Please don’t use pepper spray on the dogs…That’s fine fore irresponsible owners though.
I have two Old English Sheepdogs. They have a herding instinct (even I can’t run with my oldest dog as she continually shoulders me to maintain control).
Here’s the paradox (might be the wrong word since I’ve just finished running and I’m a bit light-headed)…Everyone claims that the are “entitled” to enjoy open-spaces/parks…Well, I enjoy watching my dogs run free once in a while. It brings happiness to my house because they are worn out. It makes me smile because I see the joy in my dogs eyes. However, my freedoms cannot infringe upon others…That’s where a little patience on BOTH sides is valuable…I’d like to keep my dogs off-leash as much as possible. However, I must be ready to immediately respond/take action if my dogs run toward someone who doesn’t want to “play.” On the non-dog runners side…Is it really THAT much of a distraction to take 30 seconds to slow down while I leash my dog in your presence? Really, if we EACH show an understanding for the other, it will be easier for all of us. I’d also recommend that people stop breeding if they are truly concerned with having enough space;-)
BTW Tom…Cats murder everything in sight…Why doesn’t anyone ever tell cat owners to keep their animals locked up. Seriously, we’ve got birds and small rodents being killed left and right by “fluffy,” but nobody ever says that cats should be kept locked up indoors…
Cats are doing terrible damage to native wildlife species, especially in some areas such as Australia where wild domestic cats are a serious problem. I’m a dog lover and not much of a cat person but my wife is, so as a compromise we have both a dog and a cat(who get along wonderfully). We don’t let the cat out much but she does have a small bell on her collar that makes enough noise to arouse any birds, squirrels, etc. of her presense. I don’t know why more cat owners don’t do the same.
BTW, dogs make great running companions. Can’t say the same about cats.
Dogs and no leash! They clip your heel and down you go, they run in front of you and you trip, They s_it all over the trail, they bite, they should be on a leash!!! Any one who puts a person in danger so their dog can play is a uncaring selfcentered person . Hell I say spray the owner and the dumb as_ dog. People would not put up with kids doing what dogs do for a min.
Check you local animal control ordinances and see if running at large at the park in question is permitted. At a community park it probably is not. At national parks dogs are only permitted in campground areas and then only on a leash (at least those that I have gone to). State parks, not sure, check their website.
If the dogs are a problem contact the local animal control authority and file a complaint, get the persons name that takes your complaint and then follow-up on it after a day or two.
Don’t forget that I live up here in the rural Great White North. To begin with it’s illegal in Ontario to carry pepper spray. Where I run it’s not uncommon to see black bears every now and then. They’re certainly on the trails but generally avoid contact with humans. I bring my dog along for added protection. The bears, wolves, fishers, etc. hear the jangling of his collar bell and stay away. Trust me, up here dogs are the least of my worries.
Me too.
I run with scissors at the cottage so I can get at least one, hopefully well-placed, stab in before I get eaten by the local bears.
Maybe I missed it, maybe it wasn’t suggested but I carry a whistle with me. All it takes to stop, slow or send them running in the other direction is a hard loud blow of it. The noise is high pitched enough they will notice and hopefully their neglectful owner as well. In an ideal world they will come put them on the leash after hearing/seeing the commotion.
Pepper spray is far too aggressive and damaging to the dog. I realize we’re talking human safety here but unless I had a 90lbs dog coming at me with evil intent I could never do this to a dog. Even that dog is just in need of some training and the owner will not understand that or hear it. The whistle will be as effective in the end and no damage will be done to the dog other than some ringing ears.
Have 2 medium dogs. Always run on waist leash with my girl.
Absolutely despise people who can’t follow basic leash rules. My girl on leash is a different dog than she is off leash. An unleashed dog meeting a leashed dog is a problem.
If I encounter an unleashed dog I stop running and talk to the dog telling them to go home. I find that brings the best results.
Btw it is impossible to shame moronic owners. I have tried and tried.
This might be close to a record . . . pulling up a thread 12+ years old!
So how many dog encounters have you had in the past 12 years since?
Before I got into biking, I kept my dogs on a leash, but didn’t hold them super close to me. A biker sped by me once and yelled to curb my dog, on my left, etc. (i.e., basically cursing me out for letting my dog walk in the middle of the greenway path). I was annoyed and pretty indigent, but he had already sped away. Now being on the other side of the coin, I absolutely understand the importance of keeping my dogs close to me while on trails, regardless of whether it’s bikers or runners. It’s not only for the safety of the riders/runners, but also my dogs. I’ll admit it’s took me getting into the sport to understand the dangers, but I think anyone that won’t attempt to reason the dangers of letting their dogs run off-leash, etc. is stubborn and closed-minded.
Yeah. It seems like people here in NC like to be lackadaisical about keeping their dogs on-leash and close by. I know we have city ordinances here in Raleigh, and people break it all the time. I’ve yet to go down on my bike because of an unleashed dog and want to keep it that way. Hopefully, people will start to realize the dangers they pose when they let their dogs run loose. And hopefully, people won’t get all huffy when people yell out on your left, etc.
I think this depends on the area and situation. I frequently run with my dog on a crowded trail, so of course I keep him on a short leash close to me. However, near our house there is a small 1 or 2 acre woodchip trail that goes through woods. Almost an oasis in the middle of the city. I let my dog off the leash to run through the forest, chase animals, etc. Once in a while we encounter joggers, walkers, or other dogs on the trail. However, I’ve trained him properly so he won’t attack, bark, or bother others.
I’ve had one person(whom I had never seen on the trail before, generally it is the same crowd from the neighborhood) who passively told me my dog should be on a leash. I kindly pointed out that my dog did not approach or even look at him, and if he has that big of a fear of dogs then he should find somewhere else to walk as this trail is frequented by them.
If you have that big of a fear: the whistle idea is great, squirt of water, a firm command, and frequenting another area without so many dogs are great ideas. I would advise against pepper spray or the more damaging ideas. I’m a pretty nice guy but will admit if someone did that to my dog, I would pose a much greater physical threat than my dog does.
I’m more fearful of those owners with the retractable leash that allows their dog to jet out across the bike/running path while they check and or change their Facebook status. Allowing them to stand still while their dog tears around reeking havoc to others using the trails and it’s just plain dangerous. This happens all the time here in Toronto on the Martin Goodman Trail and you can bet that the owners are so unaware of the danger it poses. I’ve nearly taken off a poor little pugs head before because of this very issue.
