Any advice on mad dogs?

If all else fails, SHOOT. I know, midwest mindset. You can get some of the guns that shoot plastic BBs. Sting like hell but for the most part harmless. The guns are light and a couple of good shots to the nads and I doubt he chases you anymore.

 

Riding in the back roads of Virginia in the mid Eighties, I climbed a rather steep road out of a valley. At the top of the incline was an old farm house with a bunch of people on the porch. Looked something like a scene out of Deliverance. Anyway, I'm half whipped from the climb, and all of a sudden a large black Lab mix comes tearing around the house after me. I tried to out run it until it got hold of my sock. My only weapon at hand was a frame pump, and I was able to wollop him a good one before he got anymore of me. After whacking him a couple of more times, he decided he'd had enough and left. The whole time the only thing coming from the porch was laughter. No one yelled at the dog to come back, etc. Several miles down the road I felt an urge to go back and use what was left of the pump on the hillbillies on the porch, but common sense and the fact that I would have been badly out numbered, won out. After this incident, a freind told me about the squirt bottle with an ammonia solution and I have had no dog problems since.

 

Pepper spray could also work.....or mace the sucker.

 

One of those laser pointers to the eyes

 

attached to a Glock 9mm

 

Yeah you don't want to agitate the dog more by dumping water on him. If you are an animal lover this should be easy. Talk to the dog when you see him. Some baby talk. It takes a couple of times. Might even take a week if you go by him every day. He shouldn't be loose. Maybe see if you can catch the owner there. Depending on where you live. It is mostly illegal for a dog to be loose like that. Leash laws and so forth.

 

That's truely a very big problem that you are dealing with. Maybe try talking to the dog owners or either change your cycling route if that won't workout. Good luck.