Tales of Charging Dogs and Invisible Fences while running

[offended by everything]

Has this happened to you? I've got one on my regular route - a pit and a lab - and it's starting to annoy me. Especially early in the morning when it's dark. They've always stopped but there's always that doubt.

Does this happened to you? Ever see a dog break free?

[BonitaApplebum]

I think it really depends on the dog. Some dogs know they will get shocked but just don't care and will charge thru. Frankly, I don't ever trust a dog I don't know behind one of those fences.

[Ice Cream]

yes, and I had two pitbulls run to me and one bit me.

[offended by everything]

I'm feeling a little wimpy for complaining but as Ice Cream's experience notes it can happen. What is the appropriate responsibilities for suburban dog owners?

Any way I'm moving soon and those two mutts are going to have to find another mope to menace.

[RandMart]

I don't trust dogs, whether they're behind a real fence, an Invisible Fence, or on a leash

I will either move to the street, or cross entirely

I have found that the words "Oh, it's OK she's friendly" are almost always followed by "I'm SO sorry ... She's never done that before"

I guess dogs actually DO like the taste of runners, and sweat makes us extra salty

[Coyote Mas Loco]

No, never has happened. But in NY we'd run by place and pointer like dog would always make a bunch of noise and when it got near the fence I'd say BZZZZZZ loudly to remind it. Never did cross the line. And south of town--must be the upper reaches of Appalachia--we'd run by these rundown homesteads and the dogs would go nuts and I'd do my Elvis impersonation of Houndog.

Been bit once - golden retriever took a chunk out of my leg at a crosswalk - came from behind and latched on. And a German shepherd put a hole in my son's shirt (he was about 14-15) as we ran by single file.

[GeekMaster]

Pepper spray, just in case.

[Richard21142]

I was bitten by a dog once and hit by a car; but the strangest situation was when I was chased by a turkey.  It wasn't a wild turkey and it was pretty tall.  It would follow about 5 yards behind me and when I stopped, it stopped.  It finally retreated when I stopped and picked up a stick.
But, people driving by were laughing. 

[Handsome Jack]

Had an ongoing charging dog issue, the owner did not even have an electric fence. I asked that he take care of things nicely, to no avail. Things got confrontational a few times, I contacted the town, etc. Dog would be contained for a few weeks then they'd get lazy again. Finally the thing bit me. I called the police. Police called an ambulance. Lousy dog owners paid the ER bill and told me they sent the dog to a farm upstate. I have a feeling they just put it down.

I've been running unmolested since.

[RandMart]

I was bitten by a dog once and hit by a car; but the strangest situation was when I was chased by a turkey.

Got chased by a peacock, while on my Dawn Patrol run through Farm Country, once. He must have gotten over the fence from the chicken yard somehow and was pacing along the side of the road looking for a way to get back in.

He was pissed, too; frustrated that he couldn't find the gap in the fence that he'd snuck out of, and embarrassed that the chickens & geese were making fun of him [for going around in drag, I guess?]. I guess the pisser thought it was my fault he was too fuckin' stupid to go back in the same way he came out. Granted, the light wasn't great, it was kinda foggy, and he could might well have been disoriented

He was back in the yard as I drove by on my way to work later that morning, so either he found his way or someone helped him.

[Coyote Mas Loco]

My friend Tony in NY punched a lab that was coming after him. Knocked the dog out. So the owner--at a construction site--came after Tony who punched the guy. Tony ran off with the guy saying you're crazy!

He's now a professor of mechanical engineering at a mid-major university out east.

And yes, he was kind of crazy. Soft spoken but aggressive when it came to competing and trash talking.

[SnarlyMarly]

My dog knows that the fence is only a little zap if he runs fast.   I would never let him be outside without supervision.  We have a fenced in area in the backyard and then an invisible fence for the entire yard.


We play frisbee outside the physical fence.  If I see someone walking by, he has to sit.
Sometimes he's not so great if the person is running with a dog and I have to repeat for him to leave it.

So, for 4 weeks we are out of town.  We have to take him to park to exercise.  We put him on his leash and let him run for tosses.  4 weeks, no problems.  Yesterday, he was doing great, other dogs and owners playing and he is catching and coming back.
A large group of young people came into the area...and off he went.   Of course he gets there and the group is petting him and he's enjoying himself.   So now he just got positive feedback for bad behavior😒. 

[Arrojo]

Sometimes I come across dogs roaming out of their yard - I run in rural areas not just burbs - and I'll slow down and say "don't bite me" and hold my hand out to sniff.  This usually works, sometimes I'll even start walking if the dog looks like it wants to chase.  I like dogs; I've been lucky.

One time, someone was walking a dog and I ran by and the dog started to chase me and pulled the owner to the ground.  I felt bad and stopped and asked if she was OK (even though it was the dog's fault).

As for the specifics in the OP, there is one house with an invisible fence and dogs and I encourage them.  "Good dog!" I'll yell and they like to run along the invisible fence line barking at me.

[RandMart]

There is a house I run past that has a pretty decent white 4' fence ... however, there is a section that is bowed out towards the street, like a large animal ran into it at high speed

I run as far across the street I can get from that yard

Around the corner, is another house with a chain-link fence ... except, there is a cap about 3' wide in it

I run as far across the street I can get from that yard, as well

****

The big dogs are kinda predictable: you know they're gonna bark & growl, but will [probably] stop when told to. The worse ones are the little yappers, who come tearing across the yard, hit the brakes right at the Invisible Fence line, then run back and forth along the border, making all sorts of annoying racket

[chqm8]

I have an invisible fence and 2 dogs.  One dog, my oldest, is a huge baby and has never crossed the fenceline.  (Not claiming that he never would, but in 8 or so years he never has).

My youngest dog, the 2.5 yr old mutt, is a spaz and I don't trust him not to cross the line if he sees something interesting run by.  Therefore, he never goes out off leash.  We bring him out on leash, every. flipping. time.  It's a major pain in the keister but I dont want him running away and I most definitely do not want him bothering anyone walking/running/riding by. 

I've been running by other people's property and have had the charging dogs come out at me all the way up to the edge of their invisible fence lines.  Which more often than not ends up being about a foot from the end of the owner's property and the edge of the street.  Ya know, ya don't HAVE to put the invisible fence right up to the street.  You can put it 20 or so feet back, like I did.  Assuming you have the room anyway, which in my area most everyone does.  I'm not a small guy but even having a medium sized dog charge me is intimidating.