MTBerJim

I read a bunch from the pepper spray thread, but was thinking dealing with just dogs would be what I'm after.
At the eve of the Big 5-0 I've just started riding again after a couple of years, so my speed and stamina aren't much. This morning on the way in to work I'm passing the last house on my block, see 2 smaller dogs come charging from the back yard to the front running and barking inside of the fence I look ahead and see the gate is closed.
Good I was riding at a comfortable place, (not wanting to burn out my legs so early in the week) I turn the corner and head up the side street, now I hear barking, I was thinking wow are those mutts loud. I get to the next turn (a left) and glance down the street I just turned of, those 2 mutts where in hot pursuit, only about 30 ft behind me! I spin up the revs and hit a couple of higher gears, I've put a fair distance between me and the mini hell hounds. By now my legs are burning, I'm breathing heavy and I'm sweating, so I go back to pacing myself.
Not 30 seconds later I'm hearing the barking---AGAIN!!! Once again I kick up the revs and hit a couple of gears, this time I go as long as I can before I'm spent, I start looking for a place I can stop and defend myself, along with something to use as a weapon.

I was lucky that in this case it was small dogs, had it been a REAL dog it would have chased me down no problem.

The question is what to use for dogs?
Not real found of pepper spray, I'm thinking on a windy day I could get more on me than the dog, I have zero interest in a gun. I'm leaning toward and extending baton type thing, that would come in handy if the menace had 2 legs as well.
I'd like to hear if you have some better ideas.

Doohickie

A squirt of water out of a water bottle pretty reliably confuses a dog and makes it hold up long enough to get away, in my experience.

Seattle Forrest

30 mph is the top speed for most dogs, other than grayhounds. You can easily get up to this speed going down a hill, if all else fails. If the dog is somebody's pet, it probably knows its boundaries, and won't stray too far from home.

MTBerJim

Not looking to sound argumentative---BUT, it's flat where I live and it was almost 1/4 mile away from where it started, to where they gave up.

I like the water bottle idea, I'm wondering if the amount of time the dog would let up will be enough for me to make a get-away.
I like dogs and have 2, I'm not looking to hurt one because it sounds like a good time. Given a choice of the dog going home with a lump or me with a bite-----well.

Camilo

I have found that for most pet dogs a loud, low, NO stops them. I use it right away, all the time. "Go home" works a lot of the time too. I really yell as loud as I can. I combine that with trying to outrun them if possible and a water squirt if I have enough time and can think of doing it. But the NO should always be yelled. If nothing else it might get the attention of the owner if you yell it right when they start out of their yard.

I've also swung my full-sized frame pump, back in the day I carried one. Again, like the water bottle, it requires that you're at a pace that you can take a hand off the bars to grab it w/o dropping it or crashing. If I'm in the sprint mode, that and yelling are the only weapons I have, I can't grab either bottle or pump at that point.

If I had a chronic problem with a certain dog at a certain location, I'd set up to safely (for me) spray them with pepper spray, stop the bike and do it.

colleen c

The shop boys at my work place chase out possum with water. They took expire fire extinisher and empty out the power by fill it with water at the nozzle while holding the valve open. Then they half fill with water and the other half with 120psi compressed shop air. Darn thing shoot over 20ft with lots of water just like a garden hose.

Aloe

Dog whistle, banana peels, turtle shells, chain oil, tacs...

nashcommguy

In your situation I'd use an Airzounds or one of the generic air-blasters. My approach is different as I live rural and oft times people let their dogs run loose on purpose. Using a baton isn't effective as a dog can easily dodge a swinging object...and they do. Wb blast is ok, I've done it. Just consider it a case of wasting valuable water.

Maybe have a talk w/t owner? Explain what happened. They probably don't know there's a way out of the back. It's been my experience learning where most of the dogs are on your regular route will allow you to prepare. The ones on my regular all know me by now and leave me alone.

asromzek

Hit the brakes, they'll fly right by. Then switch to guns.

MTBerJim

Thanks Maverick--check yer six

MTBerJim

Mini air horn---I like it, it can be handlebar/frame mounted.

I'm planning on stopping by the owners house. The dogs are a new edition, they've never had the gate closed or the dogs before last month, there is all kinds of make-shift additions to the gate, I have no doubt the dogs are Houdini's and they have tried to keep them in.

I have another family that lives a few houses down from me that has a dog I had to call the police about a couple of years ago . Always out and ready to chase bikes, the last straw was, I was out walking my dogs w/ the wife, their dog starts a fight in the middle of the street with one of my dogs. Since the cops knocked on the door, I've only seen the dog out once. Some people really have no business owning pets.

One of my concerns is, as I've said people that have no business owning a dog do. We have countless Pit bulls around here, 3 German Shepherd's and one Rottweiler.
I know Pit bulls are great dogs--big mush. unless the owner is a macho ass and trains it otherwise.
One of the shepherds is owned by a woman that clearly has him under control, not worried about that one so much. The other 2 are owned by a couple that can barely hold them on the leash when they are being dragged down the street by the dogs. These 2 couldn't handle a Bichon---they really are going to get someone hurt.
The rotty is behind a fence-unneutered and is just waiting for his chance. No way am I going to be able to out-run any of them as I am now.

Blues Frog

We go by a place on a country road with the Saturday club ride. The medium sized dog seems to chase in pure joy. He is irritating but may get in front of us one day. Water bottle spray usually slows him down. Maybe the WB and an Air Zound is a good solution. Good luck. Blues Frog

ItsJustMe

I always just stop and tell them to go back home again. 99% of dogs just want to chase stuff. You stop, they back off. I haven't met the 1% remaining, though I'm sure they exist. For them there's putting the bike between them and me.

JimF22003

If this is right in your neighborhood, you need to permanently resolve the issue. Contact the neighbors and inform them of the problem. You're going to be going past that house over and over, and don't want to be whipping out the pepper spray every time.

gtrtx

+1

Every dog I've encountered stops chasing if I stop. Of course I still place the bike between me and the dog and have the pepper spray ready. Fortunately, I've never had to use it.

I too am positive that more aggressive dogs exist. I've heard stories. I just dread the day when I encounter one.

gear

If the dog looks like a danger, look for a car and cross the street just before the car passes you. The dogs will follow but only make it half way across. Problem solved.

bluefoxicy

Modified super soaker. BOOM!

gunner65

Find the irresponsible owner and swat them with a rolled up newspaper and say "bad owner" if the owner is aggressive spray the owner with pepper spray.

DogBoy

If they are barking as they chase you, they tend to be in the 99% mentioned above. Its the ones going full tilt that are silent that you need to worry about. I have met exactly 1 of those, and I was lucky that it was near a downhill, and that I slowed up just in time for him to miss. Barking dogs usually just want to chase and won't hurt you unless you do something dumb.

CptjohnC

This was going to be my suggestion, given the circumstance you describe; along with some yelling, you should solve the instant problem with no injury.

I was bitten by a small dog while riding a bike in my youth, so I am sympathetic, but chances are the dog is looking for entertainment, rather than lunch.

Doohickie

I had an encounter with a one-percenter. I stopped and had the bike between the dog and myself. It continued to approach, barking and snarling. When he was about 15 feet away, I squirted the water bottle in his direction. It didn't even reach him, just splashed at his feet. He sat down and continued barking. I slowly started to walk the bike down the road and the dog stayed planted, so eventually I got on and rode away.

MTBerJim

OK-the second round.
Went by the house again today (no I didn't get a chance to go by and talk to the owner) and they where out front, sure enough a chase ensued. We only went as far as the side street before I'd had enough, as I came up on the next street, I got off the bike and grabbed an empty garbage can, yelling, banging the can on the street and walking toward them was to much, they turned tail and made for home.
I'm thinking we should have one more round before they decide I'm no fun and don't even bother any more.

badrad

airzound! works to scare the bezeebers out of any dog.

i did a test yesterday with mine walking our neighborhood...

one of houses has a rottweiller and is usually loose in their fenced in yard. but the dog will always rushing into and pushing the fence, barking away. enough of a deterence for anyone wanting to go into the yard.

i wanted to see how it would react to the airzound blast which i held in my hand. letting off one short blast, the dog definitely fell back, and quieted down. tail was already between his legs. he was certainly baffled. another neighbor thought a car had honked and came out to see what had happened, and he was very interested that the blast was enough to shut that dog up. i guess he has been intimidated by that dog too, and he asked me where i bought it. sounded like a safe humane way, he had thought using about a baseball bat.... he said that dog has escaped from that yard a few times in the past, and he was literally kept a prisoner in his house until the SPCA came to get it. apparently the owner had been told several times about the dog getting loose.

shyonelung

FYI: A friend found a bunch of mini air horns at the local dollar store recently. Perfect size for stowing in your pack or even attaching to your handle bars.

Wescoe

Sounds like there are several plausible solutions. I just wanted to add that in many jurisdictions, collapsible police style batons are as illegal as large knives and guns are. They are considered concealed deadly weapons. I'm not here to judge that being right/wrong, just wanted to pass the info along. A full size frame pump seems like a workable substitute for a last ditch effort against the 1% of dogs the other methods wont work against.