Any Experience with Dog Attacks?

I love dogs, but have no patience for people that cannot control their animals. It is called
obedience school. Read about it. "ElfHunter" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I jog on the streets and some cretins around here walk their dogs without their leashes. Today I
jogged past 2 idiots with 3 unleashed dogs. Even though I tried to veer away from them, the dogs
started to move into position as if they were trying to encircle me. Nothing happened this time,
but it is a matter of time before some dog takes a chunk out of me. What are my legal rights if
that happens? Any suggestions?

Oh, to you dog lovers out there, I have the right not to be bitten. Furthermore I have the right
not to be fearful about getting bitten. To you, your dogs are like your children. To me, they are
animals capable of hurting me badly. Damn I hate these inbreds who don't leash their dogs.

ElfHunter said:

I jog on the streets and some cretins around here walk their dogs without their leashes. Today I
jogged past 2 idiots with 3 unleashed dogs. Even though I tried to veer away from them, the dogs
started to move into position as if they were trying to encircle me. Nothing happened this time,
but it is a matter of time before some dog takes a chunk out of me. What are my legal rights if
that happens? Any suggestions?

I'd take the prevention route rather than waiting for something to happen. (I've been bitten once
but not while running or biking.) You might try making friends with the dogs - speak nicely or
firmly to them
- depending on how they respond (some require a firm "stop", others prefer a gentle "hello"😉; milk
bones, etc. Speak with the owners since they are present. I'd consider altering route if it's a
habitual problem. If that doesn't work, I think people have used ammonia in water pistols or
pepper spray (although someone here may have brought up some legal issues about pepper spray but
memory may be failing.)

But *I* definitely wouldn't wait until something happens and then take legal action. That's a pain
in the butt (pun) that I don't have time for. YMMV.

You might look at some older threads for other prevention mechanisms.

Dot

--
"Success is different things to different people" -Bernd Heinrich in Racing the Antelope

Dogs love joggers. Of course, they roll around in their own [censored], too.

You are a stupid, cowardly little [censored], not even worthy of a reply.

(ElfHunter) said:

I jog on the streets and some cretins around here walk their dogs without their leashes. Today I
jogged past 2 idiots with 3 unleashed dogs. Even though I tried to veer away from them, the dogs
started to move into position as if they were trying to encircle me. Nothing happened this time,
but it is a matter of time before some dog takes a chunk out of me. What are my legal rights if
that happens? Any suggestions?

Oh, to you dog lovers out there, I have the right not to be bitten. Furthermore I have the right
not to be fearful about getting bitten. To you, your dogs are like your children. To me, they are
animals capable of hurting me badly. Damn I hate these inbreds who don't leash their dogs.

You could carry pepper spray but it is VERY rarely that a dog that is socialized enough for the
owner to feel comfortable walking them without a leash will ATTACK you.

The main danger that you face is that the dog will want to play with you, just because you are
running and might trip you.

--
Lewis.

tinyurl.comr3r6Open ↗ .........................

*******************************

"ElfHunter" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I jog on the streets and some cretins around here walk their dogs without their leashes. Today I
jogged past 2 idiots with 3 unleashed dogs. Even though I tried to veer away from them, the dogs
started to move into position as if they were trying to encircle me. Nothing happened this time,
but it is a matter of time before some dog takes a chunk out of me. What are my legal rights if
that happens? Any suggestions?

Oh, to you dog lovers out there, I have the right not to be bitten. Furthermore I have the right
not to be fearful about getting bitten. To you, your dogs are like your children. To me, they are
animals capable of hurting me badly. Damn I hate these inbreds who don't leash their dogs.

I love dogs in general, but have no sympathy when they come after me when I'm running. I'd rather
go after the stupid irresponsible owner, but it's usually the dog who ends up with a hard kick to
the head. It's really amazing how someone can watch their dog charge across the street to attack a
runner without even trying to call it back, then get furious when you kick it to defend
yourself.... Andy Hass

[email hidden] (ElfHunter) wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I jog on the streets and some cretins around here walk their dogs without their leashes. Today I
jogged past 2 idiots with 3 unleashed dogs. Even though I tried to veer away from them, the dogs
started to move into position as if they were trying to encircle me. Nothing happened this time,
but it is a matter of time before some dog takes a chunk out of me. What are my legal rights if
that happens? Any suggestions?

Oh, to you dog lovers out there, I have the right not to be bitten. Furthermore I have the right
not to be fearful about getting bitten. To you, your dogs are like your children. To me, they are
animals capable of hurting me badly. Damn I hate these inbreds who don't leash their dogs.

I got tackled by a dog once. A really really big dog. I was running in the snow, headphones
blaring, never saw it coming. Apparently it leapt up to grab the tassle of my ski hat. A playful
gesture, I guess! Scared me to death, feeling these two giant paws on my back, pushing me down head
first into the snow. My initial reaction was that I had been tackled by a rapist or something. Then
it licked my face.

jen

Dot dot.h@#att.net said:

I'd take the prevention route rather than waiting for something to happen.

Oh no, that would be too logical for this dumbass. He isn't here to ask advice, just to [censored] about
how much he's scared of being bit by one of those evil canine beasts who have just attacked (moved
tords him in a threatening manner) him, and a chance to voice his hatred for them. This paranoid
jerk is the problem, not the dogs.

Quoted message said:

(I've been bitten once but not while running or biking.) You might try making friends with the dogs

He hates them, it's obvious.

Quoted message said:

You might look at some older threads for other prevention mechanisms.

He won't, he's not interested in info, just on voicing to the world what a cowardly little
punk he is.

Maybe so, but two years ago, when I was out for a leisurely morning run, a dog, walking with its
master, without a leash, must really have wanted to play with me. He bit me in the backside and left
three puncture wounds. Fortunately, the owner was a guy I know, and he assured me the dog had had
all his shots.

Brian Jones

"Lewis Campbell" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

You could carry pepper spray but it is VERY rarely that a dog that is socialized enough for the
owner to feel comfortable walking them without a leash will ATTACK you.

The main danger that you face is that the dog will want to play with you, just because you are
running and might trip you.

--
Lewis.

tinyurl.comr3r6Open ↗ .........................

*******************************

"ElfHunter" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I jog on the streets and some cretins around here walk their dogs without their leashes. Today I
jogged past 2 idiots with 3 unleashed dogs. Even though I tried to veer away from them, the dogs
started to move into position as if they were trying to encircle me. Nothing happened this time,
but it is a matter of time before some dog takes a chunk out of me. What are my legal rights if
that happens? Any suggestions?

Oh, to you dog lovers out there, I have the right not to be bitten. Furthermore I have the right
not to be fearful about getting bitten. To you, your dogs are like your children. To me, they
are animals capable of hurting me badly. Damn I hate these inbreds who don't leash their dogs.

Dot <dot.h@#att.net> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

ElfHunter said:

I jog on the streets and some cretins around here walk their dogs without their leashes. Today I
jogged past 2 idiots with 3 unleashed dogs. Even though I tried to veer away from them, the dogs
started to move into position as if they were trying to encircle me. Nothing happened this time,
but it is a matter of time before some dog takes a chunk out of me. What are my legal rights if
that happens? Any suggestions?

I'd take the prevention route rather than waiting for something to happen. (I've been bitten once
but not while running or biking.) You might try making friends with the dogs - speak nicely or
firmly to them
- depending on how they respond (some require a firm "stop", others prefer a gentle "hello"😉; milk
bones, etc. Speak with the owners since they are present. I'd consider altering route if it's a
habitual problem. If that doesn't work, I think people have used ammonia in water pistols or
pepper spray (although someone here may have brought up some legal issues about pepper spray but
memory may be failing.)

The place of my encounter was on the road just outside of some open ground next to a church. I never
saw the dogs before so making friends with them was not an option. My strategy is always to avoid
places where there are unleashed dogs on the owners' properties. My concern is with neutral
territories.

Quoted message said:

But *I* definitely wouldn't wait until something happens and then take legal action. That's a pain
in the butt (pun) that I don't have time for. YMMV.

Yeah, legal action is the last recourse, but you do need to know your rights.

Quoted message said:

You might look at some older threads for other prevention mechanisms.

I'll do that, but I doubt if sprays will be too useful against a pack of dogs. Boy, having 3 dogs
moving to encircle you was not a good experience. All those nature show on PBS showing wild dogs
hunting ....

Quoted message said:

Dot

Lewis Campbell said:

You could carry pepper spray but it is VERY rarely that a dog that is socialized enough for the
owner to feel comfortable walking them without a leash will ATTACK you.

The main danger that you face is that the dog will want to play with you, just because you are
running and might trip you.

Well, you have more faith in people than I do - hell, I just saw Kill Bill where someone brought
their 6 year old. Just because they are off the leash doesn't mean the people have actually put
thought into it and are being responsible.

That said, avoidance is the safest route. If, however, you have one acting aggressive, often the
best way is to stand your ground, look forceful and as big as you can, and shout "Stop! Heal! Sit"
with force. Usually, even if the dog hasn't been through obedience school, they know those commands.
You can't outrun them, and doing so would probably encourage them. And the pepperspray is just a
generally good idea, anyway.

(shinypenny) said:

y initial reaction was that I had been tackled by a rapist or something. Then it licked my face.

Your inital reaction was correct, and what happened to you matches Frasiers MO to the letter.

[email hidden] (shinypenny) wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

[email hidden] (ElfHunter) wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I jog on the streets and some cretins around here walk their dogs without their leashes. Today I
jogged past 2 idiots with 3 unleashed dogs. Even though I tried to veer away from them, the dogs
started to move into position as if they were trying to encircle me. Nothing happened this time,
but it is a matter of time before some dog takes a chunk out of me. What are my legal rights if
that happens? Any suggestions?

Oh, to you dog lovers out there, I have the right not to be bitten. Furthermore I have the right
not to be fearful about getting bitten. To you, your dogs are like your children. To me, they
are animals capable of hurting me badly. Damn I hate these inbreds who don't leash their dogs.

I got tackled by a dog once. A really really big dog. I was running in the snow, headphones
blaring, never saw it coming. Apparently it leapt up to grab the tassle of my ski hat. A playful
gesture, I guess! Scared me to death, feeling these two giant paws on my back, pushing me down
head first into the snow. My initial reaction was that I had been tackled by a rapist or
something. Then it licked my face.

Well, you were lucky. Around where I live there were several deaths from dog attacks last year.
Strangely, I didn't hear about any this year. I guess these are no longer newsworthy.

Quoted message said:

jen

shinypenny said:

I got tackled by a dog once. A really really big dog. I was running in the snow, headphones
blaring, never saw it coming. Apparently it leapt up to grab the tassle of my ski hat. A playful
gesture, I guess! Scared me to death, feeling these two giant paws on my back, pushing me down
head first into the snow. My initial reaction was that I had been tackled by a rapist or
something. Then it licked my face.

I hope the take-home message you got from this is that wearing headphones while running is a really
awful idea. Unfortunately, it's an even worse idea for a woman, for exactly the reason you mentioned
as your initial reaction.

-Dave

--
work: dga - at - lcs.mit.edu me: angio - at - pobox.com MIT Laboratory for Computer Science
angio.netangio.netOpen ↗ (note that my reply-to address is vaguely despammed...) bulk emailers: I do
not accept unsolicited email. Do not mail me.

"Paul Kanterman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I love dogs, but have no patience for people that cannot control their animals. It is called
obedience school. Read about it.

As one obedience school instructor I had pointed out that no amount of training can guarantee a dog
might not sometime disobey.

Quoted message said:

"ElfHunter" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I jog on the streets and some cretins around here walk their dogs without their leashes. Today I
jogged past 2 idiots with 3 unleashed dogs. Even though I tried to veer away from them, the dogs
started to move into position as if they were trying to encircle me. Nothing happened this time,
but it is a matter of time before some dog takes a chunk out of me. What are my legal rights if
that happens? Any suggestions?

Check you city ordenances. Most places have leash laws. You have a stronger case if a leash is
required. And you may be able to get it enforced BEFORE something happens.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Oh, to you dog lovers out there, I have the right not to be bitten. Furthermore I have the right
not to be fearful about getting bitten. To you, your dogs are like your children. To me, they
are animals capable of hurting me badly. Damn I hate these inbreds who don't leash their dogs.

I leash my dogs when we walk. And when I built our deck, I gated the stairs (so I can put the dogs
out on the deck, but they are essentially fenced in). Our big dog is very friendly but could easily
knock someone over with her affection.

Thankfully, while I have the experience of being bitten, it has never happened on a run. (and hasn't
happened in many years).

Enjoy.

Brian Jones said:

Maybe so, but two years ago, when I was out for a leisurely morning run, a dog, walking with its
master, without a leash, must really have wanted to play with me. He bit me in the backside and
left three puncture wounds. Fortunately, the owner was a guy I know, and he assured me the dog had
had all his shots.

What the hell were you doing with your back to the dog? Only a complete moron would run from a dog,
wether it's play or not. If you run they will chase, it's their instinct.

Frasier <who hates those smelly flea-bags too

A sad example of what can happen with free roaming dogs ... this actually happened to me LAST NIGHT.

Out for my evening run, a smallish dog, about 30 pounds, came charging across the street barking at
me .. dog looked like a puppy. He came at me from behind, so I stopped, faced him and tried to
address him in a calm manner .. the dog stopped and ran away, barking .. when I turned to run, he
came racing back at me, charging me again from behind .. clearly not playing, very aggressive, but
when I turned to face him, he again turned and ran ... on the third time as I tried to run off (he'd
been chasing me for about a block by now) he came at me again, and I turned and stomped my foot to
scare him off. He turned around and bolted into the road, where he was hit by a car and killed.
Right in front of me.

It was extremly sad. And on my birthday. Damn.

It wasn't my fault, nor was it the driver's, it was the fault of the clod who wouldn't keep his
puppy in his yard. It was the dog, sadly that suffered the consequences.

I really like dogs, and I like people who own dogs. But please, please keep them in a fenced yard,
or on a leash ... only bad things can happen when you live in an urban area and let your dog run
free, either a person gets bitten or the dog gets hurt.

sad.

(ElfHunter) said:

Well, you were lucky. Around where I live there were several deaths from dog attacks last year.
Strangely, I didn't hear about any this year. I guess these are no longer newsworthy.

You [censored], those are WILD DOG attacks.

Dave Andersen <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

shinypenny said:

I got tackled by a dog once. A really really big dog. I was running in the snow, headphones
blaring, never saw it coming. Apparently it leapt up to grab the tassle of my ski hat. A playful
gesture, I guess! Scared me to death, feeling these two giant paws on my back, pushing me down
head first into the snow. My initial reaction was that I had been tackled by a rapist or
something. Then it licked my face.

I hope the take-home message you got from this is that wearing headphones while running is a
really awful idea. Unfortunately, it's an even worse idea for a woman, for exactly the reason you
mentioned as your initial reaction.

-Dave

Actually, since this experience happened early on during my first year of running, my take-home
message was that I had *finally* established a habit. I didn't let the snow, my fear of dogs, and
skinned knees stop me from going out again the very next day.

As for the headphones, I know you're right, but I love running to music so it's unlikely I'll
ever stop.

<shrug>

If I let my fear of getting bit by a dog, tackled by a rapist, run over by a car, or slipping on the
snow take over, I'd never get my butt out the door!!

jen