Orienteering safely around dogs (your own or other people’s)

41% of households now own at least one dog and there are 15.5 million dogs in the UK. According to Dogs Trust, 80-90% of dogs have at least one behavioural problem brought on by inadequate or inappropriate training, being poorly socialised and left alone for long periods. This has led to, amongst other things, dogs being reactive to other dogs and people, which has led in turn to a rise in aggression. Dog attacks are now much more frequent, not just by dogs bred and trained to fight but ordinary household pets. Many dogs are walked commercially, may not be on leads, will have formed a pack and, if aroused, will almost certainly be too much for the dog walker to deal with.

So, what can we do? We can’t retrain all the dogs / owners. We can’t avoid orienteering in parks and towns where there are dogs, one or two of which may not be fully under close control. It’s not all doom and gloom though. As officials at events there are things we can do, and as orienteers we can take personal responsibility for ourselves and learn how to behave around dogs who might or do attack.

Firstly, considerations for the event officials. The amount you will want / need to do will depend on the area. A park surrounded by housing in the middle of an inner-city area might need more consideration than a NT property where most dogs will be on leads anyway.

Planners and Organisers

Ask around the club and more widely and see if anyone knows the area, particularly which parts might be used more regularly by dog walkers. You’ll be informing the police and the local parks authority about the event anyway so ask for their input. Are there are known offenders and where they may be and at what time of the day? Whilst you’re at it, ask whether there are any other considerations like trials bikes / electric bikes on the area and where / when they might be there. Avoid those areas / times / for the event area if possible and certainly for assembly / start / finish. Nothing is guaranteed to wind a volatile dog up more than a bunch of people sprinting out of the start box or towards the finish. If the area is really bad, consider holding the event somewhere else.

Organisers

Consider and document risks in your risk assessment. Put up notices around the edges of the area at least a week in advance. Explain what is happening. Invite people to participate if they wish. Say that there will be people running on (date) between (times) and there will be young people as well as older people participating. Keep the message upbeat and ask as nicely as possible for dogs to be kept close if they see runners, and muzzled if it is likely that the dog will chase or bite. Consider putting up a map with areas being used so owners with unsociable dogs can go elsewhere. We are visitors on their area after all.

Mention in the event details that the area is used by dog walkers and judge just how much information you should give to ensure people are aware that dogs are a consideration. Some people are very wary of any dogs and might not want to come to the event if they think there might be many dogs on the area. Some clubs allow dogs on courses, on or off lead. If you are one of those clubs, think very hard about whether you want to introduce another risk factor into a potentially volatile area. Even if it is not a volatile area, dogs MUST be kept under control as they can be terrifying to children and a potential trip hazard for everyone. Extendible leads are a definite no-no. If dogs are not allowed, even in the car park, ensure this is clearly communicated in advance but consider whether there might be alternative parking available that dog owners can use.

You must have first aid available throughout the event. A highly visible first aider might also help reduce the friction points between dog owners and participants. In case of a bite, with possible puncture wounds and torn skin, ensure you have plenty of sterile gauze and water at your first aid points to rinse the effected area and assess damage. And a chair. The casualty is likely to be very shaken. Always recommend the injured person gets checked out by an NHS professional as soon as possible to ensure no stitches are required and that tetanus immunisation is up to date. If it a severe attack, follow the British Orienteering emergency procedures and call 999 for police and ambulance.

Planners

Avoid areas where there might be confrontation, particularly narrow paths where dogs are regularly walked and where they might feel cornered or threatened. Look for areas for assembly, start and finish where dogs are less likely to be walked and where there is less likely to be lots of dog poo, which can cause blindness. If that’s not possible, look out for dog poo on the day, particularly around the start and finish. Flick it into the bushes if possible, or pick it up and put it in a bin.

Orienteers

After the planner and organiser have done all they can, it’s your turn. You know if the area may have a large number of dogs and you have made a decision to come and run anyway. If you normally orienteer with your dog, and the event allows it, think about whether it is a good idea or whether you might be adding to your own personal risk and that of your dog if there are likely to be aggressive dogs present. In areas without aggressive dogs, you have a duty of care to ensure your dogs doesn’t behave in a way that frightens children, fights other competitors’ dogs or trips people up. If the event doesn’t allow dogs AT ALL, don’t try and smuggle them in and risk loss of land access. Ask the organiser if you can park off site and leave your dog in the car or campervan/motorhome (weather, time, dog’s needs considered of course), with split runs if necessary.

Make sure you know how to behave if there is a confrontation with a strange dog, owner or both. Most dogs are not biters, even if they look like they are. Dogs that bark or growl are typically noisemakers which just want to intimidate or which feel threatened themselves. Most won’t actually attack but want to have the first word if they think you are the threat. The dogs that may be more concerning are the quiet chasers, or groups of dogs. Be conscious of your ability to hear a dog approaching; look and listen even whilst you are concentrating on your map.

Don’t ever surprise or try to creep past a dog undetected. An unknown human entering a dog’s area can be seen as a threat.  A dog’s instinct is to chase, so ensure the dog knows you’re there and slow down if you sense a threat. Do not attempt to make friends with the dog but if you can identify an owner, call their attention to the dog and ask politely for it to be put on a lead. Of course, if the owner is no better trained than the dog, you may not get a positive response.

If an attack looks likely, be as calm as possible; don’t immediately turn your back, flap your arms, scream and shout and try and run away. If you can, get something between you and the dog like a bench or a stick. If there are people around, try and quietly attract attention to get some help.

Avoid direct eye contact / staring, as this is threatening to dogs, but do try and keep them in your peripheral vision. Try to look calm but unafraid. Cats who stand their ground and do not run can stop a dog attacking them. If the dog stops and growls or barks, wait a moment and then move slowly away at an angle so you can keep an eye on the dog.

Though not always easy to determine, some dogs respond to shouting NO!  A loud voice can break their focus on charging ahead. If you are going to be attacked, it’s worth trying, so is blowing your whistle really loudly. If that fails and you are under attacked, get on the ground in a foetal position, protect your face, head and stomach and blow your whistle.

If you find someone who has been attached by a dog, before you approach ensure that the dog is no longer in the area and a threat to you. Call the organiser or 999 depending on the severity of the attack. Use your whistle to attract help from other competitors and do all you can to calm the injured person, stem any bleeding and, if possible, move them calmly to a safer place.

After the attack

The response obviously depends on the severity of the attack but if you were bitten at all, report the incident to the police. Seek medical attention to ensure the wound is cleaned properly, stitched if necessary and your tetanus immunisation is up to date. DON’T just go home and pretend it didn’t happen. Both you and the dog need to be dealt with.  Hard as it may be at the time, try and recall as many details about the dog(s) and owner.

Finally, the organiser of the event should complete an incident report for British Orienteering (link) and follow up with the injured person.