Why Dogs chase when you run

Stand still and a dog will almost always back off. Something like 99 out of 100. Run, and that number stops meaning anything. It isn't about being brave. A dog doesn't see a standing person and a running person as the same animal. Stand there and you're a tall thing it can't figure out. Run and you're food. Nothing gradual about the switch. It happens the second your feet move. Wolves spent millions of years running things down. One rule got left behind in the wiring: if it runs, go after it. That's what's chasing you. Not malice. A reflex that fires before the dog has thought about anything at all. So don't run. Do this instead. 1. Stop. Your legs can shake. Doesn't matter. Just don't run. 2. Turn side-on. Eyes off its eyes — staring reads as a challenge. 3. Hands low, hands still. No waving, no shouting. 4. Back off slow and stay standing. Never crouch. Reaching for the ground looks like you're going for a rock, and dogs know exactly what that means. 5. Got a bag or a jacket? Hold it out in front of you. A dog bites whatever's closest. Make that the bag. Chapters: 0:00 The 99% rule 0:15 Standing still and running are two different animals 0:53 Where the chase reflex comes from 1:23 Why a dog barely sees you until you move 1:51 You can't outrun a dog — the actual numbers 2:12 The fear loop 2:41 What to do instead — the 5 steps 3:28 Why the dog isn't the villain 4:02 The rule None of this makes the dog a villain. That reflex is the only reason wolves ate, and a wolf that didn't eat never became the thing asleep on your couch tonight. We went the other way. Gave up on speed, put everything into brains and hands. It worked. We turned the wolf into a pet and the boar into bacon. So next time one comes flying at you, do the least natural thing there is. Stand still. Got a topic you want broken down? Comments. #dogs #dogbehaviour #survival