Loose dogs while jogging

Missouwechanged

My point exactly, accidents happen and dogs do have a mind of their own.

Missouwechanged

Your job, as a dog owner, is to prevent any attack and to remember that a dog can cause a fatal wound to a child.

backinthenines

Yes so what is your point???

Of course your responsibility as a dog owner is to manage your animal to ensure the safety of others, just as your responsibility as a driver is that you drive in a manner that prevents harm to others.

That's why I keep saying there is a bit difference between the woman I mentioned this morning, who had zero control of her dog, and myself and my dog.

It's the difference between a driver with a licence and insurance and driving experience - and some idiot without a licence, driving uninsured and not having a clue...

I never said that I have a crystal ball and know that nothing will ever happen. You can't say that with anything. If that were the criteria we would never do anything in life!!! But "innocent until proven guilty" please.

The dog is well trained and has as yet never hurt a fly. Furthermore we have insurance which would cover any health care costs in the unlikely event of an accident. What more do you expect of people? Not to have pets?

FTIM2015

I remember being attacked by a dog when i was out on the horse many years ago.

Ruddy thing decided it'd be a great idea to go for his legs (thankfully he had boots on as he was prone to catching his heel)... bad idea! Happened that the horse in question HATED dogs and it was very lucky to get away with its life!

Pepper spray certainly sounds like a good idea, maybe start running with a couple of hand held weights? At least you have something to use as a weapon if needs be?

KCB1978

I often meet joggers/runners when I am out with my dogs. My boy is a Staffordshire Bull Terrier so they don’t have a great reputation but I can guarantee you my boy wouldn’t harm a fly I leave him off lead as to be honest he is more interested in finding the next suitable tree or bit of high grass to wee on than anyone jogging by… Its when they stop to fuss over him he will give them lots of attention but if they ignore them he couldn’t care less… being a ‘trained’ (as in I go to dog training classes) I am well aware of my dogs body language and other dogs but I do understand your fear and I am all for muzzling a dog in public who HAS bitten and/or showing aggressive signs to people/other dogs. Definitely report it to the local police though.

Missouwechanged

Backinthenines, are you really waiting to see if your dog will ever do anything wrong? I am not attacking you. My intervention was only meant as food for thoughts. Dogs ARE animals.

Quieas

To be truthful, I am more concerned about a little yappy dogs being off lead than a 'terrifying' Rottie or GSD or pitbull (illegal here).

NC is a real issue with small dogs and for whatever reason, people don't think they do not have to train 'Fufu the Fluffy Cloud Dog' like they do 'Rambo the Great and Potentially Murderous Pitbull.'

Around here people let their big dogs off the lead and I have never been nervous of them for a second. Little yappy dogs? I stay the heck away!

KCB1978

Its the small yappy ones that scare the living daylights out of me... And I would hazard a guess that the amount of people who have been bitten is much higher with these small yappy things than with the bigger dogs... The bites/attacks from bigger dogs only seem more often due to the damage a bigger dog will do with a bite... I have been bitten 12 times in my life all of them were other peoples dogs and all of them were small yappy terrier types...

Quieas

KCB I think you are correct. I swear I've seen a statistic on dog bites that shows that people are bitten more often by small dogs than by big dogs. 'Dangerous' dogs, I think, only get their bad name because the media sensationalizes what they do. If that were turned around on the wee little dogs, I have a feeling you'd see many more banned toy breeds because of their aggression.

I'll try to find you all a link.

backinthenines

Backinthenines, are you really waiting to see if your dog will ever do anything wrong? I am not attacking you. My intervention was only meant as food for thoughts. Dogs ARE animals.

I am sorry but I'm really not sure what your point is. Are you actually making one???

"are you really waiting to see if your dog will ever do anything wrong?" --- what is your point!! For the umpteenth time I explained that the dog is trained, controlled and insured!

Of course there is chance of accidents with ANY animal... The lady riding horses who just posted can technically kill someone if her horse gets spooked... but assuming she is an experienced rider on a trained horse, with appropriate insurance in case she hurts anyone, then that is all anyone can ask of her?? I wouldn't ask her to stop riding horse because there is a tiny chance someone might get hurt???

Do you stop driving your car because there is a small chance you might hurt someone unintended, despite having a licence and insurance? No!

So what is your point?

Quieas

I think I would trust Backinthenines' dog, at least from my experience with dogs around here. The dog is trained and never leaves her side. Dogs on leads, usually, are somewhere behind, to the side, to the front of their person and if something spooks them into becoming aggressive, I think the owner is less likely to get into control of their dog. I don't know about the rest of you but retractable leads are a pain in the backside to get your dog back quickly if something frightens them.

KCB1978

Its a case of ban the breed not the dee in my opinion I am a 'Bullie Breed' lover always have had rescue Staffie's and always will!

Quieas

I'm of the belief that it is the person, not the dog, who should be held accountable for the dog's actions. Breed Banning is a load of hogwash, imho.

fteale

. And the dogs owners always either laugh about it or blame my children for shrieking and "provoking it", when they are terrified. None dog owners do not want your dog running up and drooling on, licking, sniffing, jumping up on, chasing or biting us. And it is your responsibility as an owner that that doesn't happen, and yet I can't think of a single dog owner who appreciates that.

That is a bit much there! MY dogs do NOT run and jump on people I fully appreciate that people don't enjoy it, not all dog owners are rude and careless, much like how not all non-dog owners are heartless.

Exactly and that's why I oppose to the generalisations.

I encounter ineffective dog owners all the time... early this morning, where I walk my dog (a big park with trails and a lake), a Whippet off leash pelted around the corner at some ridiculous speed (being a race dog!!) proceeded to jump up at me hard three times, covering me in paw prints and scratching my legs, and then ran off.... in the veeeery faaaar distance there was a squeaky woman's voice screeching "Miiillliiiieee... come here"... well Millie wasn't coming...

Eventually I passed this woman and explained to her that her dog had jumpet at me several times and that perhaps she is not ready to be off lead if her recall is so poor... I explained that had I meen a child, the force with which the dog had jumped me, I would have certainly fallen to the ground. And any person frightened of dogs would have been in for a right shock with this boisterous dog with no owner anywhere in sight. Well.... Not a word of an apology, a lot of huffing, as if I were extremely intolerant.

People like that are rude and their dogs are poorly trained because their owners are lazy and ignorant and often treat their dogs like children not animals.

HOWEVER... I am not like that and my dog does not behave like that... there fore I don't like to be judged by those standards.

I am very glad you hear that you aren't like that, and that some dog owners do appreciate that not everyone wants to be jumped on, To be honest I probably don't notice the walkers like you because you aren't impinging on anyone's personal space, but I am not exaggerating when I say I encounter dogs and owners like the ones you describe literally every time we go for a walk in a public space. Consequently my children are terrified of dogs, as they have been bitten and knocked down so many times.

Missouwechanged

So what is your point?

My point is that you should never ever let your guard down. You have to, as a driver, always obey the rules, remember that you are holding a leatal weapon and be aware of how your car reacts. Obeying the law is not all you have to do. Since a dog has a mind of it's own, it can not be compared to a car. I am sure your dog would not appreciate it.

A dog is like a child, it will have mood changes and will react to threatening variables. The only difference is that a child grows up and gets wiser.

FTIM2015

Its a case of ban the breed not the dee in my opinion I am a 'Bullie Breed' lover always have had rescue Staffie's and always will!

Every staffie that I have known has been more likely to lick you to death than bite.

But then I totally believe that it's the owners in most case, rather than the dog, that is the problem. My friends to staff bull terriers are as daft as they come and very good with her zoo of pets (everything from horses, to ducks to small yappy dogs)... BUT if they were to be owner by someone with the wrong mentality who taught them to attack and be nasty then they would be a huge danger.

(N.B it's their 2 chinese crested poodles I'd be more scared of!)

fteale

I would not be impressed if I encountered a Staffie off the lead while I was out running. I don't want to be licked or slobbered on either. It's gross.

dls06

I hate walking because of all the dogs. I live in Philadelphia and there are dogs everywhere. It is frightening.

misssuperstitious

People like that are rude and their dogs are poorly trained because their owners are lazy and ignorant and often treat their dogs like children not animals.

HOWEVER... I am not like that and my dog does not behave like that... there fore I don't like to be judged by those standards.

YEP. My Dad is a veterinarian who works with Large and small animals...I help out often, and he and I would both rather work with a farmer and his very large bull, who's treated like a bull, than some crazy lady with the dog she's raised (and Good GOD dressed!) like a child! ...and before anyone gets pissy with me, I am an animal lover, I literally grew up surrounded by, and living with, them. Still do. I have everything from a 17hh stallion (World show top ten ) to two lazy retired hunting dogs :flowerforyou:

fteale

I hope all you dog owners are taking note of what is being said here.