When a dog charges at you and you run towards it, you’re essentially playing a game of “doggy chicken.”
In dog lingo, boldness might come across as you saying, “Bring it on!” It’s like turning a potential standoff into a backyard wrestling match. The dog, initially fueled by whatever got it charging in the first place (squirrel sighting or mailman vendetta, who knows?), can suddenly have a moment of, “Wait, what’s this human doing? They’re not scared? They’re making moves like a dog whisperer ninja!”
I remember a time as a kid when a feisty neighborhood dog charged at me while I was playing. Instinct told me to run, but I remembered something I learnt at school—that sometimes, showing confidence is the best defense. So, heart pounding like a drum solo, I stamped my feet and called out in my most commanding voice. Lo and behold, the dog skidded to a halt, tail wagging sheepishly as if to say, “Oops, wrong target!”
By boldly facing the charging dog head-on, you may not only disarm the situation but also gain the dog’s respect and communicate that you are not to be messed with. It’s like a dance-off where your killer moves (or lack thereof, in my case) dazzle the opponent into a graceful retreat. Dogs are keen observers of body language and energy, so projecting confidence and assertiveness can often diffuse tension and turn a potential confrontation into a mutual understanding.
So, running towards a charging dog isn’t just a bold move – it’s like hitting the “pause” button on a potentially hairy situation. It’s turning a potential disaster into a memorable “whoa, that was close” anecdote. Just remember, not all dogs speak “bravery” fluently, so stay safe, stay smart, and always be ready for a pawsitive outcome in every encounter.
Sometimes, the best defense is a strong offense.
I grew up in farm country, so I knew (know) some things about animals.
When I was 11-years-old, I had a newspaper delivery route. There were dogs. Nice dogs; mean dogs.
Whenever a snarling dog charged me, I charged right back, screaming and threatening as loud as I could. I’d get directly in that dogs face.
Such a dog, in my entire experience, always backed down.
Then, on a daily basis, I would encounter that dog again. Said dog would snarl at me and walk away.
Separately, here’s another story about animals. Wild horses, to be exact.
When I was 19, I was visiting a friend of mine who lived (at that time) in Gunnison, CO. To my recollection Gunnison is just over the west side of the continental divide.
It was a nice day, and we decided to take a hike over some barren land toward a hill.
As we walked, I could see a lone tree in our path, which had accessible climbing branches. For some reason, I noted that.
We hiked for a while, and then! SUDDENLY! We came face-to-face with 3 wild stallions, each with their own herd of mares.
Those stallions were clearly threatening us by their behavior — rearing on their hind legs, shaking their upper hoofs at us, and being verbally abusive.
Shit.
Okay.
I quietly told my friend (who didn’t have much experience with animals), just be calm — this is an easy walk in the park. Do not show fear. Let’s just keep walking and talking like those animals are not even there.
You see that tree in front of us.
Yes.
That’s where we are going.
Okay.
We kept walking, talking and doing our own calm things.
The horses watched us; followed us — eventually grew tired of us. Then walked away.
At that time, my friend and I, retreated and walked back to the safety of the Gunnison city limits.
Addition: Sorry, I have to add this.
I was just sitting out in my shed, door open, looking out.
Here is this old man, who I don’t think I’ve seen before, trudging along.
A few feet behind, unleashed, but dutifully following was his dog.
What was the dog carrying in his mouth?
The poop scoop bag.
What a sight…
I did that when I saw two pitbulls running towards me after getting out of their fenced yard. I figured I had nothing to lose so I ran right at them while yelling, and they put on the brakes, turned around and fled.
Edit: This is not a suggestion as to what you should do in the same situation, rather it was my experience. I don’t endorse anyone trying this, simply because it may not always work.
My son had a large male Rottweiler name Elwood. He hated the mailman. Go figure. My son was diligent about keeping the screen door locked so the mailman grew comfortable at Elwoods barking at him. One day my son went to bed but forgot to lock the screen door. When he got up he opened the front door as it was hot outside. He didn’t check the screen door.
The mailman came to his door and Elwood was at his usual barking frenzy. The mailman got about 50 yards away before Elwood got to the door. Elwood pushed on the screen and the door opened. Out he ran. So the mailman started hoofing it, full on, trying to outrun Elwood who was fast on his trail. He quickly realized he wasn’t going to win. My son went out calling to Elwood who was on a mission at this point. The mailman finally just stopped running turned to face the dog and yelled STOP! While pointing at him authoritatively. Elwood planted his feet and stopped on a dime, looked at the mailman and rocked his head like dogs do when they’re trying to figure things out. Then he just turned around and ran home. Yes the mailman had his mace but trust me that would’ve just pissed Elwood off.
My son apologized profusely and begged the mailman not to report him. Since he knew my son was a diligent dog owner and thus was a one time thing, he didn’t report the incident. But we had some laughs at family dinners over that story. I’m sure the mailman will be telling his grandchildren as well. I’m not recommending this as a plan of action but it worked this time. So if I get in such a situation I will try it. At that point I’d have nothing to lose.
