When you think of extreme sports, running is probably not what comes to mind. In Samoa, however, running is very much of an extreme sport for one reason: dogs.
In America, I think of dogs as cute, cuddly animals who I want to snuggle. As a matter of fact, I very much miss my dog who I left in America. In Samoa, however, dogs are quite different.
In Samoa, dogs are not viewed so much as pets as they are protectors. Typically, Samoans have dogs to protect their homes. As such, the dogs here tend to bark and chase other dogs as well as people. There are many nights that I hear dog fights happening just outside my house. Due to the way dogs are viewed and brought up in Samoa, it makes running quite difficult.
For some reason, dogs in Samoa feel more inclined to chase you if you are running past them. On several occasions when I have been running, I have been chased by dogs. The trick is to yell "alu" (go away) at them, stop running, and/or pretend to or actually throw a rock at them. One or all of these things tends to do the trick.
It is very easy for me to talk myself out of running because of the dogs, but I still try to run. I figure I am just extra athletic since I am doing an extreme sport. Right??
