I've been a serious runner for over 35 years, and have had my share of encounters with dogs.

First, some perspective. As a runner, at least, scary encounters with dogs were far more frequent 35 years ago than they are today. I believe this is due to a couple of factors--runners are a more common sight than they were back then, and people are more aware about keeping their dogs under control.

That said, I had one just on Friday. This dog wasn't likely to bite me, but it took off after me from behind after I'd passed it. Had it caught me unaware I could have tripped and fell. The dog was off leash in a natural area. It was also a Cocker Spaniel.

Other scary dog encounters I've had were with an Irish Setter and a Golden Retriever. As a runner I've never had a scary encounter with any of the stereotypical mean dogs--Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, Dobermans.

I also spent a week in a community that had a roving pack of dogs. The one dog in the pack that was completely non-threatening was a Pit Bull.

Every time I've had a problem with a dog as a runner the owner has been around and hasn't done anything to restrain the dog. Dogs behave differently around their people, and their aggressiveness is often protective behavior. "Problem dogs" are usually the result of problematic behavior by humans.

Yes, sounds sensible, all of that. I have noticed that dog owning people still anthropomorphize or excuse their animals' aggressive behaviours instead of understanding it is an ANIMAL and 1. it actually DID just happen; 2. there is likely a reason for it and denying won't change the possibility of an occurence again.

I was a serious runner up till my knees bade me quit and I transferred to bicycle. Dog attacks in both scenarious. The only "successful" dog attack was a German Shepherd that caught me up on the beach and bit the back of my leg, deeply. THe people behaved as if it were no problem to them. I was a young runner, alone, did not know that they should give names, numbers, etc. I just went on running, blood trickling down my leg.

I think it is possible this dog ran me down as I ran past them, though not too closely! This was at the heigth of Oregon's running Craze, so I have trouble believing this dog was new to seeing runners.

Kari,

Good to know how Bill was raised but i thought all you Obamaphiles were about change???

Is Bill really change??? Seems like more of the same from the 90's which helped (yes Bush caused a lot of the problems during his term as well) set up most of problems Bush faced (9-11, the economy, etc...)

It's ignorant to think that bill will have changed enough to bring any honor to any office.

On another note if all you blue folk constantly preach to see past color and gender, why would you even ask the question of should anything other than demanding it be the most qualified person whether green or purple, with female or male genatalia or both or for that matter republican or democrat?

Kari writes, "Interesting discussion over at the Portland Mercury about dogs that attack people, and what should be done about them. It seems to me, and I'm sure many of you, that whether the dogs are bred to be violent or trained to be violent, the blame lies squarely with the humans that did it to 'em.

Seems to me that there oughta be a law. If you own a dog that has to be euthanized because it attacked a person, then you should be barred from owning dogs. What do you think?"

I find it interesting that here on the East side, if a dog attacks sheep or cattle, you can legally shoot them very dead.

But if they attack people in the city, it would be a crime to shoot them very dead.

I guess an Eastern Sheep has more standing in the law than a Portland child?

I sure hope that Hillary Clinton doesn't pull the same sh*t that Kurt Schrader is pulling to get her spouse appointed to her Senate seat, when there (like here) are very well qualified and deserving other candidates.

I sure hope that Hillary Clinton doesn't pull the same sh*t that Kurt Schrader is pulling to get her spouse appointed to her Senate seat, when there (like here) are very well qualified and deserving other candidates.

As someone who had to put a dog down for aggressive behavior, including attacks on dogs and the occasional human, I am fairly offended by the suggestion that I should never be able to own a dog again. I had a sweet and obedient dog who never successfully socialized, despite my best efforts. From puppyhood, it was clear that a screw was loose. I tried my best to keep him safe and keep others safe. Roommates did not help. In the end, I made a tremendously difficult - and responsible - decision before things got any worse. The fear that I felt that my sweet dog would somehow get out of the backyard and hurt someone was too much to bear. My point: for every dog there is a story. For the record, he was a pitbull mix and I am convinced that you can have good and bad pitbulls (and dogs) regardless of ownership. They are a crap shoot. I know firsthand that love and discipline cannot change every dog. I have a cat now - I was traumatized by the whole thing and can't imagine getting a dog again. But, I don't feel that I should be legally banned from dog ownership in the future. I am sure that others will disagree and it will probably hurt to hear it, but I felt compelled to share my story.

Regarding dangerous dogs in Oregon, there was a law passed in 2005 that went into effect on January 1st 2006 addressing just this issue. You can read the law here .

People need to realize that, even though dogs have been kept in captivity and selectively bred for thousands of years, they are still predators as well as being highly terratorial in many instances. Handling a dog in an area where people may run past or move past the dog on a bike is a really good environment to encourage predatory and/or terratorial behavior on the part of the dog. Dogs are coursing animals, although some breeds are better suited to coursing anymore than others. The sight hounds are a good example of dogs eminently suited to coursing prey. To some dogs, as a runner or byclist, you are presenting yourself as a prey item or as a threat to the dog's territory or pack. As a runner or byciclist you should stay aware of any dogs in your area as best you can.

Both dog owners and the public need to stay aware and stay safe as much as possible. That having been said, in all fairness, it's usually the dog owner who's been at fault when someone gets injured by a dog. Which brings me to the state dog law that's already on the books. I keep hearing about how there ought to be a law... There is a law that provides for some pretty stiff penalties, including 30 days in jail, mandatory registration of breeders of Pit Bulls, heafty fines, etc.. Why do we not hear about anyone being prosecuted under this law? Or perhaps people are being prosecuted and the sexy story, the attack, is reported by the media, but the follow up, the prosecution, not being the sexy story, isn't being reported. So we all get the impression that dogs are running rampant biting people willy nilly, and the owner's aren't being held responsible.

Has the law been repealed? If we have this law, that perhaps is not being enforced, would it do any good to pass another that will also not be enforced?

You're welcome Kari.

I didn't know anything about that law until Lars was talking about dangerous dogs last week and how he thought that owners of dogs that attack people weren't getting prosecuted, or at least not as much as he thought they should. I got all fired up about getting some tougher legislation passed in 2009, and when I went to see what was already on the books I ran across that 2005 legislation. Until then I had thought that dog regs were primarilly a city/county thing, except the Oregon Department of Ag administrative rules concerning exotic animals, which, in certain unusual instances, have covered dogs in the past. The 2005 legislation has more severe penalties than anything I've heard proposed by anyone looking to write dangerous dog legislation. It also provides protection for people who's dogs bite someone while protecting the owner, or the owner's property, which is just.

As someone who has livestock and poultry, including emus, which can wreak all kinds of havoc if they get out, I'm usually pretty up on the animal laws, but it's been a while since we've had a dog out here, so I don't pay much attention to the dog laws right at the moment.

I still wonder about the prosecution of people who have dogs that bite. I suppose to find out about that I'd have to search court records? No one ever really reports on that aspect of things, at least not very often.

Kari,

You are starting to scare me. Your dog solution sounds like it came out of the mind of Kevin Mannix! Based on your suggestion I have to assume you are not a dog owner, nor know much about them. The solution to the problem is education. Most people are very ignorant about dogs; not just the owners, but the people who get bitten. A good example is the journalist who was bitten by Barney the White House dog. The journalist frightened Barney, and sadly did not understand what he was doing wrong. If you want to pass a law, then think in terms of a training/education requirement. Drivers education and a drivers test is a good model to consider. If you want to get educated on dog behavior, give the writings of Dr. Patricia McConnell a try.

It is unfortunate that society has become so isolated from the natural world that people do not know how to interact with and read animals. We humans are the ones with the big brains. Why is society comfortable punishing animals due to the humans ignorance?

Paul

It is unfortunate that society has become so isolated from the natural world that people do not know how to interact with and read animals.

Thank you Paul for saying this. It's few enough of us who even know what 'reading an animal' means in this day and age. Would that it were more....