Protection against dog attacks.
 

Hello
I just bought a Trek bike last month and was planning to ride all summer in Wester NY, but this week I spoke with two people who have personally been attacked by dogs while riding. I am terrified to ride my bike.

I have read the forum on what to do when approached by a dog, but I don't think I can stop, get off the bike and place it between me and an aggressive dog without almost fainting with fear. Should I get the Dazer, a pump, a water bottle and spray and use all if I have to get off the bike?

Should I get off the bike and then face the dog, placing the bike between us? Should one always get off the bike,? I don't think I can bike and use one of my hands to spray a menacing dog. I think I would fall.

Any advice?

Chanel

I carry Halt (what mailmen carry). It's been years since I've sprayed it, but it was always effective. But some on these forums say it's not strong enough for the worst dogs (pit bulls, trained guard dogs, etc.). But now with all the "No Weapons" signs that I see, I'm glad tohave the Halt. Once, someone said I was violating the policy, but I pointed out that if that were the case, the'd have to arrest the mailman, too. They backed down.

Tie a milkcrate to your bike and put stray cats in it. They will scare the dogs.

Or, keep your U lock at the ready to smack em

or---ride sraight at them

Gee I don't think that fear of dog's should keep anyone from riding. I am 84 years old, and have been riding since I was a child. In that time I can say that I have been bitten by dogs twice and a coyote once. None were serious, just long scratches. They grab for your leg which is promtly jerked out of their mouths by the pedaling motion before they can get a good hold. In recent years dogs seem to pay less attention to bikes than they did in the past. I know that was true over the years that I commuted by bike.

Yell. As loud as you can. It's always worked for me and it scares not only the dog but anyone you're riding with.

One of my riding buddies said "That dog thinks you're crazy." but I really know HE thinks I'm crazy. ;)

Keep a 2nd water bottle ready to go with some parson's ammonia in it, and keep that ready to give 'em a squirt. Old paperboy's trick, that stuff.

PS - don't drink from that water bottle.

Attacked and chased are not always the same thing. I have been chased by dogs that I know aren't going to attack me, but the first time on that route you don't know that. Most of the suggestions here will work on most dogs. Another thing is take different routes if you know a particular dog is bad or talk to the owner. I find rural dogs can usually be seen ahead of time and planned for, urban dogs often appear out of nowhere and are a lot closer to start with. Another suggestion is a small .22 auto loaded with hollow points. Head shot works best. Guaranteed he (she?) won't bother you or anyone else again.

Generally when a dog is chasing or barking at a bicyclist it is not the person that the dog is bothered by, it is the bicycle. There are several ways to deal with the situation, some have already been mentioned. You can keep riding, though dogs with herding instinct may try to get ahead of your front wheel and redirect you. You can try getting off on the side opposite the dog and walking the bike past, but if you do you should not turn directly toward the dog and stare at it, it may see this as a threat or a challenge. You also should not turn your back on it, it may see that as an opportunity to strike. Turn your shoulder to it and watch it with a sidelong glance, that tells the dog "I am not threatening you, but I'm not running away either." Chemical sprays and other offensive measures should be saved until the dog has commited to an actual attack, which is easier to determine if you are off of the bike. Especially since, if you are attacked while on your bike, you will probably end up down on the ground. Which is not a very defensible position when dealing with a dog.

The most important thing to do is not to assume that the breed of the dog is an indication of what it's behavior will be. Because of stereotype, most people are afraid of PitBulls, Rottweilers, Dobermans, German Shepards and the other, so-called, "vicious" breeds.
Yet the 2 breeds most frequently involved in dog bite incidents in the US are the Golden Retriever and the Cocker Spaniel.

The old Sears catalogs used to sell small pistols for cyclists, for dog problems.

We are higher up on he food chain than dogs. They are scared of us. I got chased by a big chow once and I got so annoyed it followed me so long I just dropped the bike real quick and yelled and ran after it. It ran with tail between its legs yelping.

Another truck is to literally just kick the shyt out of it with a free leg LOL.... Their nose is their weakness and they dont like getting hit on the nose.

If you do fall down try to fall under your bike so that you have your bike to sort of protect you...

Chances are the dogs chasing you are small piece of crap worthless dogs to society like chihuahas, muts, etc.

My only other suggestion thats harsher is to go to your local army surpluss store or online catalog and purchase those extending batons. like these http://www.shocktroop.com/st/control...oduct_id=ST998

Whatever kind of danger that any cyclist may perceive, you can guarantee that he/she will meet one or more people who have experienced it. Which means that we shouldn't ride, any of us.

If there is a historical reason why you are afraid that you might be attacked, remember that, as our 84 year old friend says, they are very rare, so please don't let your fear stop you from having fun. I've been on two wheels since '47 and have only been chased 3/4 times. The only injury I suffered was a tiny scratch from one of a group of toy yorkshire terriers, standing about 8inches high at the shoulder.

Enjoy Wester NY, wherever that may be.

I love dogs I really do BUT I carry a batton and will and have cracked a dog or two over the nose and head before ,, They are supposed to be on a leash

Just to say hi to skanking biker---I am listening to the Trojan Box Ska set right now! Rudie get Plenty!

Don't be such a chicken. Dogs are a minor nuisance. The greatest danger is that you will fall off your bike, not that the dog will bite you. So be careful how you ride. Ride carefully around dogs, just like you would around small children. If they get too close, politely but firmly tell them to go away.

Of all the scary things in the world, why do people spend time worrying about something so harmless?

Get the pepper spray and practice. All you need is enough to slow them down so you can take off.

Koffee

Rudy can't fail

Have you ever had a big dog sink thier teeth in your calf or leg? once you have you won't think twice about cracking one over the head next time it is not minor it is bloody sore :beer:

Why don't you tell us what happened to you? Maybe I will change my mind. (BTW, I have been bitten by dogs twice, by humans four or five times. I still don't think either is a big danger in the universe.)

If you are worried about dogs biting/chasing you on the bike, are you also worried that a plane will fall out of the sky and hit you on the bike?
Same reasoning. Odds are against either perceived problem.
IF a dog comes after you, we yell: "Get off the couch!" seems to work for us!
Pedal on TWOgether!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem

First of all, i carry K9 pepper spray that is forumulated just for dogs. With that said, i have realized after dozens and dozens of dog chases that most dogs are just chasing and not attacking. I yell at them first, if nothing else to get the attention of the owner and make him aware that, "hey bung hole your dog is chasing me!!!"

If yelling doesn't work, i spray them with a water bottle. IF that don't work and they are anywhere near my legs, than they get a nice little dose of doggy perfume. (aka pepper spray) Only had to do this twice and the dogs melted like butter.

We have alot of dogs that run around with out a leash up here and no I don't ride my bike and worry about being bitten I enjoy my ride to work and free times BUT I am ready when it is about to happen my point is that I was biten once and it hurt alot so now when a dog is chasing me I pull out the baton and yell *%@$ OFF if that don't work too bad for the dog and riding faster most of the time makes the dog chase you more and once the dog has been cracked in the head it will remeber it and that might save some little kid from being bitten :beer:

Why do you think that a dog chasing you is going to bite you? Most dogs who chase you are either running you off "their" turf, or trying to play with you. Dogs also chase cars, but they never catch them or bite them. Just make sure you don't fall off your bike--I bet 1,000 times more people get hurt by falling then get bitten! Maybe 10,000, maybe 100,000. The injuries from a fall would usually be worse than a bite, too.

I totally believe that most dogs are just chasing you to get you off their turf....however, just this morning I was chased by two different dogs, and they both were deffinately going for my legs. Lucky for me they were a little fat and overweight so I just outrode them. There's a great product called Sabre, its pepper spray with military CS Gas mixed in with it. Get one of these, hook it to your saddlebag, and if you're really afraid that you can't outrun your four legged friend, give 'em a little shot, it'll drop them in their tracks!

Pepper spray or getting cracked over the head is a lot easier on the dog than the dog getting hit by a car. Doing nothing to deter the chasing behavior reinforces to the dog that running in the road is acceptable behavior.

I like "all the above advise". I'm not as concerned about the dog biting me, as I am about the sneaky ones. They run at me from the side, sliding to stop, and get soooo... close. This is what I fear most, the dog getting into my space, and bringing me and bike to the ground. There's not much defence for this. I love dogs, some times they are so funny. The other day I was attempting to spray one with my water bottle, droped it, and as I turned around to retrieve the bottle, the dog picked it up and brought it to me. Good dog. We can't stop ridding, we just have to be alert. The real hard core dogs are reported to my county's animal control unit. They come to the house and give the owner a ticket, next time they take the dog.

The last time I thought a dog was going to be aggressive I just yelled "HEEL" really loud and deep. The dog stopped and looked kinda freaked out.

Last weekend I was riding in an unfamiliar place. A guy was in his yard with two ENORMOUS dogs. He immediately starting yelling at them, trying to get them under control...to no avail. I ended up grazing his mailbox as his dogs, one on each side of my bike, bit my legs as I pumped like mad to get out of there. I tried yelling, squirting water and kicking one in the nose. In the end, the only thing that saved my skin was the fact that it was really cold and I was wearing nylon running pants with two layers of nylon, so as they bit, nylon slid against nylon and their teeth kept clicking together as their CHOMPS slid off the nylon.

In the end, I wasn't hurt, but had about a quart of dog slobber running off my legs for the rest of my ride!

why not just carry a can of mace on your bike, it works good for both dogs and their owners.

why hasn't anybody suggested sprinting to get away? I generated 1153 watts sprinting from a dog...he never knew what was coming.

There is this one country road i always take on my cycling between Rhode Island and the Berkshires in western Mass, a ride I do many times over the summer. Everybody had a dog, and different days different dogs chase me from different directions. There are great big huggable country mutts and purebreds. Alot of times when I hop off the bike the dogs come out and just sniff me, and even realize I am a local and let me pet them. As soon as I get back on the bike, its sic 'em time! Something about bikes drives dogs bonkers.

roughstuff