Triathlon - handeling the charging dog...

So out on a run today taking a new rout. About 5 miles in this big @ss dog comes charging out of a driveway (well just call him Cujo). So how do you handle him
A)Just keep running ignoring him and whatever you do don't make eye contact....
B)Stop bend down let him sniff you then go again
C)Keep the can of pepper spray handy and blast him as he approaches
D)For you rednecks...... pull the 45 you have shoved in you jogging shorts and out blow the son of a bi*ch away

(hey these also could be used for riding the subway)

A - Bad idea. He'll think of you as his prey.
B - Bad idea. If you make yourself smaller it will make him think he can take you.
C - Bad idea. He just a dog, give him a break. Plus...who runs with pepper spray?
D - Bad idea. You can go to jail for that. Plus, if I catch you, I'll break your knees. For the most part, animals are way better than people.

Stay standing, face the dog and don't back down. Extend your fist out for him to smell. Be prepared...an aggressive dog might bite you but I'll bet there is a very, very small chance of it.

C - Bad idea. He just a dog, give him a break. Plus...who runs with pepper spray?
Stay standing, face the dog and don't back down. Extend your fist out for him to smell. Be prepared...an aggressive dog might bite you but I'll bet there is a very, very small chance of it.

+1
And I ride with peperspray, how is it any different?

I did A and lucked out. I am usually pretty good with dogs but in the back of my mind there was a little insecurity. CJ lighten up it was just a joke I love dogs, cats on the other hand who needs them!

Glad you were able to get away. For me, it depends on how close the dog is. If it's far enough away, I'll look for a fence or tree or something that will keep the dog away from me. If it's too close, I'd probably stop and stay standing. I'd probably face away from it, though. I always thought that you weren't supposed to face or stare at a wild animal because it will think you're challenging it, making it more likely to attack?

I turn, face the dog, eyeball it, and yell NO! in my 'angry daddy' voice. Any dog that wants a piece after that needs killin' 'cause it ain't domesticated properly.

I turn, face the dog, eyeball it, and yell NO! in my 'angry daddy' voice. Any dog that wants a piece after that needs killin' 'cause it ain't domesticated properly.

I have had to do this a few times too. For a larger dog it was a stand off until the owner came out of the house and retrieved him. Smaller dogs, they eventually relized they weren't going to get anywhere and went back home.

The real risk is the dog getting under your wheel.(It causes a pretty nasty wreck that I've seen several times.) Usually you can out run dogs though. They are terrible at trigonometry, and do not triangulate well. Assuming there's no traffic, move to the side of the lane closest to the dog. this gives you the whole lane to move away from the dog as you pass it, and also throws off the Dog's angle of attack.
If you can't safely out run it, stop, get off the bike, keep the bike between yourself and the dog, and slowly back away out of the dog's territory.

Also back in the day, this is why we carried frame pumps. A sharp tap on the snout will stop just about any dog.

or just as you ride by unclip and give er a little kick, they wont come at ya after that.

Near and dear to my heart.
Outrun him if you're ahead of him.
If he's got you covered, stop, get off, keep the bike between you two.
Keep pepper spray at hand.

Buddies have told me they: (1) squirt him with water bottle and/or (2) yell loudly "Get off the couch" and/or (3) squirt a little bit on road, sometimes dog will stop to check

Very important, if the dog is ahead of you, and you don't have a clear shot to outrun him, DON'T try to outrun him. I had a dog run full steam into my rear wheel. Wasn't pretty, thankfully, the owner came out and caught an earfull, I was somewhat dazed, but very loud. When you're standing there, bleeding, the owner takes it pretty seriously. She got rid of both her dogs.

If he's got you covered, stop, get off, keep the bike between you two.


If this happens, pretend to throw a ball then get on your bike and pedal like crazy!

They may not be unfriendly, but you are clearly the most fun they've had all day.
If you're ahead of them, hammer down.
Otherwise, stop, speak firmly & keep the bike between you..

Don't try to outrun them if they are at full speed and they have the angle on you.
I had a dog attempt to go through my rear wheel. Fortunately I had my old beater with a rear rack. Didn't know aluminum could bend like that.
It also helps to be bleeding when you are screaming at the owner. Makes you very believable.

Most of the time I can just hammer down and get past them. Since most of the dogs I encounter are on rural blacktops, I generally have the whole width of the road to keep moving over on. I love dogs (well, most of them), but people are still number one. Any dog that forgets this rule subjects himself to quick justice. A swift kick from a nice, hard cycling shoe is big medicine.