This has been said, but I will repeat. It depends on the dog. I would confront the owner, you say she fights it in court? Talk to her about it, maybe she will understand?...

I've only had one dog that ever caused me to really be afraid. I squirted him (her?) with the water bottle, but that didn't work. The SOB was biting at me no matter what, and I could not sprint away (he was FAST) from him. I tried a few sprints, but the dog was in better shape than me! At that time, I carried a Silca frame pump, but didn't want to strike the dog.

So I had to dismount and keep the bike between me & him and I was yelling at him, "NO!" as he was trying to get at me. He kept trying to come around one side or the other and I just had to keep turning and keep the bike between us. Eventually, he tired out and trotted off, back home presumably. By the time he trotted off, I was pretty shaken and tired and my heart was still in my throat.

I never knew who's dog it was, as he kind of appeared out of nowhere, but I avoided that street for a LONG time after that encounter.

This ain't beanbag. Loose dogs maim and kill. Dismounting, as mentioned, is a good way of keeping them at bay. Pray there's only one. Counter Assault bear spray is a good backup, with a 30-foot range.

For sure it depends on the dog

You folks never heard of a Dazer?



https://www.dazer.com/dog-deterrent.jsp

Just point, shoot, and say "DIE KLINGON DOGS!" You will hear the dog's toenails grinding on the cement as he/she puts on the brakes.

Remember where you heard it!

And God help you if the pepper or wasp spray blows back on you or someone else! Baaad ideas. Plus you have to AIM that stuff which will likely make you crash or veer into traffic giving Fido the last laugh.

Hah, yeah.. but it only works on some dogs, usually not the psycho ones.

Do the treat thing, throwing the treat at the same place every time. Then remark to the owner "wow, dogs really don't know the difference between treats and laxatives" Keep throwing treats. You just trained the owner.

These things are junk ... an airhorn on the other hand works.

Pepper spray is my last resort. Years ago, my sister once accidently discharge a pepper spray while the family was opening gift. She did not know what it was and hit the button. It hit the wall between my dad and mom. Everybody instantly started coughing uncontrollably. That is some powerful stuff. It took 1/2 hour before anyone can go back in. If I knew the dog better, I will not spray it, however a wild and unknown agressive dog is a different story. I have once sprayed a dog with a water gun filled with ammonia and he didn't like it at all, but I never really tried it on a very aggressive dog.

I have a 5ft cable for locking my wheels. I like to fold it in half and take the velcro strap and tie the tip together tightly. If I ever need it, it makes a good whip. For storing it, I slip it into two Twofish block mounted on my top tube near mu stem and seat post. It allow me to pull the cable out fast when I have to.

I bought my first Dazer 20 years ago. It worked on every dog. Hundreds. Then I lost it. Bought a new one about 5 years ago. It worked on NO DOGS. Just thought I had a defective one, but the review you linked to seemed more like my second experience.

If you get a good one, it will work. The manufacturer admits that deaf dogs are immune (of course) and a small percentage of dogs become even more enraged by the sound.

I am soon going to buy another one directly from KII Enterprises and see what happens. My first unit worked so good. EVEN through a plastic bag.

Currently I have been riding road bikes so much that I use a full sized frame pump as a club. Dogs seem to understand when I raise up to "go all baby seal" on their arses.

Probably thinks you're gonna play fetch with it... and old neighbour once had a half wolf dog that decided to take a bite outta him when he was chopping wood... hit the dog on the head with the blunt end of the ax and it still didn't stop it. So... that pump won't help(unless you have a steel stud on the end)

Maybe you need a giant megaphone, *Screech* "**** OFF DOG" *click*. Alternately you can just use the megaphone outside the offending dogs house at 3am... *Screech* "WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF" *click* then ride off

Honestly wtf dude WASP SPRAY? I'd be so pissed of someone did that to my dog. Dogs are dogs, they won't change. Why don't you just shoot it, alteast it won't have to suffer with wasp spray.

While wasp spray is harsh(causes immediate blindness) it is not like he is going into your back-yard todo this or doing it because he hasn't been hurt or threatened by such a large dog(100lbs). If a dog is loose it can get slammed by a car and hang around in a ditch dying for a while also, yet you aren't complaining about that? If your dog is loose it can go around drinking up pools of anti-freeze and that isn't a pretty ending either. If you're not around to take the dog to the hospital for the antidote to the wasp-spray or for surgery from the car hit or well i don't think you can do anything about anti-freeze then you're just being a neglectful(carefree?) owner and everybody at vet clinic is going to know.

Dogs will be dogs, is just like saying kids will be kids... It is just a lame excuse for bad behaviour in a perfectly trainable animal ruined by a lazy owner. Do you let the dog out the front door every time a cyclists goes by and then shut the door and say "Dogs will be dogs" then go back to watching tv? That is what that statement sounds like to me.

Wasp spray does not cause immediate blindness or any long term damage. I used it about 4 years ago on a neighbors dog. The dog will only come to the edge of the road and not out of its yard, still. Its definitely not the most popular solution but it does work. I would only use it for problem dogs on a regular route. Most of the time I just ride straight at them and they turn and run. By the time they give chase again you are going fast enough to be out of danger.

I have had a couple of friends bit with serious injuries. I don't care if it is a bad owner it is still the dog biting. If the owner doesn't take responsibility, then its up to you to train it. I don't like the idea of giving them treats that only lures them to the street. Do whatever you need to and let them know their yard is the limit of their territory.

Interesting. I tried a Dazer when they first came out and the dogs where I was living at the time (upstate New York) were not impressed ... I don't have to worry much now because where I live there is a leash law that is pretty strictly enforced and the ones animal control don't pick up right away end up on someone's dinner table. I'm doing a bike ride this summer the length of the Mississippi starting in New Orleans and I think it might be wise to bring the air horn (alas, I use a seat-post pump, which makes it less handy as a deadly weapon). Let us know if your new Dazer works - it is easier to work with than an air horn and I'm willing to give it another try if you know how to get one that works.

As a lifetime owner of large breed dogs & a lover of dogs in general I do not disagree with wasp spray as a defense against a large breed problem dog. A 100lb dog can unleash some serious woopass on a bike rider. It is the dog owners responsibility to control and protect the public from their animals. I currently own two 100lb Dobermans that I love dearly but if they threatened anybody I would not blame them for taking what ever measures they felt necessary to protect themselves. It would break my heart to see them killed or maimed in anyway but I would prefer that over them causing injury a person. My dogs are very genital around me & in our home but dogs are very different out on there own especially with other dogs. People are afraid of loose dogs for a reason and rightfully so. They have maimed & killed people on a pretty regular basis so you take what ever measures necessary to protect yourself. I think wasp spray is a great last resort for a real problem animal. The consequences of your dogs actions can be devastating to everyone involved. You might even be doing the dog & owner a favor by taking such action.

On another note I would not hesitate to spray wasp spray into the eyes of a mugger on the mup either, The stuff is pretty accurate at 20 feet.

Sorry...perhaps the best typo ever.

If she is not keeping her dog in check, she's not going to understand. People like this are of the same kind as those who listen to music really loud. It's an ego trip thing. My property can do what it wants and is more important than your needs/preferences/safety etc.

Maybe they should spray the owner with something instead of the dog?

LOL that is to funny

Update. Suprise , dog was loose as I went by the driveway. Heard the dog running, crossed the street and hopped off my bike , stopping across from the driveway. I stood my ground and the dog barked, and did not leave the driveway. A few cars went by and I slowly walk down the road about 50 yards. Nothing to chase, he did not follow me.