tcs

And from the statistics I've read, dog-caused crashes far outnumber dog bites. Even a small dog can cause you to go down if it hits your front wheel.

LAriverRat

Well, today i went out to do some errands, came to a stop sign not far from my home. A women pushing stroller with a small child in it are strolling to the stop sign approching opposite from me. All of a sudden a black cocker spaniel comes out from the house she is passing a starts to attack the child. The owner of the dog tries to stop the attack with a towel and shouting but the dog keeps on attacking. Finally the owner grabs the dog and pulls it off the kid. There was another cocker spaniel but it just sat and watched. I offered to call animal control or the police as i saw the whole thing but the dog owner played dumb and said she "NO Habla". The women with the child declined any help. Loose dog, a well kept well fed dog attackes for no reason. We do have leash laws in our city, the leash has to be six feet or less. I am pretty sure the dog owner has had her dogs outside without a leash in her yard before and nothing has happed but why now? Dogs, go figure.

Blues Frog

Any animal could get the poisoned meat and die. That includes children. I also have a problem with the firearm idea. In this state it is against the law to discharge a firearm in or even within several feet of a roadway. You could argue for the use of force against force but I don't think it will get you anywhere. When on duty I have to account for each projectile discharged. That's another sticky point. There must be a good method to stop these attacks but it probably will be a case by case thing. I have noticed one other thing along with my club riding buddies. Eliminate all squeaks before you go out. Metal against itsself ( at the worst galling and failed bearings ) bothers the dog's hearing and will at least get his attention. That is a first step to avoid. I hope you all solve your dog problems safely.

jbrow1

Dogs suck! While biking anyhow. I just did a ride I hadn't done since last year b/c of dogs. The pit bull I sprayed last year with HALT (he turned right around) was nowhere to be seen. The black lab that chased me for 1/4 mile or more (didn't have halt that time) started to give chase again. Before he came out of the yard I got off the bike and yelled at him. He "let" me walk my bike by, but started out whenever he thought I was getting on it. I was wishing he'd come out on the road so I could make a SECOND report to the authorities on him. I call on every dog that enters the road to chase me. I have a friend who was badly bitten on the thigh, and the dog was put down b/c of previous complaints made against it.

I think guns just cause more and larger problems. You've already been confronted by owners after using spray, what do you think they'll do if you shoot their dog? And you have to call the cops if you shoot the dog, to make sure and tell your story and not seem to be running away like a villian.

Good luck to you!

xizangstan

I feel really sorry for you people who live in states where they've made it a crime to defend yourself against actual violent attacks. Or where you're intimidated by irresponsible citizens with vicious animals. That's a shame.

AzTallRider

WTF?!? What possible reason could you have for shooting a seagull?

kr32

I had a seagull poop on me while playing golf once. Right on the hand while putting. My playing partner almost died laughing!

I never thought of shooting it though.

Dan Burkhart 

This reminds me of the story of Dave Winfield when he played for the Yankees. Exibition Stadium, Toronto, Aug 4 1983. Killed a seagull by throwing a baseball at it. True story.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weOxt28RvGc

scroca

Remove the dog? And what about the next dog they get?

No, financial consequences to a negligent owner has got to be the most effective deterent.

bagster

Have a buddy follow you in a pickup truck and run over the offending cur. Perfectly legal as long as the dog is in the roadway.

Dan Burkhart 

Never mind dogs. It's marauding squirrels that are the real problem. Just look at what this cop was forced to resort to to protect the local population.

Daspydyr 

Discharging a weapon in is a serious offense, be very certain your life is in danger. What about a taser? Can you shock the dog and then kick its teeth in?

akohekohe

Well, I don't know about AirZound but I have found the air horns sold for small boats work very well and can keep blasting a lot longer than AirZound. They can put out in excess of 110 db which is very painful to a dog. With these you can aim them directly at the dog.

goldfinch

I have heard this many times before when people have asked me how to deal with problem neighborhood dogs. Everyone wants the problem to go away and do not want to do things that might make it better, might make it possible to live with a problem dog in the neighborhood and have that dog be less of a problem for them. Of course, there are some dogs and some neighbors that pass into the category of frightening which may require different action.

About a year ago we got a new neighbor. We share a chain link fence boundary. His dogs would bark wildly at the least little thing and would charge the fence at our dog. The neighbor keeps them outside with a doggy door to let them in the garage. The first thing I did was cook nice tasting bacon and made friends with his dogs. I talked to the neighbor over the fence and asked if it was ok if I gave his dogs treats. I didn't say that I was on a mission to train his dogs. Now they do not bark at me or my family or my dog when we are in the yard. They love me. I am wonderful. I am god to them. They only get goodies from me when they are nice and quiet, so they are nice and quiet when I appear. Their general level of arousal has dropped considerably and they don't bark much any more.

Alternatively, I could have been pissed and called animal control every time the dogs were making too much noise and charging the fence. The dogs, the neighbor, the animal control, and I all would be unhappy.

There are strategies for dealing with chasing dogs that may be aggressive to reduce the risk of an attack. 2manybikes and I mentioned some. Plus, if you are going to carry pepper spray in another thread I talked about the different types of pepper sprays. Bear spray can be very strong. You might want to carry a spray formulated for dogs. There are greater risks to you in using a very strong formulation. Think windy day.

xizangstan

There are good dogs and there are bad dogs. Some dogs will bark because they're simply bored, others will bark because they want to meet you. And then there are the territorial dogs...

Some dogs will attack you because you have dared to trespass on their stretch of public roadway. You should be aware that you have no rights to travel a stretch of public roadway that belongs to a territorial dog.

It's YOUR fault if you or your children are bitten or mauled. Leave the poor puppies alone!

Nightshade

"Mace does not stop some dogs. I hit both dogs above multiple times with the Mace before stopping them at less than three feet distance. If the owner today had not comes out and gotten the dane I am pretty sure he would have come back after me as the Mace only made him back off but not stop or leave. If people insist on owning man killer dogs then maybe it is time to think differently about such things."

But pure vinegar in a spray bottle does! Just hit the dog in the face with a squirt or two of pure vinegar and the dog will stop.

goldfinch

The vinegar (or lemon juice) will work sometimes--put it in a water bottle and give a squirt. Heck, a squirt from a regular water bottle can also distract a dog too. The weak acid is not likely to stop a hyper-aroused dog. But at least it is something that you can do when you are on your bike. I would not want to use a pepper spray when riding.

leob1

I was driving through a parking lot and saw a flock of seagulls on the ground. I thought I'd have fun with the flying trash cans, and drive through them. Well, they all took off, and turned around and flew over my car. They must have been real scared too, judging by the amount of stuff that came out of them. Had to wash the car three times to get it all off. I thought of shooting myself.

Midlo Rider

Try RAID wasp spray. Shoots up to 30 feet and will stop the meanest dog in its tracks.

metro2005

i have one of those high frequency that will scare dogs aways devices. Haven' t used it since i got it but its a nice thought of having it within reach when i'm on my bike. I've had a couple of nasty encounters with dogs too.

fietsbob

anyone got a cell phone? 911 and animal control getting on the job ,
seems like what they are there for.

goldfinch

Odds are it will not work. The evidence of it working as a dog repeller is not positive. Dogs can hear it (if you have good batteries) but it is unlikely to stop an attack.

goldfinch

Only if it distracts. Raid isn't any kind of magic dog stopper.

ModeratedUser150120149

Suggestions mentioned in this thread:
-If attacked put your bike between you and the dog. I've got a scar on my leg as testimony that doesn't always work.
-Use a gun. Works fine IF you can shoot while your heart is beating fast from the ride and the adreniline from the situation. AND If there is a safe route for the bullet after it penetrates the target and proceeds downrange, or if you miss.
-Spray works sometimes. Depends too much on wind, breed of dog, attitude of dog, kind of fur dog has, etc. If it contains a dye it definitely will let the owner and everyone else know the dog was not behaving. I used spray once on a pair of dogs the owner let roam. Didn't affect the dogs much. But, the orange dye on the coal black fur of these two purebreds sure did get the owner excited. He never talked to me again but neither my dog nor I ever had to worry about his dogs either. Good trade.
-Out psych the dog works if the dog is the run of the mill over eager property protector. If the dog is a vandal or a bully get prepared to get physical.

In short, misbehaviing dogs, like misbehaving motorists, or misbehaving cyclists are just part of life. You play the game and take your chances. Most of the time it all works out.

sknhgy 

Dog comes at me
I grab Halt spray
wait - wait - wait till he gets close
then let him have it in the face
A steady stream
None of this short spurt stuff
Works every time
This all takes place while I'm riding
Don't see why a person couldn't do the same with a gun.

You just have to remain calm. I sprayed Halt right into one mutts mouth from a foot or so away. All of a sudden he had other matters to tend to - like remembering how to breathe.