As runners, the law is on our side if we get bit or otherwise injured by a dog. Most states have laws that hold dog owners "strictly liable" for injuries their dogs cause. The statutes are stronger than the law of negligence, which traditionally imposed a "one bite" rule that imposed liability only if a dog had bitten before.

Even though the laws are runner-friendly, we still have obligations to run with commonsense, not provoke dogs, and avoid trespassing where dogs might be found and cause us injury.