The post-race afterglow wore off fast when we were royally pounced on today by a really annoying dog at the end of a nice, long run.
While going across the Randall’s Island footbridge to the east drive, we spotted a fine upstanding couple and their two unleashed dogs making the same journey, all walking across the bridge. Before running past, Asshole the Wonder Dog (#1) looks, waits, then completely pounces on Cranky, even grabbing the iPod headphones off, mid-tune. Dumb and Dumber, the couple, start the typical ‘bad dog, don’t do that’ crap that’s always too late. We’re OK, the dog was fortunately not in attack mode, rather, in play mode, but the damage is done. ‘Hey man, I’ll get you some headphones’ says Dumb, but no, we want to get the hell out. ‘Put your dog on a leash’ we yelled, knowing that was never going to happen anyway. Dumber is still berating Asshole T.W.D. #1 as we continue on to finish our run.
Should we have taken Dumb on his offer to buy replacement headphones? Perhaps, but the thought of walking with this crowd to the nearest Worst Buy a mile away did not sound appealing. And new headphones were needed anyway... Also, another detail is that these nice doggies were pit bulls (no other breeds are allowed north of 110th street on the east side), and spending more time with them and their clueless owners didn’t sound too appealing, either.
Don’t get us wrong! We love dogs. Really. It’s the scofflaw dog owners that should be spayed and neutered. Now that just about all leash laws in NYC have been repealed, it gets pretty dicey in the parks and pedestrian areas with canines underfoot. Not that the laws were really observed anyway, it’s just now… forget about it.
So if you learn anything from this… be careful when approaching dogs on a run. Some dogs are mean, some want to play, some don’t even notice a runner going by. Just be aware, and if you see one watching you while their owner is having an important cell phone conversation (that’s another thing about NYC, you can’t walk a dog or push a baby stroller without being on a cell phone), then that cute dog might be ready to jump as you go by. Don’t blame the dog, blame the owner. No matter, just be careful, and be aware and ready for whatever could happen. Unfortunately, it’s all up to you, because cries of ‘Bad Dog’ don’t cut it when there’s a pooch already humping your $90 Asics.
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9 comments:
How ironic that I encountered the world's nicest dog owners this morning.
I am so pissed that we have no leash laws anymore. Once I was running through a local park and some guy's dog gives chase and I yelled "Curb your dog!" and he responded with "Take a walk!"
I thought his comeback was particularly witty. I was TRYING to take a RUN and his dog was CHASING me. Argh.
I'm glad the dogs you encountered were friendly. And you now have the motivation for more headphones.
What you say is true- People are dumber than dogs. I agree with that 100%.
Can't say much more than that...
I've thought about taking one of those spray- thing a ma-jigs on my runs, because of unruly K-9. But with my luck it would spray the wrong way and hit me in the face.
Then the dog or dogs, would have their way with a blinded runner.
Great run on Fathers Day 5 Miler. It looks like you made the big time, I hope you still have time for us "weekend hackers".
At a local park, where signs are posted about every 100 feet to "Leash your Dog", I once counted 10 leashless dogs during a one hour run.
At about $150 per dog, the city could scrape together a nice l'il profit!
Rusty, aren't you a representative of the city eligible to collect those fines?
As far as the dog owners know...YES. YES I AM.
Thanks for the idea. You get a cut of the proceeds, right?
110th street and pitbulls that's not funny! i sometimes see a certain type of people walking their pitbulls on their leashes and you can smell from a mile away that they raise them to be agressive.
I too love dogs, and have one, but some owners just think it's so normal to let their big babies jump around like they have a build-in right of way.
As usual, thanks to all for confirming my, uh, apprehension about scofflaw dog owners and the few 'bad' dogs they raise.
Ever since I had that encounter, I've had 2 types of running experiences:
Me spying a dog, the dog spying me, waiting to jump, and next I'm sending a laser beam stare that says 'don't even think about it.' Dog backs down, owner continues to yak on the phone.
Or, dog sees me and sends me a laser beam stare that says 'I'm being held against my will be these total idiots and their little girl who terrorizes me, please, please, please take me away and let me run with you for just a little while, please!' And then that melts away any ambivalence I have about poorly-trained dogs, and I have to just smile at the dog and say 'I understand, your parents are idiots.' I guess it's true what they say, and I'm paraphrasing here, 'you can choose your dogs, but not your family'.
In better news, go collect those fines, Rusty...
I bet these are the kind of jerks that don't scoop their poop when no one's looking. Next time ask him for 20 bucks for the headphones, take the money and run.
As far as cell phones, if they're not paying attention then I entertain fantasies of kicking little scrappy rat-like dogs and then running off as fast as I can.
As far as leashes, I'm only a fan if the owner's paying attention... which they never are. I HATE those people with tripwire extendable leashes who walk on the extreme right of the path at about 1mph while their dog walks on the extreme LEFT of the path at the same speed. Runner has to A) leap over the wire, B) fall on his/her face, or C) push asshole owner to the ground and leap over his body and run away before asshole owner knows what hit him.
That's why I have cats.
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