"It's OK, He won't bite"

[shaunaneto]

He's eyeing up your calves as an emergency snack.

LOOK AT HIM, HES ACTUALLY SALIVATING

[Mossdog]

I've had a few occasions over the years when I've 'acquired' a dog while out running, who obviously thought that bounding over the heather with this bloke in shorts was more funny than their owners were offering; so totally ignoring the pleading remonstrations of their owners to return. Inevitably this has meant that I've taken pity and had to stop and wait for their usually red faced (not just due to embarrassment), gasping owners to catch up. That'll learn 'um

[Derby Tup]

So enough about the slobbering collies and loveable labradors. I ask again what does one do when confronted by a dog that doesn't want a stroke but wants to maul you?

[shaunaneto]

DT

http://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwel...any/unfamiliar

On the three or so occasions where I've had to deal with aggressive dogs just inhibiting the dogs ability to circle behind me has proven to be enough of a delaying tactic for the owner to enter the immediate equation. The feral dogs I mentioned earlier gave plenty of warning signs and I was able to move away.

Many years ago I used to volunteer at a rescue centre, never had a problem with any of them. But that's due to not being perceived as a threat (at least by the time I got near them). I've either owned or lived with dogs for 33 years of my life, again no problems.

Some random dog that gets spooked, their the ones I have problems with. More to the point it's their owners, even more so the owners that fail to read the dogs body language that clearly indicate fear and discomfort at my presence.

[vespa]

not sure about dogs but getting chased by 2 mountain bikers today asking if i raced as i passed them running on a freshly ploughed hilly field going up to eighton banks while they were on tarmac after the next field i heard not a thing i hope they,re ok

[noel]

I once gained a scent hound after I'd run past the dog with its owner about 5 minutes earlier. I stopped once it got to me. It then took about another 5 minutes for the very out-of-breath chap to catch us up and remonstrate with his hound.

[ba-ba]

3 Peaks last year, a small but built dog joined us from beneath PyG and made it all the way to the road. Dunno if its owner caught it but we were going at a good clip and it stayed ahead throughout!

[djglover]

I am not dogist, I just don't know what to do around dogs so it annoys the hell out of me too. Seeing an unleashed Rottweiler trotting over the moors in my direction is a scary experience regardless of how friendly you say he is. It doesn't help when his jaws are 10ins from my groin!

[Mossdog]

So enough about the slobbering collies and loveable labradors. I ask again what does one do when confronted by a dog that doesn't want a stroke but wants to maul you?

Stop running. Stand still. Don't make eye-contact with the dog. Remain silent, and try your best to think calm thoughts and try and cultivate a 'relaxed' demeanour even if you're very pissed off or fearful. And wait for the owner to take control if that's feasible.

Dogs are very acute at reading human and their own non-verbals, they've evolved along with us, and so will sense if you're a threat or scared. If you make eye-contact, in dog-behaviour, you are challenging them.

Once out running locally a couple of years ago I ran over a ridge and spooked a doberman out walking with it's owner. The dog torn up the hill towards me snarling (the owner was below shouting ineffectively for the dog to stop). There was nowhere for me to run and I didn't think I could easily fight it off (a very last resort!). The dog veered off at the last moment. It was probably the dog's protective sense that caused the aggressive display.

The only time I've been bitten was by a neighbour's collie. Saturday morning run. Said 'Hi' to the neighbour as I passed him in the lane, and their dog seemed disinterested, by bit one of my calves and then ran off as I ran passed (typical collie style!). Again, I stood still and waited for the owner to put it on the lead before we had 'a conversation!!!!!'

[Wheeze]

The trouble with this subject is that it attracts one or two 'dogist' members of the forum and their anti-dogism creates a picture that is vastly disproportionate to the problem, if indeed a problem exists. I run in the hills pretty much every day, largely in the Yorkshire Dales where I live or the Lake District just down the road, and I have never, ever, ever had a problem with a pet dog or a pet dog owner during my run outs. Not even once. I'll admit that I have had a couple of scary moments with farm dogs but, on both occasions, that was in the hills of West Yorkshire and much nearer to bigger urban conurbations. A massive generalisation I know (but hey you lot have been generalising about dogs and their owners) but the people that seem to have the most problems with dogs a) don't like dogs, b) live in towns or cities and c) perhaps come across more 'n'ere do wells' walking their pit-bulls

I run with my border collie Harry 99% of the time, day in day out, and nothing that I have ever done or achieved while fell running (a fair smattering of fell races, ultra's and even the Bob Graham) can beat the simple joy of running in the hills with Harry. To me its what fell running is primarily all about. And yes Harry does run up to people he meets, smiling and wagging his tail to say hello, and yes 'he is friendly so people don't have to worry' and 'it is okay and he won't bite!'

I'm a dog lover too, Stolly. As I have catalogued here before in the past, I used to race with my Black Lab, Jen. She was generally loved and even used to get awarded prizes! I 'get' dog psychology and have never had a problem.....till a couple of month back. On my regular run I pass a barn conversion. There are two dogs live there...german pinschers or something like that. Spotty mad things anyway. They always bark when I run past. Well, on this occasion, the gate had been left open. I'd got 10 feet past it when a guided missile shot out. I managed to pacify it by my usual trick of radiating no fear and offering the back of my hand for smell acceptance. Fine, but as I turned away, the other one came flying at me and took a massive bite of my hamstring. The force of it felled me. Hurt like f*ck. The owner came running out, absolutely horrified. I was so mad, I could say nothing but just got up and ran away. I would have made things worse if I had spoken.....it would be have been more than a little abusive!
The bruising was extensive but no other harm done. When I got home, the owner was there waiting for me. She was mortified. The dogs are trained and they've 'never done anything like that before'!
I do look twice now as run that way. They still bark as I go by. I still love dogs but I really appreciate where scared folks are coming from. Its a problem.