General Cycling Discussion - Best way to deal with aggressive dogs?

On my favorite century route a VERY large and aggressive dog lives next to the road. It likes to chase passing bikes. Now yesterday I was minding my own business riding along and this $%$^ of an ugly mutt comes out onto the road and tries to chew my leg off. Obviously not wanting to be dog food I have no choice but to shift over. Sadly the owner of said property had all the frame supports for a large tent in a pile on the side of the road. Bar ends catch in the mess, bike goes down, I go over the bars (I was travelling at 30km/h at the time) and the dog... looks happy with itself and wanders off.

I was coming up to a hill and slowing down so out running the thing wasn't an option. That and I'd just been pushing hard for the last 70 miles and a sprint up a hill with 30 miles to go surely wasn't a good idea. The bike suffered some minor damage - mostly controls being rearranged and the brake calipers pushed out of alignment on the front wheel disc brake. Easily fixed on the road with a multitool. I took some heavy bruising to my left side and some road rash (despite wearing full coverage clothes - weird). This morning my whole body is stiff and sore and not from the ride either. That fall was obviously harder than I thought.

If I'd a weapon of any kind it would have been a DEAD dog for sure. The owners were either not there or didn't care because no one came out to see what was going on. Living in Korea I don't think there is any kind of dog control laws - pity because this is a dangerous dog. So, whats a good solution for getting rid of the thing short of just plain killing it? I'm pretty sure doing that would upset someone...

I wouldn't kill it, but a good kick in the gut should teach it a lesson.

Did it actually try to chew your foot off, or was it barking at your heels? Obviously if it stopped the chase when you fell, it wasn't seriously trying to attack you. Not to minimize things, I've been chased by dogs before. It's intimidating.

Has anyone just tried dropping a tennis ball in front of it? I bet it would go for the ball before it realized what it was doing.

There's a certain kind of pepper spray for dogs that I know a lot of bikers use. Spray them once and you'll never have another problem with the same dog.

No it was pacing me at the side moving closer. Largest Doberman I've ever seen. I tried to stare it down or intimidate it and that didn't work. I think next time I put some good sized rocks in an easily reached pocket and see if he likes rocks to the head. Not even a large dog is going brush that off.

don't stare down dogs. it pisses them off.

I go slow and keep a high cadence . . at a high cadence the dog cant get a focus on your ankle . . . If this were an aggressive dog he would have attacked you while you were on the ground . . for the dog the fun is in the chase . . as stated above avoid eye contact . . From now on have a treat, a energy bar or empty wrapper, ready for the dog go slowly . . the urge to chase diminishes with the speed the slower you go the less fun for the dog . . I use a squirt from a water bottle first if it escalates then throw the water bottle . . . I have been bit while riding . . . by a Chihuahua (http://animal.discovery.com/breed-selector/dog-breeds/toy/chihuahua.html) I used a loud horn on occasional passes by the house and finally i gave up trying to ride that street

chihuahuas are probably the most consistently human biting breed according to a dog rescue owner i met last weekend. I figure if someone has to deal with that many dogs on a consistent basis then they probably know what they're talking about.

Personally, if any chihuahua bit me I'd probably just squish it and keep riding.

The thing with dogs that chase is that if you reward them (by running, yelling, throwing a ball, etc.) you just reinforce the behavior. You need to extinguish the behavior by not giving them a positive or negative reaction to the chasing. If you know it's just a fun chaser you're better off just stopping and walking. Then, if you ever see it NOT chasing you, go give it a big jackpot of a reward. That sort of thing will straighten them out pretty quickly.

If it's one that does bite though then all bets are off.. spray it, shoot it, or whatever else it takes to make sure you are safe. Personally, I think we should be allowed to be ruthless with dangerous dogs and remove the risk to ourselves and others instead of just using only as much force as is required for the current situation.

I just stop, and get off the bike. As many have said, for 99.9% of the dogs, it's all about the chase. Some dogs also get annoyed at wheels turning. Once you're off the bike, the dog loses interest, and may even become friendly.

NO EYE CONTACT, NO TALK

Eye contact is a big no-no... you are directly confronting the animal and you are excalating the terms.

Ignore the dog, be calm, raise your shoulders and your stance as you proceed, increase your silent, physcial assertiveness while on your bicycle and imagine yourself as the dog's superior, in complete control.

Do not feed the excitement.

I have a neighbor who has a little yapper, a doofus about operant conditioning,
they wont teach the dog to not bark, and chase wheels into the street , before one rolls over it.

Inchon, ? bear spray ? Kalashnikov ? 10 round burst at their feet should turn them around.

or less aggressive. ride with a friend that will also testify, in court,
take pictures , maybe a little video, and then go find a lawyer..

their house could become yours ..

You are in Korea? Then just let the general population know there is dinner running loose.

Tell the owner to @#$% off and keep his mutt in check.

Honestly, just keep cycling and ignore.

don't stare down dogs. it pisses them off.


NO EYE CONTACT, NO TALK

Eye contact is a big no-no... you are directly confronting the animal and you are excalating the terms.

Ignore the dog, be calm, raise your shoulders and your stance as you proceed, increase your silent, physcial assertiveness while on your bicycle and imagine yourself as the dog's superior, in complete control.

Do not feed the excitement.

Where do people get this stuff:rolleyes: You don't stare down a gorilla or a bear but stare all you want at dogs. Glare at them. Stand up great big and act like you are the big cheese in the pack. Dogs have a very long history of being submissive to some human and all you have to do is convince them that they should be submissive to you. The only way to make them submissive is to convince them that you are worthy of being submissive to. If you avoid eye contact, back down, avoid confrontation, etc., you become the submissive.

Stop your bike, stand your ground, be a threat, make the dog think you are the head of his pack or, at least, not something that is worth messing with. Dogs are cowards and will act as such when you remove the chase urge. About 50% of all dog encounters can be solved by yelling a very loud "NO!" at them while riding. About 99% of all dog encounters will end when you stop and yell "NO!" at them. For the 1% that don't stop, most of them are going to be taken care of by a swift smack in the nose with a bike wheel. They don't like getting that sensitive bit hit.

Where do people get this stuff:rolleyes: You don't stare down a gorilla or a bear but stare all you want at dogs. Glare at them. Stand up great big and act like you are the big cheese in the pack. Dogs have a very long history of being submissive to some human and all you have to do is convince them that they should be submissive to you. The only way to make them submissive is to convince them that you are worthy of being submissive to. If you avoid eye contact, back down, avoid confrontation, etc., you become the submissive.

Stop your bike, stand your ground, be a threat, make the dog think you are the head of his pack or, at least, not something that is worth messing with. Dogs are cowards and will act as such when you remove the chase urge. About 50% of all dog encounters can be solved by yelling a very loud "NO!" at them while riding. About 99% of all dog encounters will end when you stop and yell "NO!" at them. For the 1% that don't stop, most of them are going to be taken care of by a swift smack in the nose with a bike wheel. They don't like getting that sensitive bit hit.

I have to pretty much agree with this... the loud NO has worked for me every time. Part of it is the loud sudden noise, which startles the dog, the other part is most domestic dogs are taught to respond to "no" early in their life. You might want to try "out" also. This has to be loud and sudden.... not just a whiney "nooooo..."

Halt spray. Enough said

Honestly, just keep cycling and ignore.

While not as bad as the advice to be submissive, this is not the best course for most encounters either. The dog is just following his instincts and chasing prey. Continuing will only prolong that chase response and could result in being bitten. The "kill" does follow the chase after all. Often yelling "NO!" while slowing down will stop the chase but you should always be prepared to stop.

I carry a small squirt bottle filled with pure ammonia if I ride in a new area where the dog count is unknown to me.

One squirt in the eyes or nose and doggie will stop and whimper in pain.

Stay just enough ahead of he dog to keep it chasing you. Keep it up for 10 or so miles. It will give up from exhaustion and most likely be lost. Major pain in the butt for the owner. bk

I do th get off and put the bike between the dog and myself thing if it seems insistant on agressiveness,but also usually have my .45 aimed right through his barking mouth just in case he IS that aggressive-I'm permitted to conceal carry though,I'd check my local laws first if I were you. I figure if they were to attack,I'll defend myself first,play the disabled veteran (which I am) card if needed in court later ;) :twitchy::p

ammonia can permanently damage both their eyes and nose. It's highly likely to illicit an owner response.



I carry a small squirt bottle filled with pure ammonia if I ride in a new area where the dog count is unknown to me.

One squirt in the eyes or nose and doggie will stop and whimper in pain.

You are in Korea? Then just let the general population know there is dinner running loose.

A Doberman is not an eating dog.


I carry a small squirt bottle filled with pure ammonia if I ride in a new area where the dog count is unknown to me.

One squirt in the eyes or nose and doggie will stop and whimper in pain.

Not sure if you're just trolling, but shooting it would be more humane compared to that bull****.

My son and I were on a ride when a dog charged out at him. He stood his ground....and then took 6 stitches in the leg. This particular breed is known to be very territorial, and it simply charged at my son, took a quick bite....and ran quickly back to its yard. I don't think stand your ground is good advice.

Yelling loudly and throwing something is probably the way to go.

ammonia can permanently damage both their eyes and nose. It's highly likely to illicit an owner response.

Is diluted ammonia safe? I've seen a suggestion on other forums to use half ammonia, half water.

Not sure if you're just trolling, but shooting it would be more humane compared to that bull****.

If I'm being chased by a dog intent on taking a piece out of me, the last thing on my mind is being humane. That being said, I'm not interested in causing permanent injury though.

Where do people get this stuff:rolleyes: You don't stare down a gorilla or a bear but stare all you want at dogs. Glare at them. Stand up great big and act like you are the big cheese in the pack. Dogs have a very long history of being submissive to some human and all you have to do is convince them that they should be submissive to you. The only way to make them submissive is to convince them that you are worthy of being submissive to. If you avoid eye contact, back down, avoid confrontation, etc., you become the submissive.

Stop your bike, stand your ground, be a threat, make the dog think you are the head of his pack or, at least, not something that is worth messing with. Dogs are cowards and will act as such when you remove the chase urge. About 50% of all dog encounters can be solved by yelling a very loud "NO!" at them while riding. About 99% of all dog encounters will end when you stop and yell "NO!" at them. For the 1% that don't stop, most of them are going to be taken care of by a swift smack in the nose with a bike wheel. They don't like getting that sensitive bit hit.

This.

I have been chased by dogs and in most cases, and by most I mean every case, the chase has stopped when I stopped and yelled "NO" or "GO HOME".

When you go from being a moving target (prey) and take on an assertive posture it establishes some pack order in that the dog should see you as being dominant and yes... stare them down until they look away.

There are couple of huge farm dogs on one of our favourite routes and they terrorize people who ride there but all they do is run out and bark a little to let you know your presence has been recognized and that you should keep moving. I worry more about them getting hit by a passing car than them causing any damage to a cyclist.

I have stopped and told them to "GET HOME" and they stopped immediately and run back to the house... the first time I did this I was holding a frame pump which to a dog, does not look like a tool for inflating tyres but something that hits them.

Now they don't come out when I pass... they now know I am "that guy".

There is an old Pyrenees on another route and even with three legs he can pace me at a good clip but he never comes to the road and when I have stopped to get better acquainted he just sits down and waits for me to get moving off his "property". He is very well trained and is just doing his job and cannot be distracted.

Used to have this issue when I rode horses... there was many a farm dog that learned that chasing me and Sandy (a giant Appaloosa) was a really bad idea as he had no problem turning on a dog and running it into the ground which turned him from being "prey" to being the biggest dog on the block. It did not take long before the local mutts just stayed on their property and watched us go by.

As for real attacks... I usually carry an extra tooth on my belt and my last encounter with a Doberman went poorly for the Doberman as she got booted into next week and after that she was my little buddy. The last thing I remember was the skitter of paws on gravel and turned to see a dog in the air and after that it was just reflexes taking over to dodge and knock her down.

Funniest thing was her owner who thought I was abusing his dog... I told him he should come a little closer as I wanted to smack him into next week for leaving his dog unleashed.

There are so very few bad dogs... and so many poor owners out there.

Is diluted ammonia safe? I've seen a suggestion on other forums to use half ammonia, half water.

still have to flush water over your face& eyes continuously, or risk eye damage..

I have stopped and told them to "GET HOME" and they stopped immediately and run back to the house... the first time I did this I was holding a frame pump which to a dog, does not look like a tool for inflating tyres but something that hits them.



If you did that with my dog, he'd think that you were getting ready to throw a stick for him to fetch, and he'd immediately park his ass on the ground and quiver in anticipation. :lol:

And then, you'd never be able to ride past again without him coming out to play fetch. :D

If you did that with my dog, he'd think that you were getting ready to throw a stick for him to fetch, and he'd immediately park his ass on the ground and quiver in anticipation. :lol:

And then, you'd never be able to ride past again without him coming out to play fetch. :D

And then I'd have to bring sticks so we could play fetch... I have made lots of dog friends in my travels as once you get past the "I must chase you down" part, some dogs just want to be friends.

Gatorade sting in the eyes some, but not dangerous. Ask me about a loose water bottle cover sometime.

ammonia can permanently damage both their eyes and nose. It's highly likely to illicit an owner response.

Yes, I've had a couple of owners try to take me to task for spraying their dog. When I reminded them of my right to self defense the conversation turned to lawsuits and such until the police officer reminded the owner of THEIR obligation to keep the dog on their property.

Make no mistake here.......I don't like to spray any dog with such a powerful chemical but short of killing the dog it's my only way to defend myself with sure results.

I hate these threads.

I don't do anything. My biggest worry with dogs is running into or over them which I've accidentally done a couple of times. I don't kick, spray, yell or swing objects at them and I've never been bitten while riding a bike. I just ride on and they generally get bored and just trot back home.

Now that I've said that, I worry if there's a dog fairy (like the flat tire fairy) who I've offended. That's why I hate these threads.




By the way. I've got some good dog stories but I've posted them before so somebody's going to have to ask if they want to hear them.

If a dog is threatening me, I carry a shot whip in my handlebar bag to bust them over the head with. Works great.

The owners are never around, so it's not like they'll ever know what happened anyway.

Some interesting ideas. I still wish I hadn't sold my propane powered airsoft Glock. That thing shot at 400fps and almost got through unprotected skin. Now that would deter a dog. :) It was small and light as well (17 model).

The loud deep "NO" has always been enough for the 3-4 dogs on my regular route.

The problem with these threads is always the same thing, it's people asking "how to I stop dogs from biting me without hurting them?". And the answer is, you don't. You need to do something to them so severe that they run off yelping--that's the only thing they're clearly going to understand. And most importantly, you need to do it before they bite you--you cannot wait for them to be mean first.

A lot of people don't like the idea of hurting someone's pet, and saddling them with a hefty vet bill--but the idea of getting rabies is far more horrible.
Everyone generally knows what rabies is, but how much do you know about rabies, really?

Here's some fun facts-
...Rabies has a dormant stage where treatment is effective, and then progresses to an active stage. The dormant stage can be as long as several years, or as short as several days.

...The reason that infected animals are simply killed is because the disease kills the animal before the treatment can even work. Guess what? It does the same thing to people: the treatment for rabies takes two weeks, but after the active stage begins it usually kills humans in 2 to 10 days.

...There is a reason you've probably never seen anyone who survived rabies--it's because rabies kills 95% of the people who progress to the infectious stage (even people with full access to Western-style medicine). The lucky few who survive typically have massive brain damage as well as massive internal organ damage. It's a pretty damn good bet they don't do a lot of bicycling from then on (or lots of other fun things, probably).

...From wikipedia-- Roughly 97% of human rabies cases result from dog bites.




There is no reason at all for being nice to a threatening dog and hoping it doesn't bite you. The risk you may face simply isn't worth your life, which it may cost you. You are much better off cracking it in the head with something heavy and sending it running away.

If the owner wants to argue with you, so be it. You are much safer arguing with another person than you are arguing with the dog.

There is no reason at all for being nice to a threatening dog and hoping it doesn't bite you. The risk you may face simply isn't worth your life, which it may cost you. You are much better off cracking it in the head with something heavy and sending it running away.

If the owner wants to argue with you, so be it. You are much safer arguing with another person than you are arguing with the dog.

THANK YOU!! You understand that a dog is nothing more than a civilized wolf that is always on the hunt for one thing....fresh meat!!

That said, I have two choices on how to protect myself from a dog attack. 1.) a gun or 2.) a spray bottle filled with pure ammonia.

I don't like a gun since that's way more trouble I don't need so the ammonia get the job. It works very well.............

THANK YOU!! You understand that a dog is nothing more than a civilized wolf that is always on the hunt for one thing....fresh meat!!

That said, I have two choices on how to protect myself from a dog attack. 1.) a gun or 2.) a spray bottle filled with pure ammonia.

I don't like a gun since that's way more trouble I don't need so the ammonia get the job. It works very well.............

There is a third choice that is less trouble than a gun and less hassle than carrying around a spray bottle filled with ammonia. It's been presented in detail by a number of posts, mine included. It works and doesn't require any extra equipment.

By the way, you can't carry around "a spray bottle filled with pure ammonia". Pure ammonia is a gas. I doubt that you could even carry around a spray bottle with reagent grade ammonium hydroxide...35% ammonia in water...because it is very hazardous and isn't usually sold to consumers in that concentration. Household ammonia is sold in 5 to 10% solutions. And, even at that concentration, isn't something to be handling incautiously.

I bought a can of Silly String at the Dollar Store for a buck. I am hoping the stuff flying out and sticking to them will befuzzle them long enough for me to get away, without any serious harm and maybe some confusion on the owners part when Fido comes strutting in sporting a coating of green string.
Does it work? I don't know yet. I had a good test candidate, but when I popped the top and wheeled to aim the can the dog slid to a stop and then turned slinking toward home. I about feel off my bike laughing when I realized the meter man had gotten him before. The dog must remember the moments just before the mace hit him, the meter man aiming the can. So the can worked I guess.

THANK YOU!! You understand that a dog is nothing more than a civilized wolf that is always on the hunt for one thing....fresh meat!!

That said, I have two choices on how to protect myself from a dog attack. 1.) a gun or 2.) a spray bottle filled with pure ammonia.

I don't like a gun since that's way more trouble I don't need so the ammonia get the job. It works very well.............

Shih Tzus are one of the oldest breeds and are one of the closest domestic relatives of the wolf... They can only be controlled with a warm fire and a shot of whiskey.

278145

You obviously do not like dogs and do not seem to understand what motivates them.

:D

bird shot in .22 cal will be an attention getter, but may make the stir fry a problem.

a pepper flavored ammonia seems a fine idea..

On a ride once with my best ride buddy we developed a dog lead out man tactic.
It has worked for us several times now.

When you are dog lead out man get your buddy on your wheel and sprint like Cavendish.
When you take your dog lead out man's wheel you get sucked in his slipstream and use much less energy than him.
Together you drop the dog like a bad habit. Dogs can't go 25-30+ MPH for 300 Meters like you and your dog lead out man.
They make it maybe 150 meters and then quit, panting.

After 300 meters at max effort the dog lead out man has to let off the gas.
This successful dog lead out earns him a pass for the next dog and then it is your turn to lead out.

Now of course, we are super fit and a little nuts. So the dog lead out man tactic works for us.

By the way, you can't carry around "a spray bottle filled with pure ammonia". Pure ammonia is a gas. I doubt that you could even carry around a spray bottle with reagent grade ammonium hydroxide...35% ammonia in water...because it is very hazardous and isn't usually sold to consumers in that concentration. Household ammonia is sold in 5 to 10% solutions. And, even at that concentration, isn't something to be handling incautiously.

There you go nit picking again !!

When I say "pure" ammonia it is a euphemism for grocery store bottled ammonia. It seems that only you thought otherwise!

There you go nit picking again !!

When I say "pure" ammonia it is a euphemism for grocery store bottled ammonia. It seems that only you thought otherwise!

Words mean something. It's not my fault you decided to misuse the word 'pure' without understanding what that word means. Grocery store ammonia is 90 to 95% water. You wouldn't call it 'pure' water, would you? Why would you call it 'pure' ammonia?

There is a third choice that is less trouble than a gun and less hassle than carrying around a spray bottle filled with ammonia. It's been presented in detail by a number of posts, mine included. It works and doesn't require any extra equipment.
So then why are ~97% of human rabies infections still from dog bites then?

The advice to "be nice to the dog and hope it bees nice back" is ignorant and dangerous.
The very times you least want to get bit (from an infected dog) is exactly the times such a tactic will fail.


I don't think that all dogs are vicious because most aren't--they just want to chase something for a bit. And I have regular ones on my rides that always chase, and I stop and pet them and they go back home. The ones that keep acting vicious after I stop and try to be friendly, are the ones that run home bloody. The owner should have taught them to be nice or kept them at home.
If he won't, I will.
In fact, I will teach the dog both things at once--not to threaten strangers, and to stay in their own yard. ;)

And you know what? I have NEVER had to hit the same dog twice.
I had ONE dog that began to come at me a second time, I drew the whip out of the bag--and he bolted as fast as he could. He didn't remember me maybe, but he sure remembered that whip. :eek: And that's all I ever wanted.


...That said, I have two choices on how to protect myself from a dog attack. 1.) a gun or 2.) a spray bottle filled with pure ammonia.
Another pretty cheap option is to get ~5 feet of swingset chain and a big+cheap padlock. Put the padlock through the ends of the chain, and then you can grab the chain at its center and swing the padlock like a flail. If anyone asks, you can just say that it's for locking up your bicycle.

juicy steak + 1080 = no more aggro dog

So then why are ~97% of human rabies infections still from dog bites then?

Where are the "97% of human rabies infections from dog bites" occurring? Not in the US. According to the CDC (http://www.cdc.gov/rabies/location/usa/index.html), 90% of all rabies cases in animals occur in wildlife. The CDC reports (http://www.cdc.gov/Features/dsRabies/index.html) further that the number of dogs infected with rabies in 2008 and 2009 was 75 and 81, respectively. It's not really something I worry about when encountering dogs when out riding a bike because running across one of those out of, roughly, 80 million dogs in the US is approximately zero.

Additionally, if a dog were to have rabies and did infect a human, it wouldn't be some random bicyclist riding by the house. It's far more likely to infect the human it lives with because, well, it lives with that human.


The advice to "be nice to the dog and hope it bees nice back" is ignorant and dangerous.
The very times you least want to get bit (from an infected dog) is exactly the times such a tactic will fail.

Who said anything about being nice to a dog that is chasing you? I certainly didn't. I said be assertive and even be aggressive if necessary. And you don't have to really worry about the tactic failing with a rabies infected dog because you won't likely run across one. I'd worry more about being abducted by aliens...and I don't believe in alien abduction.



Another pretty cheap option is to get ~5 feet of swingset chain and a big+cheap padlock. Put the padlock through the ends of the chain, and then you can grab the chain at its center and swing the padlock like a flail. If anyone asks, you can just say that it's for locking up your bicycle.

And you don't see any problem with this idea? Where do you carry the chain and padlock? Wrapped around you like Ghost Rider? And how are you supposed to ride a bike down the road, get the flail out, swing it around and avoid wrapping it up in some important spinning part or, alternatively, clocking yourself with the flail? The lengths that people will go to when the solution is simple is truly astounding.

Not sure if you're just trolling, but shooting it would be more humane compared to that bull****.

Just another Internet tough guy. Probably talking big here to make up for a little pecker.

But can you imagine taking a squirt bottle with you just on the chance of running into a dog.

Actually the advice about yelling "no" in a strict voice is good. Jut about every dog receives training from their owner and learn what "no" means

Words mean something. It's not my fault you decided to misuse the word 'pure' without understanding what that word means. Grocery store ammonia is 90 to 95% water. You wouldn't call it 'pure' water, would you? Why would you call it 'pure' ammonia?

Oy Vey! :twitchy:

Still nit picking I see! :crash::crash::crash::crash: