Dogs and Their Irresponsible Owners

I ran 5 miles this morning and I was S-L-O-W, finishing in 59:10. In my defense, I had to stop to walk two times since this was the advice I received to protect myself from attacking dogs.

I met the first dog at about mile two and a half. It was a small, white and brown, sort of foxy-looking, farm dog who ran out to confront me as soon as it saw me approaching in the road. I stopped to walk, it kept barking and also vigorously sniffed me and bumped my leg several times with its head. Is this aggressive or friendly behavior? I didn't have to worry about it too long since it determined a sweaty, slow runner wasn't much of a threat and gave up on me to trot back to its farm.

The next two dogs were about a mile later. These dogs were smaller than the first, one also foxy and the other maybe a mini pug. They were in their front yard with another much larger (and evidently lazier since it never got up) dog and one of their owners in her bathrobe. The dogs came tearing out of their yard, barking loudly and showing me their teeth.

I stopped to walk and tried to ignore them but they were persistent. Their owner tried to call them back but they were so loud and determined that they either didn't hear her or didn't care. I made eye contact with her but she obviously wasn't able to control them. They followed me well past their own house and onto the neighboring farm, barking all the way on my heels. I yelled at them which didn't seem to do much. By this time I could see that someone else from their house had come out to call them, also ineffectively. Finally, I really yelled at them and started to chase them back to their own house which is what finally worked to get rid of them.

Dogs who are not tied up are one thing. People who choose not to tie their dogs up and then aren't able to control them when they menace passersby in the street are another. If I thought it would do any good I would call the local dog officer.