Dog attacks and Bites

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Claypole Oct 2018 10:03am, 30 Oct 2018 439 posts	0 Claypole Hi Everyone Just wondering what other peoples experiences are with unwanted attention from dogs when in public places. I am a dog owner and love dogs, my kids are growing up with a dog. Had a nasty encounter with an aggressive German Shepherd running home last night, didn't bite just scared me to death growling and charging a few times at me as I stood still waiting for it to take my arm off! I have lost track of the number of times I have either been really scared or bitten (well actually I can count the bites as its me twice and my dog twice in the last 4 yrs). I have changed my running route so as to avoid areas I know are bad and have now decided not to run in public places where dogs can roam off lead anymore. I'll stick to pavements as I figure there will be less chance of another attack. What's everyone else's experience / advice re running with or without your dog in areas that have aggressive dogs? TIA
fetcheveryone Oct 2018 10:07am, 30 Oct 2018 20,054 posts	0 fetcheveryone I'm a dog owner, and have had one or more dogs continuously since 2001, and been running since 2004. As far as other dogs go, I can honestly say that other than them getting in the way sometimes, and one time when an excited dog put its paws up on me, I've never had an issue.
SODIron © 2012 Oct 2018 10:12am, 30 Oct 2018 115 posts	0 SODIron © 2012 There's a couple of routes that I avoid near me due to knowing that I may encounter aggressive dogs. I've been pretty lucky I guess, living in rural Yorkshire there aren't too many dogs off lead on the routes I will run.
Claypole Oct 2018 10:14am, 30 Oct 2018 440 posts	0 Claypole Cheers Fetch Can I ask, what sort of areas do you run - I mean areas where dogs can be off lead or not? Thanks
edison Oct 2018 10:30am, 30 Oct 2018 711 posts	0 edison I'm a dog owner and would sometimes run with him and it is typically issue free. Only been bitten once when out, by some small off lead terrier. Mine just stood looking at it.
Goofee Oct 2018 10:31am, 30 Oct 2018 1,924 posts	0 Goofee There is one area local to me that I avoid due to continual issues, I'm not sure I would call any of them attacks but I have been nipped a couple of times, growled at with teeth bared a few times and barked at/jumped at/impeded countless times. It's easier just not to run there which is a pity as it's good off-road running territory.
Goofee Oct 2018 10:33am, 30 Oct 2018 1,925 posts	0 Goofee I would add that I am very comfortable with dogs having lived with them growing-up and sporadically as an adult.
HappyG(rrr) Oct 2018 10:38am, 30 Oct 2018 29,470 posts	0 HappyG(rrr) I've run squillions of different places for 11 years and over 18000 miles. I've been nipped once, maybe. A few snarly growly incidents, obv. For me, the most likely places are narrow, busy paths e.g. lochside walk, canal towpath etc. I think the dogs feel "hemmed in" and the congestion gets them excited. I've had more problems with my dog being bitten. And that's just dogs getting antsy at each other and the other owner not then being able to control and restrain quickly enough. I do think many runners (not directed at you Claypole, obv) aren't prepared to slow down or deviate to take allowance of dogs on the path. If it was a herd of cows, or pack of lions or hyenas, they'd bliddy slow down or take a different route! Why assume that dogs are completely immune to animal instincts? I'm not excusing the negligent owner with the aggressive dog, taking insufficient care. But I think runners and cyclists need to perhaps be prepared to take a bit more care too. (Again, ftaod, this is not directed at the circumstances that you described Claypole, where I'm sure you were blameless.) G
Oranj Oct 2018 10:39am, 30 Oct 2018 1,145 posts	0 Oranj I'm not a dog owner but I got bitten a couple of times when I was a teenager out running. Dogs off leads worry me, so now I tend to give them a boot if they get too close. There are some nice playing fields and meadows near me where dog-emptiers regularly go and I also like running so I can't really avoid them.
TRO Todd and alligator dodger Oct 2018 10:45am, 30 Oct 2018 17,655 posts	0 TRO Todd and alligator dodger I had one incident where I was running on a public footpath/trail and it was alongside someone's garden with a wire fence. There was a little yappy Yorkshire terrier running alongside, inside the garden and on the other side of the fence. It yapped away and I thought nothing of it. Then at the corner of the garden the little fucker had a burrow - bloody thing squeezed under the fence, and sunk its teeth into my Achilles. Little shit would have been booted to kingdom come, but almost before I could react it was back under the fence and away. Nasty little wound as well, took ages to heal and was very sore.