Originally Posted by
david58
Have grown up with dogs, have owned dogs all my life. My one major bite was by a dog whose owner had told me the day before just to say "no." Got any idea how well that worked out?
I've also had a couple of dogs that the word "no" simply only worked randomly (when they wanted it to). Either you're real good or real lucky. Do you vacation in Reno?
And the dog doesn't have to bite you. How about a little barker getting tangled up between you, your bike, and the pavement in some combination?
First, if you have had a run in with a dog before
and talked to the owner, you should have been forewarned. Second, if you have owned dogs that didn't respond to your commands you are doing something wrong. I've owned dogs and trained them. Every dog I've owned responded to "No!". If they didn't, they soon learned what it meant.
As for getting tangled with a dog, see below.
Originally Posted by
Darth_Firebolt
i've had several dogs chase me after a loud "NO!" was shouted at them. you know you're in trouble when they don't bark. luckily there was not a headwind that day, because they were gaining on me while i was going 31-32mph for over .5 miles. the only reason i escaped that day is because a truck driver saw what was about to happen and scared them off. this was in rural arkansas, where lots of people think dogs are free to roam and that leash laws are only for city folk.
I don't...repeat,
do not...give dogs a chance to chase. I never try to out run them.
There seems to be some confusion about how I've said to respond to dogs. It's a sliding scale and is dependent on the situation. Start with a loud and commanding, NO!. If that doesn't stop them, slow down! If you try to out run them...something that is difficult at best...you only trigger the chase response. If slowing down doesn't stop them, stop! Put the bike between you and them, face them down and be commanding about it. Dogs are cowards (as are most predators). Don't let them get behind you.
Shouting NO! will work on 90% of the dogs around. Slowing down will work on 95%. Stopping will work on 99%. For the 1% left, a swift punch in the nose with a bike whee, a rock thrown, kicking them, etc. will take care of them.