An Open Letter to the Dog Who Chased Me on My Run

still my favorite dog

Imagine you were in my shoes. Imagine it was the other way around; you were on a run this morning, perhaps just hitting your stride, enjoying a snow-free day off for the first time this month. You were more than halfway through the run, just over a mile to go, when out of the corner of your eye you see something approach. You realize that it's a large dog who isn't stopping or slowing, just continuing to bark loudly as he gets closer and closer. Soon the animal is nipping at your legs and bounding around you in endless energy. Imagine that for a moment.

I have only one thing to say to the dog who I caught the attention of on my run this morning: I'm sorry. I may have overreacted to your unexpected appearance and shouted a few things at you that you didn't deserve. I may have given you the impression that I was playing when I sped up out of fear you would bite, instead of slowing down and stopping so you would realize it wasn't a game to me. The angry glares and rude comments I made to you and your owner were completely uncalled for.

The truth is, I actually like dogs. Okay, I admit I'm partial to cats, but I think dogs are pretty great on their own merits. It's nice to have an animal that's genuinely excited to see you, and not just because they know you're about to feed them. Honestly, I'm not that familiar with dogs, I never had one myself. And when I see a large one running after me, my first instinct is fear. 

In hindsight I now realize you must have thought we were playing. You certainly had the chance to bite me or be aggressive if you really wanted, seeing as how you kept pace with me for more than a few yards and weren't deterred by my reaction to you; if anything, my sudden darting one way, then the other, and my loud shouting probably made you more convinced it was a game.

For the remainder of my run, still pulsing with adrenaline, I was angry and indignant that you came after me like that. I told myself that since you were a German Shepard, or some kind of Shepard mix, that my reaction was completely warranted, that I was practically hunted down by a wolf. When I started my cool down walk, my feelings turned from anger to embarrassment, as I realized you clearly never set out to harm me. When I was stretching out afterwards, they turned from embarrassment to shame; I was almost horrified by my dramatics.

My only defense is that I was caught off guard and you were an unfamiliar animal. It's weak, I know, and not how I want to react in times of stress; I have to work on it. I'm sorry, pup, to you and your owner; the expletives I was muttering when he finally caught up to us were a bit of an overreaction. I think I'll change up my Wednesday morning route for the next few weeks to give us all a chance to cool down. Next time I run your way, I'll be prepared.