Dealing with dogs while running?

also for future runs take a pepper spray and spray it if need be!  We had some people around here have problems cycling past some dogs and they say they always carry pepper spray now. I believe you can buy it at police stations or I am sure they will know where to get it.

Just don't risk getting bitten. 

Like others have mentioned get some pepper spray.  I'd also call animal control like someone suggested.  In the mean time carry stones with you.  I guess as the dog went for you, you could file a police report (not sure how or if that's possible where you are).

Thanks for the advice all.  I will be calling animal control.  Never thought of the pepper spray before.  might have to pick some up.  Just really makes me mad when im running along at a 192 HR and i get to jump into a ditch.

Thanks and be safe

Troy 

ha!  I had a similar instance with a goose this past week. 

Its unusual for a collie to be so aggressive (IMO).  Animal control is your solution, as suggested. 

You may want to have a discussion with the owner.  You shouldn't have to, but it may be more direct than having the police or animal control involved.

What are the leash laws in your area?  In Wisconsin the animal is supposed to be on a leash.

Did the dog get onto the road?  If so, fair game (at least to me)!

Trophytaker and Invigilator gave some good advice.  Dumbazz doesn't seem to care, so, he must disregard common sense of control.

One problem, this is a situation of "he said, you said".  What would be nice would to have another witness/partner to document to verify the situation to give you better leverage, unless the dog left marks on the "attack".  With you having to jump in a ditch for evasive action is another problem for the owner, since you don't know if you'll jump into something sharp or ??

Nip this in the bud quickly (no pun intended).

That doesn't make it acceptable. If a dog comes to nip my waist based on instinct, it then risks to get a not so friendly instinct reaction from me. Sorry but it is your dog; make sure it doesn't hassle others no matter how friendly you think it is.

I have been bitten by a Collie while biking. They are herding dogs and will nip at you. While their bites are usually not injuring, they are not something you want to deal with. As above, animal control, police, pepper spray, and maybe a conversation with Mr. Shoulder Shrug

Confronting the dog verbally while walking towards it almost always works.  There are a few dogs along one of my long run routes with whom I've come to an 'understanding' -- now I just have to tell them to go away and they do it.  Pepper spray also works.  Talking to owners is admirable, but rarely works. (I've tried it dozens of times, never with success.  I'm a slow learner...)

I don't recommend doing physical violence to the dog, even if it feels good, for two reasons.  First, dogs require training to learn not to do this sort of thing (it's their natural instinct), and the fault for their lack of training is with the owner.  (So feel free to kick the owner...)  Second, and more practical, unless you have a witness, you are potentially letting yourself in for a lot of grief -- its the owner's word against yours, and unless you have bite marks (and if you do, then it's time to call animal control), this confrontation will be no fun at all, especially if Bubba is good friends with the local sheriff.

My husband takes pepper spray when he rides his bike, because there are a lot of loose dogs in our area.  It's called HALT, and it's specially formulated for dogs, and the stream will go up to 12 feet. We pick it up at our local bike shop.

I would hate to see a dog put down because of an irresponsible owner, so the owner should definitely be made aware of the situation.  My hubby had to go to the ER last year over a dog bite, and the owner will subsequently have to be sued for costs incurred for resulting medical bills.  The ER protocol was to notify law enforcement, and they took the dog into custody for quarantine to be sure he wasn't rabbid. Luckily for everyone, he wasn't, but it was still an ordeal.

A question for those that have had use pepper spray on a dog (or any other target). Does the concentration stay on target or does it pretty much put an end to your run as well? I've seen clips of people getting maced as a demonstration for local news/etc, but those were pretty controlled situations.

I also had a coworker whose husband got maced trying to break up a fight in a bar (he was an off duty cop, the bouncer who maced him is probably still getting parking tickets for that one). Anyway, the coworker said the entire bar had to be cleared as it was like someone had shot off a tear gas canister.

At a minimum, I'd think you'd want to make sure you kept your "spraying hand" away from your eyes/nose if you were able to keep going. Better than being bitten, or worse if you are spraying a two legged attacker, but probably best to be prepared for what happens after you push the spray button.

Thanks for the concern everyone.  I am going for a run tomarrow and if the owner is outside I will "try" and talk with him.  I love dogs (had a mut and a huske growing up) and would hate for anything to happen but my saftey comes 1st.  I would hate for something to happen to a kid if it where walking down the road or something along those lines.  And yes i was one the other side of the road than the house where the dog lives. 

Thanks, Troy

I do think that you should at least report the owner to animal control, especially if these dogs are loose more than once.  That way if other people  (or you) also have problems, there will be exisiting records.  It's dangerous, not only for the people, but also for the dog.

As for dealing with the dog itself, it probably depends on your comfort level. Mace or pepper spray seems, to me, to be a last resort (I should probably admit that I am a dog person).  I have encountered many dogs while I was running and walking (sometimes with my dog on a leash which is an even more volatile situation).  The most important thing is not to keep running (i.e. run away from the dog) since that may invoke it's prey drive (or herding drive in the case of a collie). Try a command such as sit. Since it doesn't sound like the owner is at all responsible it may not work.  A loud and firm "No" may work.  I have actaully had a lot of success with what I can only embarassingly describe as my "don't do that noise" that I use with my dog; a kind of 'ah'; it's very sharp.  It has worked for me multiple times, keeping dogs at bay, even when I have had mine with me.  They just keep a certain distance away and I calmly walk away (keeping an eye on them of course).  It completely depends on the dog of course, if they don't respond to firm, sharp vocal commands, then by all means, pepper spray away. Your safety always comes first.

Wow, since I haven't actually ever run a triathlon (yet), I am very excited to be able to post something that doesn't make me seem entirely unknowledgeable.

I can only give an observation based on what my hubby uses (HALT) but the product claims to use a concentrated stream.  He has had to use it a handful of times just this year, and never so much as has to wash his hands when he gets home from continuing his normal ride. He doesn't have to wash the pepper spray off, at least.  The sweat is another matter.....   :P

I was herded into the ditch on my bike by a border collie in a rural area last month, and the owner was not helpful. The police were very helpful and had a talk with the owner.

I always see lots of suggestions for using peper spray on this forum. Is this stuff legal throughout the US for this purpose? I have had several discussions with police here in Canada and get varying opinions, but it is border-line illegal here. I did manage to find some in a gunsmith shop that was marketed as bear repellent and I carry that, but there apparently isn't any pepper spray sold up here for use on dogs.