Originally Posted by rgarza28
I've been chased by several (sets of) dogs on one route but I don't get upset about it. I usually whistle at them and keep on pedaling. After a short distance they give up and go home.
I also don't stop, why would I? I don't squirt water at them, I need it more than the dog but the pepper spray sounds like a good idea.
I never have been bitten but that doesn't mean I won't be in the the future but I usually don't worry about it.
That's been my experience too. There is no doubt at all in my mind that dogs somehow sense bicyclists who are afraid of dogs and those are the riders they harrass.
My son, who was about 12 or 13 at the time, and I were riding our tandem with a group of about 5 riders on singles. As we passed a rural house, a group of five dogs came out to say "hello." We watched as the five single riders all grabbed for water bottles, pumps and one woman had some sort of high tech device. We did nothing. After a few seconds, each single rider had a chasing dog barking at their heels while we were left entirely alone. My son thought that it was really funny.
When my wife and I ride our tandem, she talks baby talk to the dogs. "Hello baby. How you doing to day bowser?" Mostly the dogs stop barking and just prance along side looking up at her until they get tired.
My favorite dog story involved a friend named Bill. We were riding in a rural area of southern Michigan when a medium sized dog came charging full tilt down a hill toward us. Bill shouted "Sit." and that dog planted all four paws and did a couple of summersaults before coming to a halt in a perfect sit position. It was great!
I've never been bitten by a dog while riding my bike. I've had a couple of occassions when I was unable to avoid T-boning dogs who ran in front of my bike while trying to harrass another rider.