5 ms·

As a runner I've been bit by dogs in two states. Too many Americans do not treat their dogs as the potentially dangerous animals that they are.

StreamBright 5y ago
This does not justify shooting random dogs in other situations, does it?
- MichaelGroves 5y ago
  Some of the shootings of dogs are justified, others are not. It depends on the dog and the circumstance, but of course every dog owner will claim their dog was a loveable puppy after the fact. I am expected to uncritically believe the owners, to believe that all these dogs are harmless and well trained and that they're all being shot for no reason. Well I believe that some of them are being shot for no good reason, but I've seen very little to suggest that most are. And from my interactions with the general public, I am inclined to believe most dogs are, if not dangerous, then at least poorly trained.
- Supermancho 5y ago
  That wasn't the intent of the comment. The implied question, is if this is an unusually high incident rate. ie Just how many aggressively dangerous dogs exist and how frequently they are encountered in police action. The statement was an anecdotal sample of an area where people are running, you can get attacked without additional circumstance. 40 years in California, I'd only ever been assaulted by dogs a handful of times and that's because they weren't controlled. Dogs are generally allowed to run freely in their own yards/homes so it makes sense that strangers/police entering yards and homes in a stressful situation, encounter aggressive animals much more frequently.
jmnicolas 5y ago
As a French hiker I can tell you it's the same here. People think that since the dog is nice to them it will be the same with strangers. Frankly it ruins my hikes so I go out less and less.
- matttproud 5y ago
  What do the Swiss do with their dogs that predominantly leaves them well-behaved and quiescent?
  - TedDoesntTalk 5y ago
    And what do the Swiss do?
  - MandieD 5y ago
    Like (most) German dog owners, take training their dogs seriously, which is why dogs in Germany can be allowed in restaurants and non-food stores.
  - jmnicolas 5y ago
    It's funny now you mention it, I live 20 kilometers from Switzerland and I realize I never went hiking there! I need to check what are the covid restrictions but if it's OK next time I'll check if their dogs are better behaved than ours.
    - matttproud 5y ago
      I hate to stereotype, but the Röstigraben does seem to mean something in terms of dog heeling conduct from the owner. (Though in this last year, I have seen more misbehaved dogs in the Deutschschweiz than I have seen in all my years here.)
- TedDoesntTalk 5y ago
  Last weekend, I walked into a restaurant for lunch. A dog was sitting on the bar, between the (presumable) owner and the bartender. I walked out. I don’t need to eat my food at a place that allows dog ass on its tables. I was tempted to take photo and report to the Dept of Health but did not.
deanCommie 5y ago
Not sure how this anecdote is relevant to the article? Are you saying that you believe the dogs that bit you should have been shot?
srean 5y ago
I have been bodyslammed by runners. So there you go, one anecdote for another.
hammyhavoc 5y ago
Likewise, too many Americans do not treat their police force as the potentially dangerous animals that they not uncommonly are. How many people do dogs kill per year in the USA? How many people do police kill per year in the USA? I'll wait.

StreamBright 5y ago

This does not justify shooting random dogs in other situations, does it?

MichaelGroves 5y ago
Some of the shootings of dogs are justified, others are not. It depends on the dog and the circumstance, but of course every dog owner will claim their dog was a loveable puppy after the fact. I am expected to uncritically believe the owners, to believe that all these dogs are harmless and well trained and that they're all being shot for no reason. Well I believe that some of them are being shot for no good reason, but I've seen very little to suggest that most are. And from my interactions with the general public, I am inclined to believe most dogs are, if not dangerous, then at least poorly trained.
Supermancho 5y ago
That wasn't the intent of the comment. The implied question, is if this is an unusually high incident rate. ie Just how many aggressively dangerous dogs exist and how frequently they are encountered in police action. The statement was an anecdotal sample of an area where people are running, you can get attacked without additional circumstance. 40 years in California, I'd only ever been assaulted by dogs a handful of times and that's because they weren't controlled. Dogs are generally allowed to run freely in their own yards/homes so it makes sense that strangers/police entering yards and homes in a stressful situation, encounter aggressive animals much more frequently.

jmnicolas 5y ago

As a French hiker I can tell you it's the same here. People think that since the dog is nice to them it will be the same with strangers. Frankly it ruins my hikes so I go out less and less.

matttproud 5y ago
What do the Swiss do with their dogs that predominantly leaves them well-behaved and quiescent?
- TedDoesntTalk 5y ago
  And what do the Swiss do?
- MandieD 5y ago
  Like (most) German dog owners, take training their dogs seriously, which is why dogs in Germany can be allowed in restaurants and non-food stores.
- jmnicolas 5y ago
  It's funny now you mention it, I live 20 kilometers from Switzerland and I realize I never went hiking there! I need to check what are the covid restrictions but if it's OK next time I'll check if their dogs are better behaved than ours.
  - matttproud 5y ago
    I hate to stereotype, but the Röstigraben does seem to mean something in terms of dog heeling conduct from the owner. (Though in this last year, I have seen more misbehaved dogs in the Deutschschweiz than I have seen in all my years here.)
TedDoesntTalk 5y ago
Last weekend, I walked into a restaurant for lunch. A dog was sitting on the bar, between the (presumable) owner and the bartender. I walked out. I don’t need to eat my food at a place that allows dog ass on its tables. I was tempted to take photo and report to the Dept of Health but did not.

deanCommie 5y ago

Not sure how this anecdote is relevant to the article? Are you saying that you believe the dogs that bit you should have been shot?

srean 5y ago

I have been bodyslammed by runners. So there you go, one anecdote for another.

hammyhavoc 5y ago

Likewise, too many Americans do not treat their police force as the potentially dangerous animals that they not uncommonly are. How many people do dogs kill per year in the USA? How many people do police kill per year in the USA? I'll wait.