Though the title may suggest it, I don't own dogs. Indeed, I do not own even one animal, unless you're a naturalist, then I have four animals that I live with, one of which I call my wife, but it's kind of gross to think of it that way.
When I run through the neighborhood, every once in a while a dog of some sort will find me and decide to run with me. These aren't always stray dogs, either. Some I'm sure belong to someone because they sport a collar.
Now, just because I don't have a dog doesn't mean I don't like dogs. Fact is, I do like dogs and I always try to make friends with the ones I encounter, unless it's during a run and I can help it. When a dog starts running with me, I actually try to discourage any kind of friendship the dog wants to foster with me. I'll give verbal commands like, "Get!" and "Go home!" These dogs rarely speak English, so they keep running with me. I've had them follow me for a mile or two before.
Once a little tiny fluffy white lap dog started following me. He was surprisingly fast for such a little dog. I'd planned on doing a loop that day, but I got to feeling guilty about leading him so far from home, so I decided to make it an out an back, and turned around to lead it back through his own neighborhood. On the way back it got distracted and peeled off. I can only assume he found his way home.
That's what happens a lot of times when dogs are loose. Generally the dogs are penned up in their yard, and they decide to bark at me as I go by. I'll interpret their barks:
"Hey, don't come in our yard. Don't you dare. Yeah, that's right, you keep right on running, punk!"
Occasionally these dogs will be loose and they'll come out on the street to challenge me. Here I'll call their bluff and try to make friends. Sometimes I'm able to and they'll let me pet them. The less friendly ones will back off and not let me get close. I've never been worried about getting bit.
I'm more worried about looking stupid. I hate it when a dog comes out of nowhere and surprises me with a bark. I'll be going along listening to some podcast or other, when all of a sudden, "Woof, woof, woof!" I do my best not to jump, but I have rapidly changed course. I'm sure the dog owners take great delight in seeing a jogger jump out his Asics.
One more thing about four legged running partners. People always assume the dog is yours. I run on the left side of the road, approaching traffic. The dog runs out in the middle of the street. Any time a car comes by I feel like I have to tell the driver, "Hey, it's not mine." There's really no good way to say that while you're running. Do I shake my head and shrug? I'm sure that gets interpretted as, "I don't know why my stupid dog runs out in the middle of the road." That's not what I want to say. Thankfully I haven't seen any of these dogs get hit. Talk about feeling guilty.
When I run through the neighborhood, every once in a while a dog of some sort will find me and decide to run with me. These aren't always stray dogs, either. Some I'm sure belong to someone because they sport a collar.
Now, just because I don't have a dog doesn't mean I don't like dogs. Fact is, I do like dogs and I always try to make friends with the ones I encounter, unless it's during a run and I can help it. When a dog starts running with me, I actually try to discourage any kind of friendship the dog wants to foster with me. I'll give verbal commands like, "Get!" and "Go home!" These dogs rarely speak English, so they keep running with me. I've had them follow me for a mile or two before.
Once a little tiny fluffy white lap dog started following me. He was surprisingly fast for such a little dog. I'd planned on doing a loop that day, but I got to feeling guilty about leading him so far from home, so I decided to make it an out an back, and turned around to lead it back through his own neighborhood. On the way back it got distracted and peeled off. I can only assume he found his way home.
That's what happens a lot of times when dogs are loose. Generally the dogs are penned up in their yard, and they decide to bark at me as I go by. I'll interpret their barks:
"Hey, don't come in our yard. Don't you dare. Yeah, that's right, you keep right on running, punk!"
Occasionally these dogs will be loose and they'll come out on the street to challenge me. Here I'll call their bluff and try to make friends. Sometimes I'm able to and they'll let me pet them. The less friendly ones will back off and not let me get close. I've never been worried about getting bit.
I'm more worried about looking stupid. I hate it when a dog comes out of nowhere and surprises me with a bark. I'll be going along listening to some podcast or other, when all of a sudden, "Woof, woof, woof!" I do my best not to jump, but I have rapidly changed course. I'm sure the dog owners take great delight in seeing a jogger jump out his Asics.
One more thing about four legged running partners. People always assume the dog is yours. I run on the left side of the road, approaching traffic. The dog runs out in the middle of the street. Any time a car comes by I feel like I have to tell the driver, "Hey, it's not mine." There's really no good way to say that while you're running. Do I shake my head and shrug? I'm sure that gets interpretted as, "I don't know why my stupid dog runs out in the middle of the road." That's not what I want to say. Thankfully I haven't seen any of these dogs get hit. Talk about feeling guilty.
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