What is the best way to handle the lone wolf that thinks you are its dinner? This didn't happen to me but I've begun to notice some people don't leash their dog when they see a runner approaching and today I saw a dog running towards (and past me) with no owner in site. I am just wondering on a practical level what is the best thing to do if a dog jumps at you. I suppose if its not snarling some sort of impromptu Bruce Lee maneuver?
I'm more concerned with big dogs . I like dogs in general , I don't particularly like them slobbering over me either though. I never had one for a pet so don't know them that well either. I just don't want to go all preemptive on one if it's only being friendly. It seems to me the problem is that you don't know til it's bitten you if its going to attack. I did say that if a dog bit me I would bite it back but this one was a bit big!
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Not sure what the answer is here and I don't think it is very common either. So far I haven't had any such issues as dog owners have either had dogs on leads or grabbed them before I have got anywhere near. My husband has had one problem in 5+ years of running where a dog bit through his running jacket, but he managed to continue on and did not see any owner.
I am afraid it is an all too common occurrence and one you will have to learn to cope with. I always talk to dogs (and cows and sheep) as I pass them in a calm and gentle voice. Tell them (dogs, not cows and sheep) firmly to go back to the owner. It normally works. Never raise your arms, although if I thought a dog was going to go for me, I would offer my arm to be bitten first, rather than any other part of my anatomy.
Some owners have no control over their animals while most dogs think it looks like fun to see a running human and just want to join in. I was taken aback once by a woman who said I should stop running when going past a dog. I am now armed with the rejoinder "I have a legal right to run here. You have a legal duty to keep your dog under control. Shall we ask the police for an opinion?" should the circumstance recur.
Most dogs avoid confrontation if you don't look them into eyes and make a little loop instead going stsight towards them. But I know some dogs can protect their terrain or be unstable. Most of them will raise their furr up on the neck, back, sometimes even head and tail, and this will indicate that they are agressive (or scared).
If you cannot see the owner, slow down, talk with calm voice, i you want to have your hand in front makensure it is palm up and rather low (like you'd like to feed it). In case worse scenario you'll be able to raise your hand fast and protect yourself.
If you can see the owner, and you feel threaten tell it to the owner. She/he should take control over their dog or at least assure you that dog is not agressive.
Yes, dogs should be on lead or under control. But I think we all shpuld help each other, so you can slow down and nake a loop (as I said before) it should let the dog know that you're not interested in any interaction.
Good advice here. It's just something I never thought about. I generally don't pay attention to dogs . I think it depends where you are too. I thankfully don't see any pitbulls or anything like that about, and there are no packs of dogs roaming about, I think any truly wild dog would be rounded up in a dog warden's van. I just think some people believe that it's natural to let their dog roam, without thinking of possible consequences. It's fine if they think their dog is friendly. But it's their choice. I don't want to start lecturing them about the signs saying put it on a leash and I'm too out of breath anyway. I didn't know that about not staring at them, I would have done the opposite! I read that if you see a bear you can/should roar at it and raise your own arms. There has been a spate of bear attacks and some of them involved running events (in the US). It's good to think of all possibilities!
If a dog is trying to jump up at you or approaching you and you don't like it, turn your back on it cross your arms and don't make eye contact. If necessary accompanied by a firm, deep, loud NO!
I've come across dogs before, and fortunately as I have one of the jumpy variety, I don't mind so much. If it's approaching in a friendly way I put my hands out to stop it jumping. That's ok if you know dogs and can read the signals. I have yet to come across one without an owner though...
Would you turn your back on a dog that you didn't know? That was barking ? I get the part about eye contact now, just that I would keep it in vision, I suppose it would be possible with your back turned but a lot harder. It's really gonna mess up my PB attempt!
If it was looking vicious, that's different. The dogs I've happened upon have just been excitable. Not threatening in any way. Any that have growled have been on a lead, or it's been when my dog was with me.
Have many people on here had encounters with unfriendly dogs?
If the dog is aggressive, there's no way I'd turn my back. It could possibly work of the dog is just trying to outrank you, because it sees that you submit. But I'd never, ever take that chance.
If you ever have the misfortune of seeing two dogs fight, they do their best to avoid a face to face scrap. That's just too dangerous for them. Instead they will always try to maneuver to the back or side, or get under or over, but never square on.
In a confrontation with an animal, you can't apply human logic. Basically make yourself big and scary and hope it runs off.
I've had many confrontations over the years. Mostly while walking our dogs and another dog disapproves of our existence. It's rarely escalated beyond me doing a scary monster impression though.
Sorry but this is not good advice. If a dog attacks you, turn sideways on to it, avoid eye contact, cross your arms and close your fingers so it does not have anything to bite onto. De-escalate.
It's not advice. It's what I would do, have done in the past, and has worked for me. I would not offer advice on such a matter, because there is no one right answer and I wouldn't want someone to get killed because they did something I'd do and it didn't work for them.
Haha I haven't thought about pb's yet - I regularly have to stop for passing cars on country lanes, traffic at pedestrian crossings, I hadn't thought about that kind of obstacle to a pb!
I luckily have not had any bad encounters with dogs while out running, only owners maybe who don't control them properly. I've only had a few playful one's, just last week one came bounding up with a ball in it's mouth wagging it's tail a lovely golden retriever, so obviously I knew where that dog was coming from, I mean, it couldn't bite me with a ball in it's mouth, I just dodged around it the owner apologized, it wasn't a problem, but I am wary and in the back of my mind know what damage they can do, as a boy going home from school was bitten badly on the hand when I reached out to stroke a stray dog, lesson learnt! Even so, I still like them.. but try and ignore and dodge them when out..see the link..
Much that I like dogs (don't have one at the moment) I'm quite wary, most people (and dogs) are lovely, some are really well trained and ignore me completely, others pull them in and wait for me to pass, some do come up to me and I tend to slow right down, or walk a few steps (I'm slow anyway, so it doesn't make a lot of difference 😂)
I've had one poor experience, me and my OH were out for a run and the lady owner left the excitable little mutt off the lead - she saw us coming a distance away and called the dog but it ignored her, instead if getting hold of it, she left it and it first ran aggressively to OH, then came at me, jumped and bit my sleeve - luckily didn't do any damage, and she said 'oh it's because you're running', all our fault then.......so we deserve to get bitten then do we? And would she have said the same if it was a child?
I think she was quite embarrassed though.....we haven't seen her on the bridleway since........irresponsible dog owners do annoy me....😡......not the dogs fault....
Yes, it's true it's the owners' fault, and they can't even see it. Throwing it back on the jogger is ignorant. The dog would presumably chase a young child too and even worse if it considers the child an easier target. But you can't rule out ignorance so that's why it's important to at least think about practical steps of what to do in case of such an occurrence.
Like others have said you can read a dogs body language a bit, I do the 'not look it in the eye' thing, I just go with my gut feeling, and keep an eye on it in my peripheral vision if it looks a bit dodgy......plus I usually have my phone with me......so will take photos/ make calls if necessary......
Mx
Most dogs, like most people are fine and most owners don't want to get their ar** sued! If they have an aggressive hound they will have it on a lead. I know it's really aggravating when owners say 'he's just being friendly' but they are probably trying to reassure rather than irritate. A dog wagging and smiling is easy to read, and I usually say "hello doggie" but I am famously unhinged. Other dogs will mainly ignore you. A dog is most likely to pick on another dog and it's usually the little ones who are most feisty. If a dog looks like it's going to jump up you can put out your palm with a firm "down" (deep voice is best). Yes tell the owner if you feel their dog is not under control.
You might get an amazing PB with a hound of the Baskerville's on your tail 😱
A friend of mine who went to a running school was told runners shouldn't wear black as it makes the dog more aggressive.
I've never tested this as I wear very bright colours but some dogs still freak me out as they come bounding along and look like they are going to eat me in one gulp 😭
I've often through that if I ever met an aggressive dog I would set off my attack alarm but that would probably make them worse.
Hate to disagree with you Princess but trying to outrun a dog is a bad idea on at least two levels. Firstly - they are can normally run a heck of a lot faster than the human they are chasing. Secondly - and more importantly - you act like 'Prey' when you try and run away from them.
There are ALL sorts of different opinions on what to do just on this thread alone - and bazillions on the Internet in general.
Here are a few extra - my own.
A dog has one weapon. It's teeth. We have five - two fists and two feet and our voices. If you REALLY are being attacked by a dog, beat the living crap out of it - I mean go absolutely apes--t on its body while screaming in rage or fear or whatever - just as long as you scream as loudly as you can at it. Dogs ears are damn sensitive and the combination of THAT along with the beating its taking will persuade all but the most crazy to look for easier 'prey'
Fear tells us that an attacking Dog is invincible and fearless. Unless its a trained K9 or some kind, Rabid or raised as a Fighter - then its a truly scary situation - Its damn well not. The bite can be an absolute bastard but its going to bite anyway so panic won't stop that.
Desensitize yourself to the fear by REALLY looking at dogs. Only the true monsters - Pits, Dobermans, Shepherds etc - put the fear of God in me. The rest, if it comes to an attack, I just regard as 'one bite wonders' whereas what I bring to the game are fists, feet, weight and a capacity to scream that will split its eardrums and help to definitely convince it i am NOT 'prey'.
In other words - prepare yourself to think, not automatically panic, should you ever be in the situation.
Self centered and 'entitled' Dog owners are so darn ignorant when it comes to controlling their mutts. Its no joke that they get away with letting their dogs act in a manner that nobody would let a kid away with. I detest them.
Apparently an average runner can outrun a dog over 2 kilometers but I wouldn't like to test this with a huge, growling, slobbering Doberman at my heels 😩 Would be good for a PB though 🙂
My first response was a throwaway comment given we were on a running forum. I hope none of us are ever put in this situation.
I don't think I could even outrun a slightly irate Hamster over 2K! Princess - you know you have my genuine apologies - I misunderstood your post there I just panicked a bit that you had been told that running away from a dog was a valid tactic. Please accept this bouquet (virtual unfortunately) of white Roses as a mark of how much I value your friendship.
My 80 year old dad was out walking with his labrador and a staffy (I love staffies so not a dig at them per se but they have lock on tough jaws) went for his dog ....so my dad stuck his fingers up the staffy's nose! The Staffy couldn't breathe so let go!!! Ive no idea if that's good advice but it worked!!
Me neither! But I don't think there was any other option as the staffy had gone for the other dogs throat. I would consider it an act of last resort though!!!
Better to go for the Sharks eyes I'm told - the nose punch is no longer recommended for the same reason you want to keep fingers clear of a dogs mouth. Last resort with a shark if it actually has you in its jaws is to try and pull its gills out so it cannot breathe properly - but the one and only shark I ever saw in the wild, what did I do?
Was snorkeling in Honduras off a Reef. Happily watching a Sea Urchin wobble its way along the sandy bottom in about fifteen feet of water. All at once out of the corner of my eye I saw 'something'. turned around and then saw a shark just lazily kind of 'hovering' about twenty or thirty feet away and side on to me. Just kind of doing a little back-and forth-motion.
'Ok' thinks I 'You know what to do and number one is, don't panic and make a lot of commotion in the water that will attract its attention"
And honest to god I don't remember much about the next few minutes except knowing with ne part of my brain that I was doing the WORST thing possible but the other part of my brain had me swimming like a madman and almost walking on the water I was kicking and threshing so much. I hit the ground near the water edge so hard I tore a lot of skin of my chest - would have been my face except in that 'panic swimming' I had it lifted way up high, like that would help when Sharky McSharkface would latch on to my tootsies LOL. The sheer terror though of expeciting Mr McSharkface to make his presence knowing to me via my legs as I did make my way to shore is something I will never forget - and it sure as heck came in handy when I started learning techniques for coping with potential hazards such as desensitizing yourself in advance of any potential threat.
If I can find the photo - because it would not make any sense without it and even the most colorful and 'been so many times around the block they named it after me' would find it hard to believe someone would do it - I will tell you sometime about the even bigger idiot than me who literally dived into a holding pool where there was a collection of sharks, Rays and the like being held before transport.
Anyway - apologies to Admins becuase I have gone WAY of topic but I am gong out to run those hills again in about twenty minutes so at least I've mentioned running? Will that get me off the 'naughty list' please
You can say that again! I would be searching for the biggest rock or stick possible to beat its brains out before I would attempt that and - sincerely - worry about my dog later. You're Dad is definitely as hard as a coffin nail to even attempt it! Fair dues to him! And his dog is lucky that he had an owner like that when it happened.
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Princess - you know you have my genuine apologies - I misunderstood your post there I just panicked a bit that you had been told that running away from a dog was a valid tactic. Please accept this bouquet (virtual unfortunately) of white Roses as a mark of how much I value your friendship.
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