Help! Fear of dogs when walking...

twocats
twocats Posts: 31
edited September 19 in Fitness and Exercise
Hi! I'm new here and have begun a walking routine. I love my route - 3 miles roundtrip with a big hill in the middle. I was attacked by a german shepherd years ago and have a genuine fear of dogs - until I get to know them - then I'm fine. There are several dogs along my route. One of them ran at me yesterday and I firmly said "stay!" and lifted my hand in a firm "no" motion. To my surpise the dog backed off and the owner came to get him. Really scary! There are others who just bark and bark when I pass by. My heart stops each time this happens.

My question is will the neighborhood pups get to know me if I continue walking regularly and bark less? If, God forbid, the owner isn't right there and a dog rushes me, do I do what I did? Any other tips? I'm not willing to quit walking. I love it and I feel just great.

Thanks for any advice you dog owners out there can give me!

Laurie in Pennsylvania

Replies

  • marm1962
    marm1962 Posts: 950 Member
    My daughter has a fear of strange dogs.

    There are a couple of things I can recommend,

    # 1) Talk to the owners of the dogs and get to know the animals

    #2 ) Talk to your local humane society and find out what you can use to deter the animals that are legal
    (ie...pepper spray, sonic sound device?)

    As a former and future dog owner, I would prefer that you do #1, but some owners are butt-heads and don't care if people are afraid of their dogs.

    Animals can sense fear, so the dog that you told "stay" was probably fairly well trained and behaved.
  • emorym
    emorym Posts: 344
    most dogs just seem to bark as you pass their territory. If a dog charges you standing your ground and telling them no in a commanding voice seems work pretty good. You might also think about getting a bottle of pepper spray. I would suggest buying 2 bottles and try one out before you actually need to use it. You need to see how the spray comes out of the can. Make sure you do it outside and then hose down the area afterwards. Try not to spray it into the wind as it could blow back on you.
  • chgudnitz
    chgudnitz Posts: 4,079
    I am sorry to hear about your fear of dogs. As a dog lover, I will tell you that if a dog ran at me (and got close to attack) I would take any means neccessary to protect. Oh yeah, I walk with my 2 year old son. What you did isn't bad, but I doubt it would work on most dogs.

    Dogs, for the most part, will bark when someone is going past their territory. It wont matter how many times you walk by, say hi, pet it, whatever. They will bark. Most dogs, that's all they're going to do. Just keep alert. Little advice, if a dog is charging you, look at the tail and ears. Ears up and tail wagging, no matter what the bark sounds like, it is happy and likely (don't hold me to this) "likely" not going to attack. Ears back and tail tucked, take it seriously and do not turn your back.

    Good luck and have fun. Most dogs are GREAT and will not hurt you, they just want to protect their territory.
  • mandyflynn
    mandyflynn Posts: 1
    Just some advice to anyone who gets nervours or is scared of dogs in general.

    1. When walking and you see a dog DO NOT look at him/her. Doing so says to the animal "come and see me". The general rule is that if you ignore them, they ignore you. I have a big black dog and people for some reason get scared and keep staring at her... so she walks up to say hello.

    2. If a dog walks up to you in a non aggressive manner and you do not wish to pet it, keep walking. (if it's an agressive behaving dog, i.e. head high, body stiff, teeth showing or growling then please do stop, but don't make eye contact.)

    3. If the dog is in the yard, the same rule applies. This should be easier as you can be sure they aren't coming out to get you, but they are either playing a game or being territorial. If you acknowledge them by looking at them you are essentially empowering them because in your glance they can sense you're on edge or nervousness.

    In the animal kingdom it is normal that dogs (or anyother animal) jockey for the alpha position, and they can sense fear and weakness. It really makes a difference if on your walks you carry yourself high with your shoulders back and pretending like you're king/queen of the world.

    I too was bitten at the age of 12 by my best friend's german sheppard while standing in her front entrance when I dropped my keys and went to pick them up. It was my fault as the dog was demonstrating signs of nervousness, but I didn't pick them up. The dog jumped up and bit me in the centre of my chest, so I understand what that's like. I have owned many dogs previously and now own a lab/sheppard cross and am still a huge dog lover.

    Have a great week everyone!
  • havingitall
    havingitall Posts: 3,728 Member
    Cesar Millan says " No Touch, No Talk, No Eye Contact" That puts you above the dogs.

    That being said, our mailman carries milkbone cookies with him and all the dogs love him!
  • PureAndHealthy
    PureAndHealthy Posts: 539
    I pass literally about 25 dogs on my jogging route, only about 4 of which are chained or fenced in. Some (always the pesky little ones for some reason) come charging at me guns blazing and run all around my feet until i stop, look at them, and say quit which horrifies them and they run away until I turn back around and start jogging again and we repeat this for a minute or 2 until I'm out of their territory. I'm about 20 times their size and they know they can't take me (even though 3 of them stick together). For bigger dogs I always begin with a higher pitched nice voice "Hey sweet puppy! It's okay" which usually gets their tails wagging and makes them realize I'm not a threat. If that *doesn't* work I stand my ground. If I'm not in their yard or near their family, they'll back down... you're just in a confidence match. There's also one HUGE dog that comes running at me when I walk who I've made great buddies with (using the nice voice) and whenever he sees me, he accompanies me for the remainder of my walk and goes to have a talk with any dogs that try to bother me. It's wonderful!
  • kerrilucko
    kerrilucko Posts: 3,852 Member
    why are dogs running at you at all would be my question. Is there a reason they are off their leashes? Most places have laws against allowing dogs to be free. They have to either be fenced or chained. If this is an issue where you live I really think asking owners to chain their dogs is your best bet. If you ask politely and they refuse, it's a matter for animal control or the police.

    No matter what you do when encountering a strange dog, there is no guarantee that they will not attack. it happens all the time. Talk to their owners.
  • twocats
    twocats Posts: 31
    What great tips and knowledge! Thanks so much everyone! I will work on walking confidently and not making eye contact with these critters. I didn't know that that encouraged them. As a cat person, I really have no idea how a dog's mind works so all this info was extremely helpful. I'd sure hate to have to ever use anything like pepper spray - but it might be a good thing to carry for that "just in case" scenario.
  • PureAndHealthy
    PureAndHealthy Posts: 539
    why are dogs running at you at all would be my question. Is there a reason they are off their leashes? Most places have laws against allowing dogs to be free. They have to either be fenced or chained. If this is an issue where you live I really think asking owners to chain their dogs is your best bet. If you ask politely and they refuse, it's a matter for animal control or the police.

    No matter what you do when encountering a strange dog, there is no guarantee that they will not attack. it happens all the time. Talk to their owners.

    Yes, in an ideal world people would obey those laws. It's illegal for dogs not to be chained or fenced here but as I said above, about 85% are not. I live in a small community where there is no animal control and the police have bigger problems. If she's in the same situation, unfortunately we have to learn how to cope with the law-breakers.
  • twocats
    twocats Posts: 31
    I live in a very wooded area - most lots are quite large. Fences are forbidden in this development so as to not spoil the natural landscape. Some of these dogs are leashed, but some are just hanging out on their front porches or in the yards. The dog that ran at me was just coming out of the garage with the owner. The owner went inside momentarily and that is when the pup ran toward me. I agree that all animals, including cats, should be leashed when outdoors. You just never know what can happen. My 2 cats each have a harness and have learned to enjoy the outdoors on a leash. If dogs running wild turns into a major issue for me I will contact the proper folks.

    Thanks!
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
    animals
    including dogs sense fear

    fear in you can breed fear in the dog

    most dogs are harmelss.....the bark is worse than the bite......I didnt make that up

    say hello...dont be afraid....if you feel friendly that vibe will be sensed also and you can make the loenly dog happy to see you

    carry a walking stick ( I use a painter's extension pole....$6.00 at Home Depot..it is light and can extend to fit you)

    coexist
    peace
    harmony
    kumbaya
  • kerrilucko
    kerrilucko Posts: 3,852 Member
    why are dogs running at you at all would be my question. Is there a reason they are off their leashes? Most places have laws against allowing dogs to be free. They have to either be fenced or chained. If this is an issue where you live I really think asking owners to chain their dogs is your best bet. If you ask politely and they refuse, it's a matter for animal control or the police.

    No matter what you do when encountering a strange dog, there is no guarantee that they will not attack. it happens all the time. Talk to their owners.

    Yes, in an ideal world people would obey those laws. It's illegal for dogs not to be chained or fenced here but as I said above, about 85% are not. I live in a small community where there is no animal control and the police have bigger problems. If she's in the same situation, unfortunately we have to learn how to cope with the law-breakers.

    I strongly disagree with is. "just deal with it" um.... no? Dogs are potentially dangerous animals. Dogs attacks happen all the time. People, mainly children are frequently the target. There is no way to tell how a dog will react to stimulus (even a "friendly" dog can attack) You do NOT have to deal with loose dogs, no matter how small your town is. Like I said, talking to the owners, in a polite and friendly way will likely result in a little consideration of the OPs fears. Not to mention that they are breaking a law, and by confronting them politely and avoiding police interaction, the owner may actually feel GREATFUL for the warning.

    Tell me, if a child is attacked a mauled to death by a dog, should we just "deal with it"? I mean, since 85% of dogs are loose anyway, it isn't really worth the hassle? so so so wrong.

    Ps- I too am from a small town. A town of 6000 people. a tiny town by any standards. We have no animal control services either. People chain and fence their dogs out of respect.
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
    oh come on Kerri-

    dog attacks happen but it isnt the general rule

    fear is not a good thing
  • msarro
    msarro Posts: 2,748 Member
    Whenever I'm near dogs I always slow/stop. Dogs innately chase things that run from them, they are predators after all. I'm not afraid of being attacked, but it is a general annoyance when I'm running to have a yipping companion for 2-300 yards, lol.
  • PureAndHealthy
    PureAndHealthy Posts: 539
    .
  • pickadilly2009
    pickadilly2009 Posts: 320 Member
    When I was young there was a lady that ran in our neighborhood all the time. She always had a spray bottle with her and I finally asked her what it was for. She told me it had dish soap water in it so that if a dog came at her, she could spray it in his face, that gave her long enough to get away from the dog and did no permanant damage to the dog. I have never tried it but thought it sounded like a good idea.
  • PureAndHealthy
    PureAndHealthy Posts: 539
    why are dogs running at you at all would be my question. Is there a reason they are off their leashes? Most places have laws against allowing dogs to be free. They have to either be fenced or chained. If this is an issue where you live I really think asking owners to chain their dogs is your best bet. If you ask politely and they refuse, it's a matter for animal control or the police.

    No matter what you do when encountering a strange dog, there is no guarantee that they will not attack. it happens all the time. Talk to their owners.

    Yes, in an ideal world people would obey those laws. It's illegal for dogs not to be chained or fenced here but as I said above, about 85% are not. I live in a small community where there is no animal control and the police have bigger problems. If she's in the same situation, unfortunately we have to learn how to cope with the law-breakers.

    I strongly disagree with is. "just deal with it" um.... no? Dogs are potentially dangerous animals. Dogs attacks happen all the time. People, mainly children are frequently the target. There is no way to tell how a dog will react to stimulus (even a "friendly" dog can attack) You do NOT have to deal with loose dogs, no matter how small your town is. Like I said, talking to the owners, in a polite and friendly way will likely result in a little consideration of the OPs fears. Not to mention that they are breaking a law, and by confronting them politely and avoiding police interaction, the owner may actually feel GREATFUL for the warning.

    Tell me, if a child is attacked a mauled to death by a dog, should we just "deal with it"? I mean, since 85% of dogs are loose anyway, it isn't really worth the hassle? so so so wrong.

    Ps- I too am from a small town. A town of 6000 people. a tiny town by any standards. We have no animal control services either. People chain and fence their dogs out of respect.

    I would not allow a child in my care to wander into a strange dog's territory alone. If I were with a child, I would protect him/her. To be honest, I've never heard of a single incidence in my area of a neighbor's dog coming to another child's house and mauling him/her. I just don't think it's that dangerous of a situation. We're talking about domesticated animals here not wolves or bobcats (which also exist in my area but stay away from people and I don't go walking in the woods with them.) If you talk to an old man about his chihuahua running after you when you jog by his house and tell him he can't let his dog walk outside with him, he's probably going to think you're a little mellowdramatic... If you're just friendly to animals and don't go trespassing all over their lawn or approach them or their owners, I really doubt you'll have a problem. I don't in my area.
  • pickadilly2009
    pickadilly2009 Posts: 320 Member
    I also wanted to say, I completely understand the fear that goes through you when a strange dog approaches you when you have had an attack experience. When I was 8 yrs old, I was attacked by my uncle's chow. 30 stitchs in one arm, several on each breast and permanant scares in both places. I was hurt pretty bad. I avoid stray dogs at all costs. They really freak me out. I feel ya! Try the spay bottle.
  • twocats
    twocats Posts: 31
    I like your spray bottle idea! I could even spray myself if I get too hot! Then I'm already soapy for my after workout shower:)
  • Phoenix_Rising
    Phoenix_Rising Posts: 11,417 Member
    A spray bottle isn't a bad idea at all, imo. Kinda like the pepper spray.

    Not that I'm recommending it, but I pass a woman who walks in the mornings carrying a baseball bat. :noway:
  • twocats
    twocats Posts: 31
    A baseball bat! Unbelievable. Gives new meaning to the phrase "walk softly and carry a big stick."

    Is it possible she's using it to do some upper body strengthening as she walks??? Hilarious!
  • Phoenix_Rising
    Phoenix_Rising Posts: 11,417 Member
    You know, she holds that bat across her waist, one end in each hand, and pumps it back and forth, so I'm sure it increases her caloric exertion when walking.

    But I kid you not... she carries that thing for a reason. You don't just go for a walk with a baseball bat for no reason! :laugh:
This discussion has been closed.

Categories