I could have been dog chow

Wow that sounds scary! I know pit bulls don't need an even worse rep, but I've actually been chased by one before. This was a few years ago when I was a senior in high school, I was leaving school after my last class, and all of a sudden I see this pit bull get out of a back yard (someone left the fence door open) and it came running toward me! So I was walking to my car and started running, he was gaining on me, and it didn't help that the owner was yelling "RUN!!!" to me, as if he knew his dog was going to maul me and he couldn't do anything else about it. Man, I remember fumbling with my keys trying to find my car key.... The dog ended up biting me on the leg but luckily I was wearing jeans (He bit a hole in the leg of my jeans!! Luckily he didn't get to my skin!!!) and the owner got a hold of him. The owner barely apologized. I was so scared though - seeing a big, vicious-looking dog running toward you...NOT FUN. I think that almost gave me a heart attack. Anyway, the next day I reported the house that had the dog to the ASPCA, which is pretty much an animal abuse/control society, and I definitely started parking on the other side of the school cause that freaked me out so much. I think my heart rate went up just talking about it. . I never checked back in with the ASPCA to see if anything happened. I mean, if your dog is so vicious that if it escapes it's going to seriously hurt someone, why would you live across from a school where hundreds and hundreds of teens walk by your house every day? I was convinced the owner must've been abusing them in some way or training them to be fighting dogs or SOMETHING because that just didn't sit well with me... Anyway, it sounds like that dog appeared scary but might have been friendly? It's too bad you couldn't have gotten a look at where his owner's house was so you could report him or at least talk to him and say hey, your dog was outside and scaring people... I guess I would choose another route for the time being if you CAN! Happy MyLotting!

when i usually see dogs wandering the streets without there owner i usually call animal patrol to come pick them up especially if they seem like a threat and continuiosly barking at people and what not, it might put the owner through alot just to get them back but it helps make sure to keep other people and yourself safe and usually afterwards i get into arguements with the owner and just tell them its there fault for not walking with there dog around or not keeping them in there yard and that usually shuts them up.

That must have been really frightening for you...it sure would have been for me. A couple of years ago, I was out walking and this cattle dog on a corner who is usually chained up came at me. The dog is nasty as it is trained that way and kept hungry. It's chain must have broken because he came at me, barking and kept coming. I put my hand out, palm up, facing out, yelled NO! and stamped my foot as I lunged at him. He backed off and came at me again. This went on for several moments. Sometimes he would come really close and at other times not so close . I didn't know if it was my authority or if he was not as bad as he acted and sounded. I was trying to get past him so I could be closer to home but it took a while. Finally, I was home in a minute and called the cops and luckily our local bloke was on duty. I heard later that this idiot cop went straight down there and approached the dog and it bit him. The town had a ceremony and gave me an medal. That last bit was a lie but we all got a good laugh over it. That copper was such a tool.

A Pit Bull!!! That is scary but quite funny experience. I could not help but laugh while reading your account. It was like I was in your place and doing the same thing. Well good for you that you were able to outsmart that Pit Bull that way. Well the owner should keep his dog very well to avoid this scary thing to happen to other folks who pass that way.

It is true that this was a scary situation, you did the right thing. Running would have given the animal courage to go after you. The dog wasn't a mean dog or talking to it wouln't have given you the edge..

Id say your odds are 50/50. I've never had a situation like that happen, I can only imagine how scary that would have been for you. Maybe bring something with you to protect yourself incase you happen to see this dog again. The fact he sat there and watched you is a good sign though, he didn't attack. Maybe next time, just continue walking instead of engaging him. If he is prone to attacking there may be things you do, while not knowing that could set him off. Be safe and good luck

I would have peed my pants. I am terribly afraid of large dogs that I don't know. They aren't really mean but they are territorial. It sounds like you did good. I probably wouldn't walk down there again either. I always think that if I get away with something once, I won't tempt it again. If you have always walked down through there though, it may have been a one time thing..he got loose.

If it were a poodle would you have been as afraid? just asking! No nothing really scary has happened to me lately (thankfully) I dont think you have anything to fear if the dog wanted to eat you he would have that fact that he stopped a few feet short says he didnt want to eat you.

I'm going to guess that he does belong to someone. You said he had tags and a collar. If this is the first time you've seen him in 6 years, he probably just got out of his yard, and the owner hadn't realized it yet. You might want to take some dog biscuits with you the next time you walk by there. If he's around, you should be able to distract him with that. By the way, you handled the situation really well. You remained calm, and that's a big thing.

There's every chance this was an escapee who was disoriented and scared and thus saw you as a threat. With this in mind, hopefully by now he has found his way home and you won't encounter him again. Hopefully in the meantime he hasn't attacked someone else, pitbulls don't need any more bad press, poor things. I would take the same route next time in the hope he's at home now, but if you see him again I would definitely call the dog warden/animal control, whichever it is you have where you are in the world.

i am a dog lover and i hate these stray dogs. they are being left unattended. here in the philippines, police catch stray dogs and if the owner canot come back within the day, the dog will be found in an oven

I think that could be the last time you'll see that dog. Given that it was the first time you've seen that dog maybe the owner just forgot to lock the gate or something that's why the dog was able to escape. And now that the owner realized that he or she made a mistake I bet he would be cautious now not to do the same mistake again. =) I had a traumatic experience with a dog once too. I was 16 years old then and I borrowed a bike, a small one like the one used by kids in elementary. I was just passing by when a dog from a few blocks away suddenly chased me, good thing I was able to outrun the dog using that small bike. Thank God =D