Originally Posted by
larwyn
As a dog owner all I have to say on the subject is;
One surefire way to turn a friendly dog chase into an attack is to act aggressively toward the dog.
I ride bikes and I own a dog. I can assure you that my dog will not harm you, I can also assure you that I will harm you if you harm my dog. This is not a threat, it is simply an involuntary and uncontrollable fact. Kick my dog, you have me to deal with and I guarantee that I am much meaner than my pup. If you have ever successfully kicked a dog there is very little chance that he had any intention of biting you before the kicking, the average dog is simply quicker than a human foot.
To brag about kicking a dog is equivalent to a motorist bragging about running a bicyclist off the road.
Larwyn,
I have a metal plate in my shoulder because of a "friendly" dog. This dog is still owned by my neighbor. It used to chase me as I rode by. I would just ride on past it because I knew it wasn't a mean dog.
One day this dog was hidden in some tall weeds by the side of the road as I approached. When I got close it jumped out into my path and we collided. I ended up needing surgery for a broken collarbone. I'm OK now but it is only through the grace of God that I am not dead or crippled.
The sherriff, state's attorney, mayor (the mayor's son owns the dog), and the dog's owner all refused to do anything about the dog. SOOOO the next time it chased me, after I healed enough to get back on the bike, I gave that dog a whole bunch of mace right in it's **********, from a very short distance away. It has not come close to me since.
Other legal actions were also taken by me.
If a dog owner tried to harm me for protecting myself I would seek out some kind of legal compensation. How much property do you own?
Phone books are full of the names of smart-a$$ lawyers who are willing to jump at the opportunity to defend people who have been wronged or brushed-off by the local authorities, or by individuals who overstep their bounds.
You may be a bada$$, but I would advise you to keep your dog under control at all times.