Preventing dogs from attacking me/biting me/traumatizing me while running?

If you can't avoid the places where the aggressive dogs are, there's good spray you can get. Also, put the number for animal control on your phone and bring that, too.

Growl and bite them back, the perfect response in this dog eat dog world we live in.

With the biting, etc., you have to be physical back. They’ll keep chasing you if you just run. That may mean throwing hands (or feet), or as another suggested, using a repelling spray. The latter is much safer for the human involved, obviously. If it’s the same dog(s) all the time, just stop running by that house. Some people are total jackholes about letting their dogs run out and attack people. Best to avoid them if it’s constant.

As for how not to be traumatized? Develop the adequate psychological defenses that most people have by the time they’re nine years old or so.

I feel for you man. You don't want to run into a pitbull, you know what those little bastards can do.

Is there anywhere you can run where dogs are on leash or not present?

I don't know what else to say except arm yourself.

randomist wrote:

Growl and bite them back, the perfect response in this dog eat dog world we live in.

Maybe a troll attempt but this is almost exactly what you want to do.

Best thing to do is to go to a three point stance, act like you're picking up a rock, c*ck your arm back like you're ready to throw, point behind the dog, and with a menacing voice yell "GO HOME!" It works.

(LRC blocked me from saying c2ck your arm back.)

+1

I have done this (minus the biting). A fit human male is larger and, when behaving aggressively, quite physically intimidating to most domesticated dogs.

Pause your run, face the animal, feet apart, slightly bent knees, arms away from sides (now you look bigger and ready to fight). Give an I-mean-business loud deep throaty growl. And stare them down.

Most dogs will stop. Some will actually start wagging tails and become friendly (suddenly trying to make friends with a dominant dog/person is submissive, self-protective behavior) -- if they do this, briefly make friends (not TOO friendly or they will assume that YOU are the submissive one).

Some will just stare at you in surprise and confusion, but they'll leave you alone. And some will turn tail & run away (had this happen, it's pretty funny).

Ive been running for over 40 years. Bit by dog one time. Ran in both rural and city areas. If a dog chases me, I stop. Rest my hands on my shoulders. Generally they just lose interest and go away. You could carry pepper spray as I hear it will repel dogs.

I wish I had a solution.

In some cases it's good to report the dog owners.

And a lot of times it is good to just walk around these stupid dogs.

As with everything in life, pick your battles.

I try to avoid the places I know are bad but it still happens.

The ones that I’m

Concerned about are the pit bulls and Dobermans other big aggressive dogs

The small ones I have been tripped by several times (some leashed some not).

There was a bad mauling recently in my city…pitbull got off leash mauled a person…really bad lots of damage etc.

You need to get yourself a team of aggressive monkeys. That will sort out the dogs.

Old and slow wrote:

You need to get yourself a team of aggressive monkeys. That will sort out the dogs.

You don't see that every day though.

I've had success running at the dog. Dogs will chase something running away but most are cowards and will run away if you charge. Also, make yourself look bigger, raise your arms, pick up a rock and look like you're going to throw it and if there are no rocks pretend to.

Can carry pepper spray or something like that if threatened to be bitten/attacked. Also, the owners can be charged/fined. Notify the police if one leaves the owners property to chase you. That's a ticket and fine at least. If one bites you, that's potentially a criminal charge for the owner. Know your rights.

It was a big problem running in PA in high school and college. Less so in upstate NY but I think I just started avoiding loops that had problem dogs.

I moved to San Francisco 20+ years ago its never been a problem. People can say what they want about this city, and they do, but dogs are really socialized here and its almost a utopia (at least regarding dogs and runners). Amazing.

But the short answer is to use HALT dog spray, its a pepper spray and I think it has saved my life or at least serious injury several times in PA. It clips to your shorts and stops them in their tracks.

This "be a bigger dog" talk is nonsense of course when its a pit bull or dobie.

Have you tried running with a monkey?