I love dogs and have 2 Jack Russels myself but dogs are becoming a problem on my runs in the woods! Today a man with 2 large dogs (one a husky, Alsatian cross came trotting towards me so I stopped and stood still - he made no attempt to call it back and it came right up to me and sniffed me even though I was frightened and didn't want to stroke it). I had to ask him to call it back to him as I did not know if it was friendly or not. He said "doesn't it look friendly to you?" I tried to say that as I have never met his dog before, I do not know. A bit further down the track, two Alsatians off the lead.
I know we have to share the tracks but it would be good if owners of dogs could call them back when a runner approaches, I always walk past or if I am worried, stop altogether. Last week an over friendly Staffie was running after me and jumping to shoulder height in delight at finding me, the owners said "it is ok, he is friendly" but he bashed my knee causing a large bruise.
I love to meet a friendly, well behaved dog and always stop for a stroke if the owners say they are ok but there are these large, over excited, uncontrolled dogs and they worry me. Anyone else had issues? Here is my dog Max, he is a gentleman on a run
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JoolieB1
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I am quite cautious of dogs... even though I like them...but have to say, on the rare occasions I have seen them if I have been on the fields, owners do call them even if a long way away!
People are a tad unthinking and sometimes, as with nhs2015's account downright terrifying!
Your little dog looks super
I have had more interactions with cats lol they seem to find it funny to sit and wait till I reach them and then just run off at speed talk about rubbing it in !
My biggest hate is those extending leads had to hurdle few and come to an abrupt stop a few times
I am no expert but aren't dog owners supposed to keep their animals under control ?
I guess so, but in the fields and woods, they like to let them run! I would call my dog back if I saw someone approaching, especially if I knew they might jump up, bark or frighten people. Runners look strange and interesting to dogs and I love dogs, and would be happy to stop and stroke a friendly pooch. Some dogs just look scary, especially big ones and over excitable dogs, will need to find places where there are less dogs I guess
I love big dogs and, quite frankly, being tackled down by an over-excited friendly husky wouldn't be the worst way of ending a run for me. But that is me and it would be crazy to think that everybody feels the same way.
I agree with you; some dog owners should be more considerate of other people because a 70kg over-excited dog does not make any distinction between me and, say, a 3-year-old kid.
Hi Julie, Max looks like such a cutie😍! I do meet a lot of dogs on my runs but have so far been lucky. If the owners leave them off lead then I assume they're OK - I just slow down a bit so they don't think I'm up for a chase and usually look straight on past them! Luckily people with 'more curious' dogs tend to hold on to them while I plod by with thanks! I did have one occasion where I had to jump a dog that suddenly shot in front of me but he really wasn't at all interested in me! It is a shame that some people are not as considerate as others in managing their over- enthusiastic canine friends.
Don't get me started on those extending leads. Either a dog is off the lead so can run about freely, or it is on the lead and is walking to heel/under command. Being on a lead that is sometimes a lead and sometimes not means the poor creature has no idea whatsoever what it is supposed to be doing. To say nothing of the idiot owners who let the dog go to the full 30m extension of the thing and run at that distance. So taking up a 30m swathe of path/field, and providing a handy tripwire for anyone coming the opposite way.
I have a largeish dog and run with her usually off the lead, but whenever I see people ahead, either coming in the opposite direction or to pass, be they other runners, cyclists, pedestrians, whatever, I call her to heel and have her trot right mext to me until we have passed. It is not so much a question of common courtesy as much as baseline responsible dog ownership. If you can't prevent your pet from being a danger to other people, animals or itself, don't have pets.
Yes, am always cautious when passing dogs, having been bitten badly by a stray dog when a young boy going home from school, I shouldn't have tried to stroke it!
But haven't had any bad encounters with dogs while running. Been having more encounters with my cat at home, who keeps walking across my path trying to trip me up! Grrr lol😊
Don't get me started. Dogs are the bane of my running life and I've had quite a few scary encounters with them. And the number of owners who are considerate enough to either hold them until I run past or call them to heel are less than the fingers of one hand. I had a Hound of the Baskervilles (well he looked like that) bounded out of some bushes once and the sun was in my eyes and I couldn't see him coming until he was nearly on top of me. The owner slowly and casually sauntered away (!) without so much as a comment to me, I was scared witless. The dog was probably being friendly but on the other hand he might have wanted to eat me!
Grrrrrr. And did I tell you about the time................. no don't go there.
Glad it's not just me, beginning to dread seeing a huge wolf like creature running towards me - grinning or growling - how do I know the difference? Still a dedicated dog lover though, if I see a cute pug or a grinning Labrador, I am going to stop and admire them if the owner says it is ok LOL! Need to run in more remote locations but that is scary for other reasons!!
Hmmm. I do see this theory advanced quite often, but have never really understood it. If you were a predatory 'weirdo', where would you go to find likely victims? remote tracks, miles from anywhere, just on the off-chance, or well populated town centres? I tend to run mainly in remote areas, miles from anywhere, and seldom encounter many people at all, and those that I do tend to be ramblers or twitchers (the latter are weirdoes, by definition, obviously, but not prdatory. In fact I think being a sexual non-combatant is a prerquisite of birdwatching).
Very re-assuring LOL! I have my personal alarm just in case it turns nasty, could maybe outrun them anyways. I do know a place I can run where there is a track through woodland and it gives me scope for a longer run too. The other thing is if I fall or collapse, being in the middle of nowhere, it will take them ages to find my body
True. There is also the danger of being plucked from the path by enormous eagles (I saw this happen in a Rupert book once) as well as gigantic mutant woodlouse terror.
Although the 'I have fallen and cannot get up' issue can be resolved at least with the use of an amazing device I have discovered, which is like a telephone, only you can fit it in your pocket and it doesn't require a cable. Failing that you could leave a trail of breadcrumbs, thus killing two birds with one stone: personal traceability and also keeping bakers in employment now no-one eats bread any more.
I'm with you there. I run in the wild and find myself deep in the woods. I love it and I don't feel afraid, but I can smell danger and there is a patch I run near the airport near a disused paintballing and I sensed danger, so I don't ever run there now.
Just last Wednesday a dog jumped up, growled and actually nipped my jacket, it would have been my arm had the material not been there. I like dogs, used to have one, but with holidays, working, empty house etc., not getting another yet.
I was out running with my other half, he was ahead, and this dog was loose, and ran to his feet, OH didn't stop, but female owner says 'it's because you're running' , oh that's ok then.......it can attack anything that's moving quicker, including children? , must be our fault...., she called it to her, did not put the lead on, then it just pounced at me, I was too shocked to say anything, and just kept going.... I felt sorry for the dog, owners fault, not the dogs.
But if it happens again, look out!
I must say though, (so far) this was a very unusual occurrence, most other users of the bridle paths where we go are brilliant, and I always make a point of saying thank you as we go past. I am a bit nervous around strange dogs, I try to ignore them whilst keeping an awareness of where they are, I hate it, absolutely hate it if they make me stop by running at my legs.
I am a dog lover, always had dogs myself so it is sad that I am worried about my safety around other people's dogs,miss just running seems to interest them. Most dogs ignore me, if I could,mi would stop and stroke them all but just losing my nerve
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