It's Not Just a Dog Problem

I feel like I'm on a crusade.  Well, actually I suppose I am.  As a runner, I share the same problem as mail carriers and cats do.  What is this shared problem?  We seem to attract dogs - in the wrong way.  I am a dog owner and a dog lover.  I know their thinking.  They see a cat, and they want to chase it.  They see another dog, and they will want to fight and/or chase it.  They see someone running, and they want to chase him.  Some will even chase cars - which is very dangerous for the dog!  They see someone running with a dog...their desire to chase will seem even more amplified.  This is common knowledge.  It especially should be common knowledge to runners and dog owners.

The city I have lived in for the last two years has many chase-loving dogs - apparently without responsibility-taking owners.  Over the past two years, alone, and especially with my saluki. we've had many dog encounters.  As a "Type A" runner, I don't like my run interrupted, but more than that, I don't like my run being interrupted by personal danger or danger to my saluki running companion.  I recently wrote a Letter to the Editor concerning the dog problem in the city.  The paper ended up publishing it, renaming it "Make your dog behave." A link to it is below:

Daniel J. Sorenson: Make your dog behave

As you will discover if you read it, it's not just a runner's problem, but a safety problem for all.  It's root is not the offending dogs themselves, but a lack of responsibility and respect in the case of the owners of these dogs.  It is a very human problem.  What some dog owners fail to realize is that a small dog can be dangerous just as a larger one can.  Also dogs of all sizes can be put in danger by failure to keep it leashed or within its proper bounds.  What if the dog it chases bites it in defense?  What if the person it is chasing has to kick or hit the dog in defense of themselves or their own dog?  These are things that a dog owner needs to consider.  Oh, and one of the most important things dog owners need to know is that they really don't know if their "friendly" dog is really friendly to ALL dogs or people.  People often think and say their unleashed dog (which is running toward you and your dog) is "friendly" - but this is little consolation when it turns out not to be!  (Not the mention how the Type-A runner's stride and pace is thrown off even in the best of cases...)

In the interest of making lemonade out of lemons, I choose to use these life-hurdles and issues to teach my children about responsibility, the law, private property, and respect for others.