Soooo... I'd heard about people having run ins with stray dogs and hoped I wouldn't... I got rescued last night by a very nice passing motorist who drove his car off the road and directly at the leaping, snarling dogs (either the dogs were abnormally tall or I really am very short) thus giving me time to get-the-hell-out-of-there. Whimper. Is this a common occurance? Not sure I can take a repeat...

In my limited experience and from what I have heard, most stray dogs will not really bother you unless you annoy them while they are eating, or surprise them. However, there have been a few documented (and fairly recent) cases of rabid dogs in Turkey, so caution is still in order unless you feel like going through a painful series of injections. If you are really worried, you can purchase a high decibel hand held siren which will most likely scare them off if they bother you, or at least bring your situation to someone's attention.

Same caution goes for stray cats, much as I love them

Hmm. I do have an attack alarm, but not keen on maddening the dogs any further... Someone I spoke to suggested that they're probably having puppies at this time of year and I may have been too close for their liking... I'm hoping it won't happen again!

bl00dy hell, where in ankara was that,

Kavaklidere. Perhaps it was unusual, I don't know! Most of the dogs I've seen just troop about minding their own business so I reckon I must have upset them somehow. Mind you, my flatmate was chased by a pack of dogs in the park a couple of
weeks ago, though she was jogging and they left her alone once she stopped running. Another good reason not to take up running!

Running during summer in Ankara

Only for the foolish