Yes, as the title tells you, I got my first almost dog bite this weekend while running in my hometown! I've been chased by dogs numerous times on my bike and while running but this is the first time a dog has ever actually made contact with me, usually they just bark or run along side. The little bastard chased me while jumping on my leg and trying to bite. I say "trying" because it's mouth was too small to get a hold of my ankle. I could feel wetness from its nose and mouth and I looked down a few times and saw its jaw rapidly trying to get a grip. When it first ran out at me I didn't really care because 1. I thought there would be an electric fence, and 2. the dog was so tiny. The only thing that makes me angrier than the dog is the fact that its owner WAS STANDING IN THE FRONT YARD AND SAID/DID NOTHING. I kept looking over my shoulder waiting for the owner to run out and get the dog and apologize but nothing. Are you kidding me? Your dog is hanging on my leg, does this look like good behavior to you?
I tried to talk to the dog at first saying in a sweet voice "hey little guy, don't bark at me, I'm just out for a run, go home!" No good. I tried to cross the street, no good. I tried to slow down, no good. So i just kept running and eventually it went home. It's not like this size dog could have wrestled me to the ground or anyhting so I just kept going.
This is what the dog looked like. Pretty vicious, huh?
Part of me wanted to stop and yell at the owner or call him on the phone(small town = easy to figure out who people are) but I was so pissed that I was afraid to make a scene. Also, this happened in the town I will someday move back to, who knows when my path will cross the owner's path again so I didn't want to seem like a jerk. I did however call the animal control officer in my town and she was very sweet and is going to go by the house and talk to the owner. I also happen to know the people who live across from the dog so I asked them about the dog and they said it runs wild all the time and is ignored. We do have a leash law in town but it's not the fact that hte dog was loose that bothers me, it's the fact that it made contact with me. Is this a violent dog? If I was child-size it would have bitten me no problem.
I've been running for 13 years so I knew it was bound to happen sometime. If the owner had been more responsible and said something or came to check on me I wouldn't be so annoyed. It's just plain irresponsible. Needless to say, I won't be running by that house again!
What dog problems have u guys had?
21 comments:
OMG what is wrong with people!?!?!?! i love dogs, have dogs, run with dogs, all of the above BUT if my dog did that to someone i would freak! i cant believe they didnt do anything :( booooooo. glad nothing happened and you were ok.
Some dog owners, seriously...I don't get it/them.
Happy you are good.
Oh and on the "look" of the dog. My pitbull is way nicer than my maltese - looks mean NOTHING! ;)
Next time turn on it and yell powerfully "HEEL!" It will be scared of you and turn on its heels to get away. Or at least that's what Spike told me to do if I ever encounter a vicious dog. He said that you have to become the alpha in the situation and the dog will know its place. So glad it didn't get its jaws on ya! Bad owner!
I've had several dog encounters over the years, but the worst was actually being chased by a full-size black poodle. Sounds pretty weak, I know, but I'm not talking about a little Paris Hilton puff-ball, I'm talking about one of the big ones - about the size of a leaner black lab. Sucker was full-on ready to chow down on me. Had to jump up on the hood of a car to avoid it. Fortunately the owner was responsive and apologetic.
I always brace for that moment when a dog reaches the edge of its yard and you wonder if there's an electric fence, or if you're about to throw down with Fido. At least it's good for a wakeup on my morning runs.
You are a better person than me. I would have yelled at the owner. I was bitten as a kid and am super sensitive.
I had a pack of 8 square off with me a few weeks ago, only 2 of them were really in for a fight, a handful of rocks and gravel from the side of the road worked. Since then I have gotten some pepper spray. A small dog attached to my leg; I would have punted.
wow. i had a problem with one dog back in my hometown. whenever i'd run by the street it'd charge me and then follow me to the end of the street. i ended up calling animal control in my town and then never had a problem since!
p.s. re: tufts 10k. i'm planning on getting to the race around 10:30 or so. let me know if you want to meet up before or after! we can exchange numbers via email if you want so we can actually find each other there
Just a couple of weeks ago I was running along a country road near my house when I heard this deep, loud "WOOF!!!!!" I looked up in time to see this horse-sized yellow lab galloping across the yard at me. I stopped cold in my tracks. It's owners were outside and immediately, in an almost panicky tone, began yelling for her to come back. Their reaction scared me! It scared me that it scared THEM that their dog was running at me, like they knew that she was fixing to tear into me. But I only had time to be scared for a second, because in the blink of an eye she was jumping all over me giving me big, wet, sloppy kisses. The owners were very apologetic, but I kept telling them not to worry about it. They were obviously responsible dog owners--she just saw me before they did and snuck right past them.
I've only been running a little over a year, and that's my only dog story to date. Glad it's a good one!
You did the right thing calling on the owner. It doesn't sound like they deserve to have a dog if they just let it run and ignore it like that. :(
Bad owners! Bad owners! They need a time out! The worst incident I had with a dog ended in it's demise. Seriously. I felt so bad. I have a built in response to dogs that come barking at me to yell in a very loud, commanding voice "NO!" followed by "GO HOME" and it always works. I learned the "no" at a self defense class and it works well on dogs as well as would be attackers. But this dog lived across Main Street and as it turned tail and ran back home it was hit by a car. The owner was across the street watching the whole thing. We have leash laws as well but I still felt horrible.
scary! I love dogs but they are unpredictable. Sometimes I forget not all dogs are nice. The other day I was walking back from class and I always pass this neighborhood and this time this dog was wondering in and out of its hard while the owner just sat on the steps on the phone. It started following me so I started talking nice to it but then it started jumping and barking. And not in a friendly way. And the dog was a lab so big enough to leave muddy paw prints on my back. and the owner didn't bother to look up from the phone. the only reason it left me was to go chase someone on a bike.
I seriously hate dogs!! ugh! Im am scared to death of dogs and almost have a heart attack everytime I'm out running and one runs barking and growling after me! Just this week about 45 minutes from where I live, a man got attacked by 3 dogs while out walking and was seriously injured... the owner came out and yelled at the dogs and then went back inside without doing anything! Some people are so ignorant it makes me mad! Glad this dog wasn't too vicious and that you're ok!
Glad you're OK!
I usually take my dog with me on my runs (not on the 20 milers ofcourse). I hold him on a leash that's attached to my waist. He is standard poodle and pretty huge. A huge goof ball, though. Wouldn't hurt a fly. He usually keeps the vicious dogs away from me. I honestly believe it's plain stupid to not carry your dog on a leash; people that do that are definitely not runners!
Ugh on the bad dog owners!
Unfortunately, this happens alot in my area. Running with BW in the stroller seems to cause it more than just me on foot. You are too kind - I yell at the owners even if they aren't outside. :)
you handled that much better than i would have! i would have kicked the dog and then kicked the owner. i can't believe he stood there doing nothing!
Yeah, I would have kicked the dog. I know that's not nice, but I don't like animals. Wow, I'm feeling ashamed of myself.
I've been pretty fortunate and haven't had many issues.. this would totally tick me off!
Wow! You had good restraint! I probably would have given that owner a piece of my mind! Glad you're okay! Sheesh! It's dog owners like that who give us good dog owners a bad rep!
I've had a few chase me, but nothing serious. I did see one get hit by a car when I was running. That was horrid and can still see the scene today :(
Glad you are ok. We have no leash law in our county...it's maddening. I have been lucky. You are kind. I would have been trying my best to kick the little sucker.
Glad you are ok.
The dogs I can handle but owners like that should not have dogs in the first place. Glad it remained an almost bite.
This is so scary. I've had one BAD dog bit incident and the owner did nothing and said nothing. I don't get it. I'm glad nothing horrible happened to you. Daisy would never bite you, she just licks.
Happy Friday!
That's really unacceptable. I would have grabbed the dog and bodily handed it to the owner with a nice threat that next time I'd just keep running with it to the nearest pound....
I would never let my dogs behave that way.
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