How do you handle aggresive chasing dogs?

[James Bruce Gil]

The only doggie encounter I've had was a long time ago. Used to be a paper boy when I was teenage, doing the round & saw this dog. Dog wasn't in it's front yard & wasn't locked in, it was roaming the street about 200m's from it's house. I see dog & then see dog running for me, go screw those next 3 houses I'm going down the street to the t-section. Dog gives up when I to other side of t-section. Next thing I see after doing 2 houses I see the dog rushing across the street, then bam car hit the dog.

No idea what happened to the dog, all I saw it got hit & thrown about 20m's. I just looked @ what had happened & thought, serve that dog. Then I just rode away.

On my current cycle route see no dogs, but I more concerned about the flying variety.... magpies in november, now they not fun

BZ,

I know exactly what you mean. I have had one that has been serving it up to me for about 4 years straight and it must have nested twice last summer because it was aggressive again at the end of January. I have heard that if you paint some eyes on your helmet they don't get so close, though I just rely on hy helmet to protect me.

Kind regards,

 

[youm0nt]

ride fast,kick it real hard ,or take out my seapost and beat it up

 

[Wurm]

The old Silca frame pumps with a nice, solid Campy pump head used to be the weapon of choice. I once beaned an overgrown/mutant beagle mutt with one, and he never came back for more.

Or you can just yell "Shimano!" at it. They'll run away every time.

 

[coolworx]

I just spin like crazy while telling them "Good Boy!"

Afterall, they're protecting their turf and family, so ya gotta respect that....

 

[James Bruce Gil]

The old Silca frame pumps with a nice, solid Campy pump head used to be the weapon of choice. I once beaned an overgrown/mutant beagle mutt with one, and he never came back for more.

Or you can just yell "Shimano!" at it. They'll run away every time.

Wurm,

You've just explained something for me. I have a twenty five year old steel framed racer that my son had in high school and that I now ride to work on each day. The dogs never seem to bother me when I'm on it. On the other hand they seem to love me on a good bike.

Over the years it has grown more and more shimano as the gear has worn out and been replaced with that cheap rubbish. Maybe the dogs don't like it but it doesn't seem to faze the magpies. Do you think I should be yelling shimano at them?

Kind regards,

 

[Wurm]

Wurm,

You've just explained something for me. I have a twenty five year old steel framed racer that my son had in high school and that I now ride to work on each day. The dogs never seem to bother me when I'm on it. On the other hand they seem to love me on a good bike.

Over the years it has grown more and more shimano as the gear has worn out and been replaced with that cheap rubbish. Maybe the dogs don't like it but it doesn't seem to faze the magpies. Do you think I should be yelling shimano at them?

Kind regards,

C'mon JB - I thought you Aussie's were up for a good joke once in awhile?

 

[James Bruce Gil]

C'mon JB - I thought you Aussie's were up for a good joke once in awhile?

Wurm,

Am I to presume that we actually have somebody here in the forum who actually loves Shimano abnd is willing to admit it?

Your a brave man. A rampant lion indeed.

I admit to using it occasionally because it matches the junk bike that I ride to and from work and I can afford for it to get damaged by the idiots on the roads here.

Kind regards,

 

[Wurm]

Sorry to have so little sympathy, but you deserved it! Was the dog leashed? If so then you posed a hazard to yourself, your dog, and perhaps to other cyclists. What would have happened if your dog suddenly ran off stretching the leash across the path or road?

I have no patience for people who rollerblade on bike paths with their dog on a leash and none for cyclists who do it either.

I agree. I see so many people on MUT's riding roller blades or walking, with headphones on and a dog in tow. They are often oblivious to anyone on the MUT who might want to pass them. It's why I mostly ride on the road and not the MUT's.

 

[napcop]

a little squirt from a water bottle does wonders. Plus, the residual from the water bottle is better than the residual from OC (pepper) spray.

 

[domaindomain]

Laser pointer shining in the eye seems to steady them down a bit

 

[el Ingles]

Just wondering. Had a close call the other day with a chasing dog. I was out in front a bit, so I was able to "step on it" and get away.

If your our club secretary by falling off , he´s done it three times in the four years I´ve known him - mind you he is a hotel chef ,which does sort of make him a dog magnet .

 

[NewRider22]

Pepper spray.
Not the weak stuff either.

Since pepper spray can permanently blind an animal . . . a loud firm "NO!" most often does the trick.

 

[Orange Fish]

Dogs are very basicly programmed. I used tobe afraid of them(like race away virtually screaming) but then I learned their ways...

THe dog sees a moving animal, aka prey. It attacks prey. Solution, dont be prey.
Dog runs out to me, he expects prey to run like mad away. I turn and give chase at him. The change in scenario is often enough to throw the dog's programming out of whack and into panic mode. Sometimes all it takes is something odd, like let it get close and do a sideways bunny hop.

Once we learned the game, then it was fun to have dogs chase.

Agreed. I really learned how dogs worked after getting my dog of 4 years now. He's a mix of a mastiff and bulldog, and is verrrrrry verrrrry territorial. He can be very moody, but I learned that you have to show the dog who's higher up on the totem pole early and quickly. Once he/she realizes that 'you da man,' you won't have any problems from the K9 anymore

Taking that experience into this discussion, we just have to show the dogs who's boss and not be intimidated by them. Of course, having a dog run out of a yard and get T-boned can't be planned for and that just sucks. But running from the dog...heck no - chase him down and see how he likes it

 

[Blademun]

Agreed. I really learned how dogs worked after getting my dog of 4 years now. He's a mix of a mastiff and bulldog, and is verrrrrry verrrrry territorial. He can be very moody, but I learned that you have to show the dog who's higher up on the totem pole early and quickly. Once he/she realizes that 'you da man,' you won't have any problems from the K9 anymore

Taking that experience into this discussion, we just have to show the dogs who's boss and not be intimidated by them. Of course, having a dog run out of a yard and get T-boned can't be planned for and that just sucks. But running from the dog...heck no - chase him down and see how he likes it

I also Agree, and I would advise anyone the same. Most people don't realize their own strength or their ability to scare off other animals.

Though I will also caution, some dogs have been trained to be completely fearless. These arn't dogs that you usually run into, these are the abused pitbulls, the junkyard dogs, the rabie infected, ect. 99% of the time they are chained up, caged, or fenced in so you never have to deal with them. I never have had the displeasure of dealing with one so I can't say for sure what to do. LoL

Um..IF I were being chased by a guard dog (or any dog trained to attack/kill) I would attempt to run. If it looks like it's -just- about to bite my ankle I would SLAM the brakes and come to a immediate hault, hop off, and grab my weapon (I keep a 5 inch knife on my bike..). Of course, I'm a self-trained fighter(tae kwan do based), and am no lightweight when it comes to close combat.

 

[Nebhotep]

I thing I got this situation under control.Check this out:I talk to them.They don't expect this.Works every time.

 

[hifi-hospital]

Since pepper spray can permanently blind an animal . . . a loud firm "NO!" most often does the trick.

FYI, The "Halt" brand of pepper spray, which is used by the USPS, will not blind an animal. It is recommended by our local Animal Control and Animal Cruelty Officers. They said that it is much preferable to putting a dog to sleep if it attacks a human. I just wish that I had a chance to use it on the dog that jumped our group and cost me $23,000 in medical costs!!
I have found that the Dog Dazer works better than Halt. You just point the Dazer at Fido and press the button and Fido says "I'm Outa here!"

"Dog Bait" Doug

 

[Catrike #116]

I lifted this story from a rider's online journal who is riding across country. Thought it was an original means to deal with threatening dogs.

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The Cujo story

I forgot that I had told the story in my everyday journal, but not here.

_______________ (copied and pasted from my livejournal)___________

I was biking with a group last Saturday--we were heading down Glasgow Road to Lockridge. I was minding my own business when I saw a house on the right with @ 4 dogs in the yard. One of them ran up to me.



Now, I'm riding my recumbent trike. 9" off of the ground and a 30 degree tilt of the seat. This dog and I were eyeball to eyeball. He was snapping at me, but I didn't hear him growl. He then ran in front of me and was snapping at my left side. That's my blind side, so I didn't see when he did the ADHD thing and went after the Geo Metro that had just passed us.



I heard a large 'whump' and turned around. The Metro had a large dog-body caved-in place in the front of the hood, and the dog was lying half on and half off the road on the other side. Daniel (my youngest) had been bicycling back to see where I was (I was being a tailgate Charlie) and said that he saw the body fly through the air. At first he thought that the Metro had hit me because he was doing in excess of 60 mph and had moved all the way over into my lane to pass Daniel.



He wasn't dead, but he wasn't going to live long. We got the owner and he took Cujo home.



I asked a biking colleague on staff how to deal with dogs. He asked what happened, I told him, and he said "That's how you deal with them." Now I need to hire a guy to drive a Geo Metro when I bike to run Son of Cujo down...



Catrike Road 2004, #116

Cats just don't feel safe on a moving bicycle, no matter how much duct tape you use.