OK, OK, I'm sorry. Forty lashes with a wet noodle. Perhaps I should say it was funny in a sad way. And yes, we had spoken to the owners, who showed no interest in keeping the dog within the confines of their property. And though you may think otherwise, I am a dog (and cat) person. I love my animals enough to keep them under control.

Maybe this story will all make amends:

One time while coming back from a long club ride to a restuarant in a distant city, a friend, David and I were coming back up a long hill on a back road, when out of nowhere a medium sized dog appeared from the left and started the chase. David, who is right-handed, whipped his pump off with his dominant hand and stupidly swung over the front of his bike at the dog. This, of course, sent him sprawling across the road. The dog, unacustomed to such a sight, stopped in his tracks. I was trying to brake and swerve to avoid Dave and ended up T-boning the dog, who proceeded to roll up under my bottom bracket. I hopped off the bike and lifted it up off him. He was stunned, but otherwise OK. We stayed with him till he came around, and then he was very gentle and enjoyed the petting we gave him. Dave even shared his trail mix with the mutt. I'd like to say we made a convert, and he never chased bikers anymore, but I never rode that route again. He didn't have a collar, and there wasn't a house nearby so we don't know if he was a stray or someone's pet.