is following its prey instinct and is going to attack or is following its pack instinct and wants you to be in its pack (i.e. friendly). If a dogs is being friendly, you can turn the friendly encounter into a hostile one by trying to fight off the dog. If the dogs is being aggressive, you can get attacked by trying to be friendly. Best thing to do is to stand tall, yell "back" or "off" as loud as you can and stomp your foot in front of you as the dog approaches. Most dogs will retreat or become very submissive or scared after being confronted like that. If the dog keeps coming, you should continue to stomp on the ground and yelling at the dog as loud as you can, but do not make physical contact with the dog. That will only trigger a fight or flight response that may end up in a dog bite or full on attack. You should only make physical contact with a dog once it is attacking and trying to bite. Then, the physical contact should be devastating if the dog is biting, especially if it is a pit bull who is trying to lock on. Grabbing a dog by its hind legs is the best way to disable a dog that is attacking. If you are trying to assist someone who is being attacked, stomping on the dog's front legs to try to invert the knee will also disable a dog and cause it to retreat. Going after a dog's head is very dangerous because you will more than likely get bit in the process and dogs have very strong skulls and are not deterred by blows to the head when they are in attack mode.

I am the most animal-loving hippie on the planet. I am vegan and have had dogs all my life, and I even refrain from killing bugs. However, I have been attacked by large dogs (pitbulls and shepherd mixes) on runs out in the country, and if a dog snaps at me I am going to channel my inner Pele.

+1 on standing your ground. Try to take control of the situation and then de-escalate if possible. Dogs usually just want you out of what they think is their territory and if you can ease out of the situation without a fight that's best for everyone.

If an aggressive dog is charging you, kicking at it just gives it something to bite onto and take you to the ground. If you have to fight, only kick an attacking dog opportunistically and away from its head. If you have a jacket or something similar, use it to distract the dog or get it in the dog's face. Your main goals are to stay on your feet and avoid being bitten.

I've had my experiences with dogs attacking me on a run. Both times I stood my ground, and yelled at it to stop. It did the trick because the dog stopped in it's tracks. Kicking would be an effective way, but spectators would see and just call you an animal abuser.

Charges you? It's not an elephant.

Dogs like chasing things it doesn't mean it's going to bite you.

Only if it overcharges me.

ukathleticscoach wrote:

Charges you? It's not an elephant.

Dogs like chasing things it doesn't mean it's going to bite you.

elephants wouldn't bite either dumba$$

Why would a dog charge you on a run? Was a dog in the tollbooth while you were running on the Illinois Tollway System?

Definitely don't kick it. I used medium-sized rocks--that way, it didn't get close enough to do any damage. I learned this from a running partner of mine.

If you want to keep your dog safe, keep it away from public areas unless it's on a leash. If it's on a public thoroughfare, and you're not controlling it...I'm going to control it.

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And 5/10. You got me going, even though I knew it was a troll post. Well played.

This is where we need to bring up the carrying a gun on your run thread.

I first read advice similar to Roy's on here a few years ago (not sure who the original poster was). I started using the "stand your ground and yell" technique and it has worked every time. Granted, the owner was always in the area and eventually controlled their dog, and I'm not sure that all of the dogs had hostile intentions, but either way, if it keeps me from being bitten, I'll take it.

I'm a dog person. If my dog charges someone within distance that they can kick it, by all means they should. Law of the jungle, baby.

I am a dog lover and share my home with three. I have also killed one dog with a swift kick. It had already bitten my daughter severely. I would kill that dog again if I could.

Dog lover first wrote:

My dog does not charge at people ever and that is just proper training.

If I had a nickel for every time I heard people say that, and then one day their dog finally sees something out of the corner of his eye that he deems a chargeable matter....

Even when they approach runners slowly and friendly to sniff them or get petted or whatever, that's annoying too. I've come close to tripping over "friendly" dogs many times. Just leash your dog. Thanks.

Troll Thread Rater wrote:

2.9/10

Modest but decent troll effort in which you didn't have to even bother pretending it wasn't a troll. You knew the comments would come. I predict 2 pages.

Why thank you

After having a chunk of my arm taken out by a pitbull/mastiff mix on a run? I would've said no, but from now on, yes.

Dog person wrote:

Troll Thread Rater wrote:

2.9/10

Modest but decent troll effort in which you didn't have to even bother pretending it wasn't a troll. You knew the comments would come. I predict 2 pages.

Why thank you

You're welcome. I'm updating to 3.5/10 due to the fact that it is now a 3-page thread. Congratulations. I was a little off in my original estimate.