How to deal with dogs while walking/running

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Running with a concealed gun sounds like a great idea! What could go wrong!!

Yeah you might end up shooting a dog or a rapist or something. Tragic! 🙄

Or yourself! Or someone's pet! Or a kid! Hilarious!! 🙄

Yes! Training to avoid shooting yourself or someone's kid is impossible to acquire!

And if someone's "pet" dog is off the leash and charges you, you can and should shoot it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I'm in the outskirts of Valdosta, Georgia. I've run into this frequenly in the deep south, unfortunately. (Back to DC in two years, thank goodness)

Why not call the local police dept and report that there are various off-leash dogs in XYZ Trail (or wherever youre run is)? It sounds like a small community (and presumably have mothing else to do) so surely they could send a car out to cruise the area, no?

OP lives in Georgia. The police there won't care. Their own dogs probably run loose.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly if loose dogs were common and running was my hobby then I’d probably get a concealed carry, but in my case since it’s not as common we just take pepper spray.

And to cancel the people suggesting that you’re not allowed to shoot or spray a threatening dog, of course you are, and you should.

Running with a concealed gun sounds like a great idea! What could go wrong!!

OP: If you are merely scared of dogs but the dogs aren't dangerous, then I would just carry some spray. If you are living someplace where dogs have actually hurt people, then I would find a different place to go running. Don't risk your life over a run.

How can you tell if a dog is dangerous?

There are some areas where there is a history of dogs attacking people, sometimes killing them. Some places in Texas have this problem. I would not go running around those dogs. These are mostly unowned, unsocialized dogs. I know people who work to rescue these dogs - to make the dogs safer, and people - but if you're someone who is scared of dogs, doesn't know dogs, and is living in a place where loose dogs have killed or hurt people, don't put yourself at risk. Like someone else said, get a treadmill.

Most pet dogs are not going to attack and kill you while you are out running. You just don't hear stories about that very often, for good reason - it isn't happening. You can be irritated and even scared around those dogs, but unless you have a terrific phobia I wouldn't adjust my exercise routine over it. The risks of them hurting you are very very low. If you're a little kid or a very frail person, the risks change - more little kids are killed by dogs than adults, not because dogs like hurting kids, but because they are small and vulnerable. Be more careful around dogs, even pet dogs, if you are a baby, or if you are old and frail.

Also it's a good idea to try to learn basic dog body language. There are some online courses where you can do that. I know DCUM hates dogs and would shoot a dog before trying to live in a world with dogs who aren't always behind a fence or on a leash, but it will keep you safer if you can learn what to look for when living around dogs.

I'm not a firearms expert but carrying a gun while running, while you're also nervous generally, sounds like a predictable disaster for everyone involved.

Beg to differ on that point. People should know this. Kids move differently than adults, and a lot of dogs perceive them as prey in a way that they don't perceive adults.