When you talk about the relationship between runners and dogs, there are two sides to the coin. The good side is that they make great companions on a walk or easy run. At almost any time of the day you will see owners walking in the neighborhood with their dog. This is good exercise for both the owner and the dog. You may even see a person with as many as five dogs. These may be hired dog walkers for the owners too lazy to get out with their pet. For some women, the dog is a guard dog. If a mugger tries to attack the woman he will also have to deal with a very protective and determined dog.
Most road races in this area will have a few runners with dogs entered in the race. The runners with dogs are placed at the end of the pack of runners for safety reasons. The dog will have to be on a short leash. If the dog veers to the side they may trip another runner that is running by the owner’s side. There is always a chance that the dog may bite another runner. This is not always the dog’s fault if the runner is abusive to it out on the course. But, the race director still has to deal with the fact that one of the runners in the race was bitten by a dog. Many of the larger races forbid any dogs in the race for liability reasons, as well as safety for the runners.
The other side of the coin is when dogs attack a runner and try to bite them. This week I have heard of two different attacks on runners. One, here in San Marcos, had two dogs confront a runner and caused enough damage to the arms and legs that he needed to go to the hospital for care of the wounds. The other incident happened in Lockhart to a woman running in her neighborhood and was attacked by two dogs. Fortunately, a man happened to be driving by and got out of his car to drive the dogs away and take care of the woman. He transported her to the hospital where she received over 200 stitches to close her wounds. Several months ago there was a report where a woman was killed by dogs that attacked her as she was walking by.
There was a survey that asked how many runners have been chased, or attacked, by dogs. The survey reported that 75% of the runners questioned had been threatened or bitten by dogs. This is true with bicycle riders also. I have been chased several times riding a bike. The good thing was that I had a road bike that had a high gear and I could usually ride faster than the dog could run.
A little research into the subject found some expert advice about what a runner should do if confronted by a dog that is threatening. They listed a variety of methods. The most obvious was to carry a spray can of mace, pepper spray, or even water. These devices are not that expensive and many can be carried on a belt around the waist. Less aggressive techniques include talking to the dog in a lower, but calm, voice to see if you can get the dog to calm down. Experts advise a runner not to cower, or attain a combative stance that signals either a helpless victim, or an aggressive threat. They also tell the runner not to stare at the dog. The advice is to slow down, try to walk away, or stand still. Do not stare at the dog, but keep your eyes on the dog and be alert. It is best to stand sideways to present a narrower target and to make your hands into a fist. It is harder to bite a fist than fingers and the damage will be less. If the dog, or dogs, are aggressive the runner must protect the face, throat, and chest areas as best as possible. If the dog bites you on the arm the runner is advised to not try and pull away as this will cause more damage to the arm.
One piece of advice that was offered was to remember a runner has two arms and hands, while a dog has only one mouth. While the dog may grab one arm, the runner should try to reach the hind legs of the dog, and lift the dog off the ground. Keeping the dog upside down and away from the legs hopefully will prevent you from being bitten. This will give the runner time to devise a plan to stop the attack.
Two different approaches to a possible dog bite comes from two friends that I used to run with. One individual was 6-foot-7, weighed around 260 pounds and played in the line for the Texas State football team. Since he was so big, he was not intimidated by a dog that was much smaller. He would confront the dog and yell at them. If the dog continued to attack my friend would resort to the football strategy mode and drop kick the dog back into their yard. If you are that large, this approach has a good success rate. The other friend had a very different approach. He said he could “out bark” the dog and make them back off. We were on a run one day when a dog came at us. He turned toward the dog and let out the loudest real sound bark I have ever heard. The dog stopped, looked at us for a second, and went back into his yard.
As far as the law is concerned, a dog must be fenced in or restrained. If the dog gets loose and bites a person, the owner can be held liable and sued. This is especially true if the dog has a reputation of aggressive behavior. Dogs bark at other dogs all the time. If a dog walks by my house, my dogs bark at them. When we walk by another dog’s yard, we get barked at. But, for dog owners, be aware that if your dog is one that tries to bite a runner or walker that passes by then you can responsible. In most cases of serious dog bites the dog is euthanized and the dog owner fined. For runners, just use caution and be prepared for a very real possibility of a confrontation with a dog.
