I got bit! And this time not by a virtual zombie in the Zombies Run app, but by a big, mean, black, scary, rotten dog!
Bitten by a Bouvier
I had just dropped the kids off at school, when suddenly this big, bad, black Bouvier charged towards me. At first I wasn’t even all that scared, because I thought he was barking at some other dog. But then it hit me: ‘He bit me!’ I was a bit stunned, but then the pain started and realization settled in.
Agressive dog
The dog meanwhile was still looking really agressive, and I started worrying he was going to take another bite out of me. Luckily the dog’s owner came running, and she called himoff. She was really sorry, and kept apologizing, but I kept thinking: ‘I would rather that you had kept your evil dog on a tight leesh!’
Tetanus shot
She offered to take me home with her car, but all I wanted was to get away from her and her evil fiend, so I started running home. But I was all shaky, and my heart beat was going through the roof, so in the end I stumbled home more than I ran. I called our doctor, and they told me to come in immediately. I got a tetanus shot, and they cleaned the wound.
So now I’m all traumatized, and have developed some serious feelings of hate against dogs. Although I realize they’re just animals. And then I feel my hatred veering towards their stupid bosses who don’t train them right, and let them run loose.
Runners and dogs
It’s a sad fact that runners get bitten by dogs more often than ‘regular’ pedestrians. Apparently runners unleash their hunting instincts. Jim Fixx advised in his Runner’s book to pretend to pick up a stone to scare dogs off. But I’m not convinced about this method. It seems to me it would be smarter to actually pick up a stone.
Another tip I read somewhere is to pretend you’re a mad person. You have to act all weird, making odd noises and movements. But personally I think this will only stimulate dogs more to bite you.
Then there’s Pet Corrector: a bottle of air, that makes a hissing sound. And of course I’ve still got my Dazer, which is lying somewhere in my cupboard, but now I’m thinking I should get it out.
10 steps: how to deal with scare dogs
I found this great article How to Handle a Dog Attack: 10 steps. It even has pictures in it.
N.B.
The dog’s owner, who had taken my address at the scene of the attack, came to my home later that day and offered me a gift certificate of 40 USD to replace my torn running tights. While I appreciate her effort, I still feel it’s too little, too late…
What are your experiences as a runner with dogs?
