Urban vs. Suburban Running: Who Let the Dogs Out?

Mostly I'm an urban city runner, but lately I've been running more in the burbs, and sometimes just a smidgen into the country.  An observation: in the burbs, people seem to think it's okay to let their dogs roam around their yards off leash, unsupervised.

L-R: Rylee, Brenna & Bailey.
Photo taken by Samantha Ulrich

 Don't get me wrong, I love dogs, and in fact my family has three lovable, too-cute-for-their-own-good, snugly fur monsters (evidence to your left).  

However, that doesn't mean that when I'm out for my weekend run that I enjoy being chased by other people's dogs--particularly when I'm in the last grueling mile of my long run.  It's happened twice lately, and both by labs.  While I am pretty sure that in each instance the pooch was just playing, I was not in the playing mood.  Each time it took the owner several minutes to realize that their dog was enjoying a game of catch-the-runner, which for me was several minutes too long.   

So, I post this just to remind my fellow dog-owners, as is best put by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA),

Regardless of your dog’s motivation, chasing runners should be discouraged. No runner enjoys being harassed by a dog, even if the dog’s intent is playful. Your dog could be injured or frightened by a runner since the person is well within his or her rights to shout, strike out or kick at your dog in self-defense.

Read more about the types of behaviors to look for in dogs who chase runners 

Don't worry, even though the ASPCA deems it a reasonable possibility, I won't hit or kick your runner-chasing-dog, but I will tell your dog "No" and be very annoyed with you. 

To end on a positive note, I have observed very courteous dog-owner behavior along a multi-use path I frequent in my suburb running route, and thank the dog owners who make sure that their dogs don't chase others, and when appropriate keep their dogs on leash.  After all, there's no reason runners, walkers and dogs can't share the path in harmony!