Tuesday, July 1, 2008

How a run almost turned me into dog food

I thought I looked like a runner on my morning run today, but maybe I looked more like a bag of Alpo in running shoes. I was about 10 minutes into my run, when I suddenly realized that 3 very large dogs were running right towards me with no owner in sight. These dogs were pretty scary, and my first instinct was to pull my arms into my chest. But, I immediately thought of Cesar Millan and his advice about being an assertive pack leader. So, instead of cowering, I continued running and confidently put my arm out, while saying in a firm voice, “Get back! Get back!” It worked. The dogs stopped chasing me. I felt relieved. (And also vindicated that all my hours of watching the Dog Whisperer finally paid off!) I continued on my run, and I didn’t think much of the incident until on the way back. I passed a lady (also in running gear) and a man talking to a police car. They motioned to me to come over. “You might not want to run up that way,” the lady said, pointing to the area where I passed earlier in my run. “There’s a pack of stray pit bulls, and they look dangerous. The police are looking into it.” I gulped. They were pit bulls?? Thank goodness I wasn’t smart enough to realize that when I saw them. I would have been anything but “calm and assertive,” and I would have braced myself for the bites. (Because let’s face it, marathon training or not, I’m not going to outrun a pack of pit bulls.) Once we found out the street was clear, the lady and I walked back together, and it turns out that she’s a neighbor on our street. I enjoyed our conversation, and it was nice to make a new friend. I’m grateful that everything turned out ok. But, I’m not taking any chances next time. I’m going to start running with tranquilizer - not for the dogs, but for me.

7 comments:

New Girl on Post said...

Holy crap! I'm glad you are ok and that nothing happened to you.

God bless that Ceasar Milan! :)

Michelle said...

How can you watch The Dog Whisperer and not recognize a pit bull?

OK, there's a product on the market that is tear spray for dogs (google "dog pepper spray"). I recommend it. You did good...but you need backup. I think "calm dominance" might be fleeting if you get bit.

Anonymous said...

I was chased down by a dog in college and fortunately (in the pre-dog whisperer era) I had had dogs and knew to be agressive or 'alpha' with him. I just stood tall and spread my arms out (to look bigger) and then yelled "get back" in my deepest, most scary sounding voice. This dog, with raised honches and drool, actually backed away from me. If you ever see these dogs loose again, you should invest in a cheap dog whistle or some pepper spray. Some owners are not careful enough with their dogs and allow them to grow vicious- you need to protect yourself.

Anonymous said...

I have a lot of anxiety about dogs while I'm running. I'm glad you wrote about the technique you used--I'll have to try that the next time I bump into a dog or three!

Ann M. said...

Wow! Good (and lucky) for you for handling the situation so well :)

Jenna said...

Oh my! So glad you are okay! I think I would have passed out!

Anonymous said...

I agree with a,b,&c, and get some pepper spray. Keep safe Love Me.