This morning when I was out jogging, a dog repeatedly rushed at me, snarling. The first time, he rushed past me from behind, just growling as he went past. I didn't react too much to that, and just kept running. Then it turned around and came at me again twice from the front - a bit bolder. The second time, I yelped a bit and the third time I shouted for the owner - who was out of sight on the other side of a hedge - to call the dog away, which she did.
Further around the park, I came past them again. I called for the owner to stop the dog from coming at me, but she didn't do anything and it came at me again another 3 times. This wasn't playful: the head was level with the body wolf-style, and it was full-on snarling and slathering. After the first feint, the owner started calling the dog, but it ignored her and just turned round and rushed me again. By the 3rd time - each time it was snarling more, and breaking off later - I really thought it was going to take my throat out.
Now, I know I did some things wrong here. After it got funny with me earlier on, I should have stayed right away. But I wasn't really scared at that point, and I just wasn't thinking. After all this, I stayed at one side of the grounds just running back and forth along one side, and the owner stayed at the other side - and put the dog on a lead thank goodness. But I don't really think I should be chased out of a public area!
And from reading stuff on the internet when I got back, it seems that squealing, looking the dog in the eye (I was transfixed by this great slathering beast!) and lifting my hands up towards my face (my scardy-cat instinct!) would all have made it think I was aggressive/weak and made it worse.
I am scared of dogs. And it seems that something in my body language shows that, and makes them more likely to see me as a target, since I've had a dog come at me a couple of times before when cycling or running, and they always seem to go for me rather than other people. But I'm fed up of it! My dh suggested a personal alarm.
So, my (rather long-winded) question is, would one of these high-decibel personal alarm things make a dog back off? Or might it just make it more likely to attack? I know there are some dog-lovers on here - so I'm hoping some of you will have some insights into dog behaviour.
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To want to be able to protect myself against a dog
75 replies
fizzwhirl · 02/08/2011 11:47
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