Have any of you been bitten by a dog while cycling?

[bitza]

Never, I usually smell like one, so they can relate to me.

I have had a few come at me, but usually I just keep riding, and they eventually ignore me.

i dont smell like one but i do take my dog out with me depending on where i go so he tends to keep other dogs away from me and if the dogs are with there owners they soon put there dogs back on a lead...but then again he has knocked me off my bike once or twice .....but i,ve never been bitten ...
and he has been known to pull me up hills when i have been being lazy..lol

 

[BornInZion]

Never bitten.

When it comes to aggressive dogs, this is my strategy.
I first move as far away from the dog that I can on the road, or lane as conditions allow, while accelerating.
I then watch the mutt and wait for it to come alongside me. When his nose is forward of the rear edge of my rear wheel, I cut hard into his path. Most of the time that ends the chase: The moment the dog breaks stride they stop chasing.
If they don't stop, I continue running them off to the side, forcing them into convenient objects, the curb, trash cans, mailboxes, parked cars. I have made dogs crash into such objects, much to my satisfaction.

While I have had great fun doing this with single dogs, multiple dogs attacking is far more problematic.

I was once on a group ride, one of twelve riders, on country roads. We were in a tight group when three dogs came at us in full hue and cry. One of our members calmly said; "Watch this!" and put a whistle to his lips. When he gave three loud blasts, the dogs screeched to a stop as if they hit an invisible wall. It was very impressive!

Most dogs seem to want a piece of me, but at least a third simply want to run. These are identified by their unwillingness to come close to me, but just keep their distance and pace me for a time. I had one stay with me for 3/4 of a mile, but he never threatened me. I think we parted friends!

I had one dog that was a problem on my commute. It was a small yappy poodle. I was never worried it would bite me, but it's reckless attacks caused it many times to nearly run headlong into me, and I feared it would cause me to crash. I work a half day night shift from 6 pm to 6 am. (12 hours is half a day) I finally put an end to it by knocking on the door of the owner each time it happened when I went home. I simply pointed out that they would be liable for any injuries caused by their dog to someone on the public highway. I don't know whether it was the force of my arguments or my timing, but the dog is no longer ambushing folks.

A final caution: Don't call a dog a *****-cat. They hate that.

Tailwinds! BIZ

 

[willocrew]

Never been bitten & only been chased once - but I'm in the market for some heavy duty caustic oleoresin capsicum spray.

 

[kdelong]

This sounds cruel but it's not really that bad. Put some diluted ammonia in a spray bottle, one that just puts out a mist. When a dog begins to chase you, spritz the bottle in his general direction. The ammonia will cause a little burning in his nose and eyes for a few minutes but will not cause any permanent harm, except it may discourage him from chasing other bicyclists. This tends to be a little better than pepper spray but less effective than what a skunk puts out.

Do not use undiluted ammonia or put it in a bottle that will put out a solid stream as that could cause permanent damage and get you an unwanted lawsuit from the dog's owner.