Or if you attempt to use it on a dog when riding with someone else and it gets in their eyes.

Some of the folks I ride with (that don't like the idea of kicking a dog) carry something this:

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon....QL._SY300_.jpg

Can pick it up at the boating section in Walmart. Seems to be about as effective as the toxic sprays.

Neither or which are as effective of understanding dog behavior and acting accordingly, imo.

This thread is amazing, that is all.

I'm a cat person.

http://www.udap.com/mm5/product/BearCozy

http://www.udap.com/mm5/product/GM

So a dog wagging its tail, not barking or growling or showing anything but excitement should be taken as a threat? What a sad outlook you have.

Well, I have a sad outlook also. I am not a dog lover. If I feel threatened I will protect myself. A large dog running towards me is a threat.

I was in the Air Force and I can handle 25 lb. dogs.

You don't have to be a dog lover to pretty easily recognize an aggressive dog from a playful one. An aggressive dog is not wagging its tail 99% of the time.

A full grown German Shepard running at full speed towards a group of people not interacting with it should not be considered an item of concern?

I fully admit I don't care for dogs (or any pets) as much as the animal lovers, but surely you can see where an unknown German Shepard running at full speed towards you may not end as well as a happy dog slobbering you with kisses. Yes, if your dog is charging me, my first reaction is going to be suspicion and protection, not fun playtime.

In any case, this is probably why I don't have the greatest outlook of dogs: far too many owners think I should be as joyed by their pets as they are, and things like it running off towards a group of people they don't know is something amusing, not something that should be punished and discouraged.

Firstly she wasn't charging in the way you are implying anywhere. She was practically skipping the 35 feet that separated where we were to where the shop was. Her tail was wagging and she came back the moment I called her. The guys were laughing when I hollered out sorry. I just found the whole thing funny. It's the ears being up that seems to scare people so much. I've had bigger much more aggressive dogs with floppy ears and people don't cross the street when I walk them. Like 75% of people would cross when I walked Casey.

Edited to add: And they saw her daily for at least 3 months when I walked her around to go to the bathroom, so it wasn't like they were complete strangers. Casey just wanted to meet them up close.

+1.

I'm just an animal person; I own dogs, cats, rodents, birds, snakes and equine.

I was wondering the other day, if anyone has build an alt-bike tandem for a cat in the captain position. Strap him down in a harness, little pedals and with his front paws on cat-sized handlebars. Those dogs chasing would make it problematic though.

I have had dogs, cats, a parrot, lots of snakes and lizards, occasionally large arachnids ....

Any dog owner (insert negative adjective that won't upset you) enough to say, "Well, anyone can see My dog is friendly" or "My dog would never hurt anyone" is just a selfish (insert negative adjective that won't upset you) or an ignorant (insert negative adjective that won't upset you) or worse than a (insert negative adjective that won't upset you).

First off ... suppose the person your "friendly" dog is charging is one of those riders who posted here who has been permanently injured by a dog? I guess you don't care? or ... just didn't think.

Suppose the person is just afraid of dogs? Never thought about that? And if you care enough to check, you will find that just about every owner says "Well, anyone can see My dog is friendly" or "My dog would never hurt anyone" usually right after someone shows up with the hospital bill or the vet bill for the child or pet that "friendly" dog just mauled.

it happens, and it could happen with your "friendly" dog.

Here's another thing---what happens if a dog-fearing person sees your "friendly" dog coming and hits it with a hammer until it sops moving?

Wait, that's not so funny as when the dog chased six guys out of the shop, eh?

And it would be 100 percent YOUR fault.

As I said about 80 pages ago ... I have never been in a situation where I had to hurt an animal. But that is luck or karma. You are gambling with the life of your dog, and with other people's lives.

I am not saying this to make you say "Okay I was wrong" or some crap. I am saying this because it is true, and I don't want you to ever have to face either another dog owner telling your dog killed his or the vet telling you Your dog won't make it.

That, my friend, is a pair of possibilities only You can avoid. If you refuse to accept that they are possibilities ... that's you.

A pet own taker responsibility Directly and Entirely for the life of the pet, and also for all the lives your pet interacts with. People who don't want to deal with that are the problem.

This thread has made me paranoid about aggressive dogs. :(

I am, too, but my wife insisted we get a puppy. Looking at the puppy's hyper behavior compared to the calm, laid-back attitude of the cats, I can easily identify with the cats more.

It might be a semantic argument about the meaning of the word "Toxic" but OC pepper sprays are environmentally safe and wear off completely with no after effects.

OC sprays are a very humane way to stop an aggressive dog.


-Tim-

It isn't a matter of barking and growling or acting aggressive.

Dogs need to be under control. In most counties that's the law and it isn't just for the safety of the community but for the safety of the dog and owner as well.

Our group had a dog run in front of a bike - the dog died and the owner tried to sue in court. A dog ran after me two weeks ago, running into a busy intersection forcing traffic to come to a sudden stop. The dog could have easily caused a traffic accident and the owner stood in his front yard laughing.

Spraying a dog in these circumstances is doing the owner a favor. It teaches the dog a lesson not to run into traffic or in front of a bike.


-Tim-

Sigh, my dog was not in the road- ever. My dogs are always in the house, fenced yard or on a leash.
Last post for in this thread. Simply not worth any more time or effort.

I had two medium sized dogs chase me at the end of a rail trail last month. I was on my gravel bike, so I was able to out run them. Had I been on my 29er... I don't know if I could have built up enough speed to tire them out. The only defense I had (if I had to stop and confront the dogs) was a pocket knife and that wouldn't do much good against angry dogs. Sounds to me like the gel spray is the best and most humane option for defense against mad dogs.

First time I read that I could've sworn it said "spaying." I was going to go find you a trophy for the new world record in bicycle multitasking.

But it doesn't matter one bit how friendly a dog is if it runs out of high grass, from behind a car, or anywhere else right into the path of a rider's wheel. It's gotten to where I don't even try to swerve anymore; I can't miss a dog from 3 feet away at speed without a high probability of crashing, and that suspension fork just might be enough to keep me up while going over it. Dogs don't belong in roads, and owners who don't keep them out of the road should be 100% liable for anything that happens as a result of them being there.

You bring up a good point.

Maybe neutering the male dogs to make them less aggressive is the answer.

I don't know. The idea needs some work before it has a practical application.

I love Bike Forums so much.

I think I have some scalpel blades laying around, but I can't guarantee my first attempts at spaying while riding won't be really messy.

If I venture on to your property, like an idiot, then I accept your dog attack. On the street, I'll defend myself to my best ability. That includes avoiding roads where I have experienced aggressive dogs. I might get hurt, but I assure you dog owners that if your f'n dog is on the street chasing me, I'll win. Get your dog **** together or it's dead. You can hope it only attacks me and not my wife or kids. Spare me the "it's a good dog and likes to lick" details. Animal lover crap? Keep your f'n dogs, cats, snakes, hamsters, whatever, off the streets.

Harsh as it sounds, this is the true "animal lover" position. If you truly love your pets, keep them out of dangerous situations.

It's funny ... If I say, "Don't let your infant run around grabbing at strangers or run into the street" everyone responds, "Well, duh! Obvious ..." but if I say the same about a dog, suddenly I am a bad person, because your dog is so loving and kind.

So is your child ...