Preventing Dog Attacks to Joggers

Joggers are among the most commonly injured by dogs. Jogging creates something of a perfect storm of dog provoking situations. If you have been attacked by a dog before while jogging or running, it might be hard for you to get back into the sport. If this is your case, you might want to purchase a treadmill, and make sure that your own dog is kept safely away from the treadmill while you are exercising.

Many joggers will follow the same course as they jog, or they will rotate through different jogging trails. This can help a jogger avoid running into situations where a dog could attack them, by familiarizing them with the dogs that they might run into.

Even if a dog has seen you before and that dog is familiar with you, there are still risks associated with jogging near him or her. Joggers are fast moving and can trigger a dog’s natural instinct to chase after anything that moves. Also, if a dog is injured it doesn’t matter how well it knows you. An injured dog may even bite or snap at its own owner if he or she reaches out to the animal.

Dogs are naturally conditioned to protect their territory, protect their young, and to fight off attackers. Dogs will deal with threats with the only tools that they have. If a dog starts to position its body in a defensive position when a jogger gets near, that means that he or she is trying to block something and should not be approached. If this happens to you, it might be a good idea to just cross the street to steer clear of the animal.

Barking is always a warning sign of aggression, as well as growling, baring teeth, or having bristling fur. There are also breeds of fighting dogs that are bred and prized for their ability to mask their aggression, so beware of dogs that are unnaturally still or seemingly unresponsive.

You should also beware of a dog that cowers away from you or looks scared and has its tail between its legs. A dog that is scared can be just as dangerous to a jogger who provokes it as an angry dog can.

You should also remember that dogs have twice the number of running legs that you do and will probably be able to outrun you. Unless your name rhymes with Husain Holt or Messy Bowens, you should definitely not try to outrun a viscous dog.