SpeshulEd 

I think you may be encountering some of the meanest dogs and stupidest owners I've ever heard of before.

If a dog does finally listen and come back, you should praise him for listening, not beat the animal. That's just teaching the dog that he will be hit when he's told to come/heal. When I see people like this it makes my brain hurt. Some people shouldn't be dog owners.

Trower

I love dogs, have one, take care of my Pharmacists Huskies (30) every so often, so anyhow I get along very well with dogs. That being said I have used a frame pump to ward off a coyote, and a "normal" dog on my bike before, didn't want to but when its lunging at you what are you going to do? I always have 2 water bottles on my bike at a time one is always half and half orange juice and water with a tiny bit of salt, it works well as a first stage deterrent, but its not always enough. Dogs are not humans they are animals, and pack animals at that. They can be wonderful companions, but they can also be very dangerous creatures. I do live in a very rural area and bike in some places that honestly are past the middle of nowhere, its the very edge of nowhere so I don't think everyone is going to encounter crazy dogs, so don't just wail on them or pepper spray them without due cause.

cyccommute 

While I agree with much of what you say, don't make the mistake of thinking that detergent is all that toxic, especially when compared to lemon juice, white vinegar or, the cyclists favorite, ammonia. Lemon juice would be about the same toxicity of detergent...and probably about as ineffective. Vinegar and ammonia, on the other hand, have the potential to do real damage to the eyes. I'd suspect that either of those would do more damage than a pepper spray which hurts but isn't all that caustic.

SpeshulEd 

Just don't mix ammonia and bleach, that's toxic and if you take a whiff, you could be on the floor yourself.

Random story....my mom only ever used ammonia and white vinegar to clean her house. I do the same now. Ammonia for floors and countertops, white vinegar for windows and everything else. Neither seem to affect our pets in a negative way, plus they're cheap and do a pretty great job at cleaning things.

cyccommute 

A bit of a non sequitur.

"Toxicity" can mean many things. It can mean that something is deadly or it can mean that something is damaging to sensitive tissues. In this case, I mean it as damaging to tissues particularly eyes.

You don't spray it in their eyes which is what people intend to do when using it on a bicycle. Acetic acid or ammonia sprayed in the eyes does more than just hurt. They could easily cause blindness, especially ammonia. Even when used as a cleanser, they can be damaging to eyes and nose because the vapors react with water to form a caustic. Detergent, on the other hand, is slightly caustic but not nearly as caustic as acetic acid or ammonia.

cobrabyte

Um, humans are animals. We happen to be both the most compassionate, and the cruelest animals on the planet, but we aren't "above" the animal kingdom, we're part of it. Your life is more important than a dog's life to one person...you.

The egos of some people...

I've been chased by dogs a few times and honestly, I don't think I would have the sense of mind or time to react with a weapon even if I had it on me. I've always jumped off my bike, held it in front of me, and yelled NO! really loud. Once a huge Akita pushed down his fence and I thought I was done for. I jumped off my bike, got behind it and ran straight at the dog screaming NO! GO HOME! He ran right back into his yard.

Honestly a bike is a better weapon than a knife IMO. You miss with that knife and that dog grabs your arm, fights over. A bike is basically a fence between you and the dog, and can do some damage too.

Will Goes Boing

Years ago I got chased by a snarling barking snapping pitbull while going uphill.... I have never ridden so fast in my life.

Stix Zadinia

I don't think I would consider carrying a knife, the reason being I think it could be problematic, for example if more than one thug (like a group of them) had intentions of trying to frisk me and steal from me (unlikely, but I still wouldn't rule it out completely).
It would also be a problem in case of a police search (not that I've had any yet, but who knows).

A potent pepper spray (not just for imminent danger from a feral dog situation, but from thugs) seems like a much better solution to me, personally.

cyccommute 

With the exception of some dog shaped objects, most people aren't going to be able to outrun a dog. That doesn't mean you can't outsmart them. Not too many 'man killer' dog survive to adulthood so most dogs know where they stand compared to humans. Your response, i.e. stopping and yelling at the dog, is the best response. I've had dozens of run-ins with dogs over the years and that has been my response every time. I stand my ground and make the dog submissive. That's what they are breed to do.

If they don't realize that they are submissive, a sharp whack across the nose with a bike wheel sends the proper message. The nice thing about the bike wheel is that it's a big weapon hitting a tiny target...hard to miss.

SpeshulEd 

I passed about 8 dogs on my way into work today, 3 were off leash, not one of them budged. As I passed them, I said "well, hello there little doggies" - no knife needed. Granted, only one of them (golden lab) was taller than my kneecap. Ha!

tdister

I just assumed most people carry a knife. They are useful for way more than self-defense but are a great backup, if it comes to it.

My current carry knife is not made or all that great for self defense, it's actually designed to not puncture things.



/here, as in many instances, non-violence is a great tactic but a terrible policy.

merkong

Possible training tool???

SpeshulEd 

It's what Kevin Costner used in American Flyers!

Stryver

A warning about knives as weapons. I strongly suggest not discussing in public places a plan to carry a knife for defense. You can visit bladeforums for more in-depth discussion of the ramifications of intent as it pertains to carrying tools.

I say this as a cyclist and knife enthusiast with a bunch of knives that were designed for many different things (including a few designed for the sole purpose of combat), who trained in competitive, armed, martial arts for a while and has carried weapons (edged and otherwise) in the course of non-bike-related duties. In day-to-day life (and on a bike), sometimes I carry a knife. They are great tools, useful for a wide variety of tasks, from slicing my bagel to opening mail to cutting a tire boot. Like my Sharpie marker, Quik stik tire lever, and my coffee thermos, they can also be improvised to apply directed force towards an assailant. However, I don't carry a Quik stik for defensive purposes, I carry it to help me change my tire. My thermos keeps my coffee hot, and my knife slices bagels and opens packages. If I were to carry a Kubotan, which has a similar overall shape to a Sharpie (or Quik stik), it would be classified as a deadly weapon in many jurisdictions, and cops are trained to notice them. Kubotans are designed for defense, and people don't carry them to change tires. Whether you worry about dogs or people or flat tires, use caution in how you describe your tools in public. The words you use, especially in public, can frame how the law sees your intent.

If you do decide that something you carry is likely to be something you reach for when you need to defend yourself, I recommend you train with it. Wrap a piece of carpet around a tree, or a punching bag, or something else heavy and slightly soft that won't mind being hit. Take your potential improvised defensive device, and see what it is like to hit something with it. If it's edged (a knife), don't use the actual knife. Get a mock-up, or a training blade, or something with similar hand/guard shape, and understand how to hit with it and not hurt yourself. If you are spending time to think about what you would do in an attack scenario, or buying things to protect yourself, then spend some time and train to use them. Don't let the first time you hit with force be the time you need to do it right.

kmv2

lol humans are animals too.

jrickards

I'm currently reading "Cycling home from Siberia" and in it, the author has had success with the Dazer II.

erig007

You mean this one? [Tibetan mastiff]






or that one [Kangal]
(possibly the world strongest dog bite force, about 3 times stronger than a pitbull, 714 lbs or 743 lbs vs 235 lbs, not verified)

SpeshulEd 

I've never seen a tibetan mastiff before, that thing looks awesome. I almost got a neapolitan mastiff a few years ago, but feared my for my couch.

As for knife training, also not a bad skill to have in case of a zombie apocalypse!

deeth82

I was thinking the same thing when I saw that Tibetan Mastiff pic (as well as "I'd need to get rid of the cats").

Trower

I've seen a Tibetan Mastiff before, man they are HUGE!! They are a bit on the territorial and agressive side, so not the best pets! They are awesome looking for sure though.

The Kangal is a cool dog, I remember reading about how they gave a bunch to African livestock farmers to protect against cheetahs. From what I had read I guess they were a huge success and have done very well keeping cheetahs away without having to kill the cats. Guess they are crazy tough, fast and fearsome dogs.

SpeshulEd 

Our Shar-Pei died prematurely of kidney failure so we ended up rescuing a puggle (pug/beagle mix) from the shelter. He had just been separated from his sister, was only a few months old, and just laid there so quietly with big old wet eyes. We'd thought he'd be the perfect chill dog. He was, for about 2 weeks. Now he's a little hell terror. Him and the cats do not get along at all. And he howls like a hound dog when he's chasing them and can't catch them.

droy45

If any of those dogs pictured above ever came after me, I think they I would be too scared to even take out my weapon. I probably would get my arse kicked. My coyotes are much better behaved than that. Holy Cow, who owns such beasts.

AusTexMurf

lmao

AusTexMurf

Agreed. Many dog encounters over time here, too. If flying already, outrun the dog. If not, stop, stand, yell, make the dog submit. Best strategy in the end, IMO.

In the rare case that doesn't work, (3+ times I can remember), bike itself, wheel or chainrings, u-lock, and knife (although knife and lock never used on a dog when on a bike, but once and only once as a pedestrian, alaskan malamute got me on the upper arm and took me down. Finally connected repeatedly w/ a steel toe to get some space and get the knife out. Then and only then did the dog owner intervene. Took place at a public park. Dog owner collared and leashed his dog after I got my knife out. He left. I followed him back to where he lived. Get this. Presbyterian Seminary School housing. Still have the scar and kept the torn up jacket, 15 years later. Wow.)

deeth82

Peace be with you, brother!