I'm a dog lover. I have two, and they are great animals. I've had dogs all my life.
That said, dogs are pack predators, with a long legacy of killing animals bigger and meaner than people. To deal with that, you have to be smarter and meaner.
Loose Chain has the right of it.
To anybody who thinks you can just scare them off, I'll submit that dogs are individuals, just like people. Some people scare, some don't. Same with dogs.
You get a big dog, jacked up on adrenaline, with maybe a couple buddies getting his back, and guess what? He'll rip your throat out unless you kill him. And if you're rolling around trying to choke him out? His buddies will do it for him.
We have opposable thumbs for a reason. Use weapons.

I come across dogs fairly regularly on many of my rural rides. But I've never been bitten or chased very far. I don't carry pepper spray or other 'deterrents' to defend myself. So what do I do?

I bark as loud as I can at the dog.

I know it sounds crazy, but it works. I usually stand up to make myself as big as possible, turn to face the dog, and bark as loud as I can. It never fails to confuse the animal long enough for me to ride away. And if that ever doesn't work, I have no problem resorting to my soccer skills.

A followup to the OP: I located the owners and the police got their info. They were cooperative and I'll be able to get my medical and equipment bills reimbursed by their homeowner's insurance. A rotator cuff injury has surfaced since then, so I'm off the bike for a while and on light duty at work (one arm). It was a 6mo old dog, and the owner says he's not quite big enough to use the invisible fence collar. Says they were out playing fetch, he turned around and his dog was gone (after me, down a slight hill out of view). He did not see any indication that I hit the dog with the pepper spray either.

In the future my mode of operation will be to panic stop immediately, put the bike between the dog and myself while presenting defense tool of choice, re-appraise the situation and defend myself as necessary. I'm getting a little beefier longer-range pepper spray and have a paddle holster on order too.

For those saying to try a command voice, squirting water, etc... do what you want but I strongly recommend that you use the only few seconds you will get to do something decisively useful because you may only get one chance. Do the math: You spot a dog at 75 feet away, he's sprinting towards you full bore, intent and on a mission. Assuming he can sprint at 25mph, you have TWO SECONDS before you've got teeth on you or a dog in your wheels. The average person may take .5 seconds to react, leaving you 1.5s. This was pretty much what happened to me.

For those of us who live around bears, particularly grizzly bears, we know pepper spray works better than any alternative. The idea that you'll be able to get off accurate shots from a pistol in the heat of a chase is silly. For the same reason that bear spray is 98% effective and guns are roughly 65% effective to stop bear attacks, bear spray will also be more effective in stopping a dog. You don't have to aim accurately for it to work. It sprays a fog of nasty and I don't believe there is a dog on earth that will not be stopped by a good dose of bear spray. Granted, dogs aren't as efficient at taking you down as bears, I believe the same principles would hold true.

I do think those little cheapo 3 ounce pepper spray bottles are a bit small for serious protection. Get yourself a larger 32 ouncer and it's still half the weight of a gun, safer for the case where you do crash and land on it (because either you have a bullet in the chamber and that's a real danger in a crash, OR you don't and you still think you can pull the gun chamber a round, then fire accurately while riding your bike before the dog gets you? keep dreaming), and much more likely to be effective in an actual attack.

jbtute: Agreed. Dogs don't know bullets. They don't know to be afraid of a gun, they won't realize what it means if they're shot, probably won't feel the pain right away, and will likely keep going until something physically fails. They do understand something in their eyes, instant pain, trouble breathing, and bad smells.

However, a normal breeze around here is 15-20mph for most of the year. At that speed I'd spray myself with a big bear fogger spray, which is why I have a stream type. Also, I have several guns at or lighter than 32oz, even with a holster. The falling risk is about the same, all modern firearms have drop protection. I wouldn't want to fall on either a can of pepper spray or a gun -- either is a big hunk of metal. In my case I had the pepper spray in my hand when I fell. My knuckles took a good bit of damage due to holding the can, and I actually dented the can with my hand. I'm surprised it didn't leak all over!

When I was a kid these two puppies came running out in front of my friend and I on our bmxs'. I think they were probably yorkies or something (small pups). The one pup got too close to my friends back tire and his neck got stuck on the inside of the rear chainstay between the stay and spokes. Pup's head was hitting the spokes like the wheel of fortune. Once my friend stopped the pup got out of the jam he was in and luckily was OK. It could have been a lot worse. I'll never forget the image of the dog's head bouncing off the spokes though. As others have said, you really have to anticipate from your surroundings when on two wheels.

I also find it interesting that two of the "attacks" on this thread were from pit bulls. Are you sure they were pit bulls? I'm not discrediting any of the posters, but pit bulls get a bad rap, when in fact many dog breeds are prone to chasing, herding, protecting, etc. When a dog does wrong by human standards, I always look to the owner, not the dog, or breed.

It's good to have a backup plan but I still think the loudest shout you can muster should be your first line of offense. Properly executed I think this will work on pretty much any dog that isn't rabid or a trained guard dog. Of course there are exceptions.

Saw this somewhere on here...

http://www.adventure-journal.com/201...han-your-bike/

I've remember saying that I've never had a dog attack and I was glad for that. But the next day oj a ride back home I encountered 2 dogs one was running with the me at about 15 mph easy. I had no problem with him. I think he was just thinking of chasing me. The other dog was rather small and I was cutting through a park oj the grass I heard barking looked back to see a smaller dog behind me. He was lucky he had dog tags otherwise he would have got my biking shoes to the face which OS really a good weapon for any dog attack Sence you can kick harder then you can punch and the bottoms are super hard. Also I bet these shoes could drop a grown man.

The actual weight of a large sized bear spray is about 13 ounces. I think I mislabeled it as a 32oz based on my estimate of the size. I think it's about the physical size of a 32oz soda. I don't really know what the volume is of the large size UDAP that I have. My S&W .22 is pretty small and light, and it weight well over 13 ounces.

I can see where wind would be an issue. I've never seen pepper spray that shoots a stream. I think it may have a lot of the issues a gun would have in that you need to be accurate when - like in your situation- you're shook up and have just fallen off a bike. That would be hard to do. Much harder than just aiming in a general direction. Plus with a little bottle you only get a couple seconds of spray at most. Better make it count!

I'm not sure what you mean by drop protection? Are you confident that your safety couldn't be bumped off and the gun jammed around in a holster such that the trigger is pulled? (Interestingly I do actually own an older Ruger .357 blackhawk which is one of the old style revolvers that can be discharged by hitting the hammer just right - they were recalled but I kept it as a novelty because I never actually use it and it's an interesting piece of gun history). Anyway, back to the gun thing, I realize it's a very low probability event, but think any gun short of maybe the kimbers that need a RF signal from a watch to fire could be discharged in a bicycle crash if you keep a round in the chamber. Or in your case you've got the gun safety off, round in the chamber, then you crash your bike. Just like you crushed the can of spray, do you think you might have popped off a shot or two if you had a gun in your hand instead?

I'm not saying it can't be done with a gun. I'm just saying that in my experience the bear spray is the higher probability defense.

Plus, with the pepper spray if your buddy is drafting you all day and won't take a pull, you can must mist him a little and drop him like a rock :)

FWIW, that's a Boxer not a pitbull. I'm no fan of Pitbulls and do think breading of them should be banned so they are eliminated through attrition, but in this case that's not a pit. It is very unusual behavior for a Boxer to bite a person. They aren't generally aggressive dogs.

What you need to get is a collapsible baton, I carry one in the side pocket of my backpack. It comes in pretty handy for mean dogs and motorist.

While I do agree that Boxers are not quite as agressive as most pitbulls. There are a sizeable number who would surprise you. My next door neighbor's dog was an extremely agressive Boxer. On the other hand, my Staffordshire Terrier was the sweetest dog in my entire community. I responsibly made certain that he was on my property at all times too!

- Slim :)

PS.

BTW - Not all Pitbulls are Staffordshire Terriers...

Glad you were not seriously hurt.

Tried a few things over the years but the best vicious dog stopper I have found is a law enforcement grade pepper spray called "Punch 2."
The water based, solid stream version has a range of over 25. ft (yes, a full 25 feet) and the 4 oz. can, can easily be mounted to the bars or stem for quick access but is small enough to be almost unnoticeable. It is available in many gun shops that cater to a lot of law enforcement people.

http://www.aerko.com/Punch%20II.htm

Even a trace hit on a dogs face at max range causes a reaction similar to it being hit with a flame thrower. Lots of yelping, dog scurries away with tail between legs and stays away. It will also be unlikely to come after you again, or some poor little kids that has no pepper spray.
I have a great love for dogs but an even greater hatred for emergency rooms and sutures.

In a pinch, pepper spray works well on bad people too. ;)

If you want to be clear the term pit bull has become one that encompasses a few different types of dog. Basically any bully breed that attacks nowadays is a pit bull, at least according to the media and general population. This is one reason for skewed dog bite statistics.

Before they were ever called pit bulls they were called nurse maid's dogs because they are naturally so gentle, protective, and reliable with children. If you ask any responsible pit owner they will tell you that these dogs seem to have a higher capacity for love than other breeds. Some cool pictures here if you scroll a little. http://www.pitbull-chat.com/showthre...uot-...vintage

Any dog can become aggressive depending on how they are raised. I've met pit bulls that thought they were babies and golden retrievers that would rip your hand off given the chance.

Have you ever been shot? Even a tiny .22 is like getting slammed by a 2x4 with an unreal amount of force. You bet they'll feel the pain right away, especially in the small body mass of a dog. Just putting that out there.

Couple other points I'd like to raise:

One concerning delay of fire because of having to chamber a round. I don't know of anyone who is licensed to carry a handgun who does so without a round in the chamber and the safety activated, if there is one. I know I sure don't. Otherwise, it's just a club with a delay switch.

Second concerning accuracy. Pretty valid point, but I'd also like to put forward that, you're probably just as likely to hit a dog from three feet or so away as you are to hit it in the eyes with some form of spray. You don't have to shoot it square in the head to incapacitate it, or discourage it from chasing you further. Training helps with accuracy under intense situations. I've mentioned it before somewhere else, but I absolutely don't believe that someone should entrust their defense to a gun until they've been trained to do so properly.

Regarding the bear statistics, anyone using a handgun against a bear of any species is pretty foolish. Grossly so, even. Handguns of the type we are speaking of here (and almost all in general) were designed for something with a much smaller body mass.

Not sure about the weight thing. My Smith and Wesson 637 (bike carry choice) weighs somewhere in the teens (oz). Not really a big factor.

Lastly, any properly designed quality modern firearm will absolutely not fire when dropped. They are tested extensively for this. Most have extensive safety features to prevent holster discharges (although a good holster wouldn't allow this in the first place) as well.

That being said, I don't discount the use of bear spray. It does work. I'd imagine anyone using that would be reasonably well off in defending against threats, but that's not what I choose to carry.

Carry what you want, by all means, I just wanted to put forth that a bullet is a more effective stopper than they are being given credit for here. Otherwise our law enforcement officers, who also must act under pressure and fire under adverse conditions, would trade in their Glocks for big cans of bear spray. Remember that cops must face the possibility of adversaries that genuinely don't perceive pain and can't reason, such as can be the case with meth addicts and other of the more severe drugs. Proper training is key, but it doesn't require some Jedi-like mastery to use a firearm effectively.

Not wanting to start some major flame war here, but I just wanted to clear up a few misconceptions before continuing on. Stay safe out there.
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I do sometimes carry a handgun while riding (Taraus PT-22 http://www.taurususa.com/gun-selecto...cfm?series=SF1 ). It is a double action only auto loader and totally safe to carry with a round chambered which facilitates one handed use. I would only use it was a last resort to remove a dog which had already attached itself to one of my legs.
Good pepper spray is highly effective and far less likely to draw attention that results in having a long chat with a police officer, filing a lengthily police report, explaining to a judge why you should not lose your carry permit ect... This would all be simplified in your favor if you were covered in dog bites. :D

FWIW, physics dictates that a .22 has less energy on impact than the recoil of the gun (much is lost to drag before hitting a target). Not really in the realm of 2x4 impact. Pain maybe, physical force no.

I don't think having the gun fall out is an issue. Crashing a bike with a gun in a bag or holster and having it possibly discharge. IMO that's a real possibility if you have a round in the chamber. Especially if you have the gun in a backpack or bag that's not holstered. Safeties are easy to knock off if the impact is correct, as is a possible trigger pull. No malfunction, just an unfortunate series of events could lead to an accidental discharge.

I think you're dreaming if you think you can even hit a dog that's coming after you more than 5% of the time. I think you should try to set up a moving target the size of a dog, then ride your bike while trying to get away and see if you can pull a gun from a holster and hit the moving dog target. Shooting off a stopped horse is very difficult at a stationary target. A moving target while pedaling a bike? Just not realistic.

Am a gun owner and avid shooter. I grew up in rural Montana and have probably shot 10's of thousands if not 100's of thousands of rounds through my various guns at all sorts of targets from all sorts of positions. I'm all for carrying and often do. I don't carry a gun bow hunting in grizzly country anymore and I think the same reasoning is applicable here. The probabilities lie heavily in favor of a simpler, more effective deterrent.

A friend of mine had a bull mastiff growing up that was a great dog. One day two lowlifes broke into his house while nobody but the dog was there. Unfortunately, they found the dog dead when they got home. However, the dog had latched onto one of the perpetrator's hands, and it was still inside the dead dogs mouth! They fingerprinted it and caught the guy, who then rolled over on his buddy. The whole point of this story, I forgot, is to say the dog suffered 3 heavy blows to the head from a crow bar and multiple knife wounds, and still wouldn't release the hand! So a .22 might not work on all of them. Sad story, but a damn good dog!

First, if that dog is in a house or contained safely, great, if loose and running amok, it is deadly dangerous and not just to cyclist.

Second, and not from the quote above, nobody is saying you ride along and shoot dogs as you go. You stop, dismount, place bike between you and dog and if need be and only if need be, then shoot to stop.

Third, a 22LR would put most dogs and most people down fast, a 22 Mag with the new home defense loads would knock a dog's rear off. I carry a .40S&W with hollow point or Glasser safety rounds or a 9 shot 22 mag hammerless revolver with Critical Defense rounds.

http://www.hornady.com/store/22-WMR-...tical-Defense/

Trust me, dogs, mountain lions, bad people, they are all going down fast. Grizzly bears, sorry, gotta go bigger, much bigger. I don't have any griz local or any particularly bad people, pit bulls and other dangerous dogs yes.

I'd much rather explain why there is a dead attack dog and no dog bites.
Kel Tec PT3A .380. 11 ounces fully loaded.

Home brew. Then you KNOW what you've got.

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/p...or/reload9.jpg

For the record, I'm in favor of the loud shout method. Considering that I've used it probably 25 or so times, and have never had to actually injure a dog, it's got a proven track record for me.
That said, I generally have a one hand opening pocketknife, for "get off me" purposes.

Ive only been riding a few months. One night in LA, riding near residential streets in a sketchy part of town a fairly large dog came at me. I stopped and shouted NO as loud as I could. He backed away. Gave me time to ride off. It was clear he was just seeing me as at the edge of his territory and was putting up an offense but when i challenged him he backed off or at least stood his ground and let me get away. i now try to avoid dark residential streets and of course dark alleyways, i feel its safer on well traveled roads because dogs dont hang out there as much and dont live there (assuming they live in houses and arent homeless.) What i have found is that dogs i have seen out on walks with owners have no interest in me or my bike, they just ignore it. They arent scared or threatened and arent on their home turf so arent territorial. What seems to get the dogs to react is if you are passing their house and they are not happy dogs to start with, probably left alone a lot and not treated well so they arent well adjusted. The homeless dogs i have encountered dont bother me either, they are too busy and tired scavaging for food and arent trying to hunt me down as food, and they are used to people and bikes so i dont scare them.

Ok, I'll bite (pun intended)

Just so you know where I'm coming from, I'm a part-time instructor of OC (pepper spray) and firearms, and I'm an armorer. This isn't to brag, its so you understand my mindset.

Falls and discharges- It would take a very rare set of circumstances and some very stupid decisions to have a gun go off in a fall. It would be no accident, it would be negligence. Guns go in holsters, or alone in their carry compartment of a backpack. If anything else is crammed in the bag with it that could get inside the trigger guard, then they are an idiot and made a mistake.
Modern guns will not fire, due to a mechanical break, when dropped. They will only fire when the safeties (active and passive) are activated and the trigger is pressed. If you think the gun will go off when dropped, then I suggest you read up on the subject. You will be pleasantly surprised.

I'll add that all modern firearms that I can think of are designed to be safely carried with a round in the chamber. You would be amazed at all the things that go on in that short trigger pull to allow the firing pin to strike the primer.

Accuracy - That depends on the shooter. The muzzle blast alone will usually dissuade non-committed attackers, both human and animal. Its much louder than a yell and feels like a slap across the face, even from the 9mm. I wouldn't want to shoot from my bike while still moving, unless I absolutely had to, but if I did, it would be reasonably accurate at such close ranges.

Be ready to stop the rest of your day to spend time with the police, most of it in handcuffs, while they figure out the details behind why you discharged your firearm.

OC - The best choice for most people. Its non-lethal, temporary and VERY painful. You can get them in a variety of sizes, trigger styles, chemical compositions and dispersal patterns. There are fogs, streams, cone-shaped sprays, foams, gels and probably a lot more that I'm forgetting. Things to consider are backsplash (when it bounces off the opponent and gets on you), innocent bystanders, decontamination, of you and/or anyone else, impaired driving and cycling abilities after being sprayed (or caught up in the cloud), etc.
It is unwise to think that you can just spray that stuff and ride away. Most anytime you spray it, you will catch some, either with the backsplash or when it is still hanging in the air. If it catches you, you won't be able to see or think as straight as normal. It could be as slight as a tingle in your eye and a scratch in your throat, or you will be just as incapacitated as the guy who you sprayed. Don't believe me? I highly suggest you try it out. Go into the garage and spray something (trashcan, etc.) from your bike. Take a few deep breaths like you would if in an actual event, then open the garage door and ride around the block. Better yet, have someone spray you in the face with it. Just a little bit, so you know how it feels and how you will react to it.

I haven't used either a gun or OC from the bike, and I usually get away with just yelling at the dog, but I have been known to carry something when I ride.

Hope this helped

First thing that came to mind reading this... Good thing your relatively okay minus the rotator cuff.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8uP-dxllKQ