Dealing with (4-legged) dogs ...
 

Riding this afternoon I took a new route that I had previously scouted out in my truck, and lo and behold, two mangey looking dogs got after me.

Twice. The first time, they came from behind a truck and caught me by surprise. And then being a glutton for punishment, I opted to get fully spun up on the way back, and they didn't get nearly as close! :)

Anyway, how do others of you "train" the dogs on your rides to be respectful? I am thinking pepper spray or a squirt bottle of ammonia mix or maybe windshield washer fluid ... or something.

Whatever "something" turns out to be, I'm certainly open.

This is a great route, and I am determined not to sacrifice it to the whim of two flea-bags.

Any suggestions will be appreciated.

I don't know about overseas but here in Oz, you're required to keep your dogs on a leash unless in a permitted area. I have on one occassion (many moons ago) done some canine dentistry but I don't know if I'd want to do that anymore. These days I'd be looking at a squeeze bottle of something that's legal and damned irritating.

Had a 0 legger once, but had no luck at all giving him a good name. Didn't make no difference what I called him, he wouldn't come. :rolleyes:

Maybe he was deaf.

3 ways
1. outrun them, good regular sprint training until they catch you
2. Stop put your bike between you and them, (it confusses them and they have no clue how to get to you), then start walking towards them with the bike still between you and them. The dogs I have done this too started running away and I chased them to keep them running.
3. The best is pepper spray. Since you know where they are, have your pepper spray ready, as soon as they move towards you, spray them in the eyes. The dog I sparyed ran away as soon as it saw me coming the next time.

Good Luck

If I'm riding alone I'll sometimes slow down and talk to them which really freaks them out.

If I'm riding with my wife I'll put my bike between her and the dogs. If they get past me they can have her :)

If I'm riding in a group I just make sure I'm faster than somebody and them them deal with 'em.

Finally, squirting water at them helps - there's no need for special forumals, etc. Good ole water does the trick just fine. You should avoid using gatorade. The dogs will drink it and then have extra carbs to chase you down with :)

Maybe some of those hunting products could be good for a laugh. Doe in heat scent or fox urine. Could confuse the owners just as much as the dog :D

I'd try a water bottle and yelling first, and if that fails go with Halt. It's difficult to aim and the range I've observed is about 6 feet, but if you do manage to hit the dog the effect is immediate. The dogs I've hit with it have all started sneezing immediately, gone to the side of the road, and rubbed their head in the grass.

Hopefully the dog will learn not to chase. I sprayed a Great Pyreeness once and it left me alone for the rest of the year (though unfortunately it seems to have forgotten over winter). However there are 2 Labradors that I've tried everything on that still chase me. They ignore water (actually they like that), electronic deterrents, sticks, my foot, and Halt. Since they have paced me at 25 mph, outrunning them is not really an option. Last time I just dismounted and walked about 10 feet. They started whimpering and skulked off.

I'd be careful about using ammonia. From what I've read on other threads it can cause permanent damage and may be illegal.

FWIW, the "Halt" brand pepper spray is pretty weak. I use "cop strength" pepper spray, and have had good results with it. It's also handy in case of confrontations with two-legged varmints.

FWIW, here's a good discussion of various strategies for dealing with dogs:

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/journ...doc_id=194&v=2

I believe we aren't even allowed to own said self defence mechanisms down under.

I've only had a couple dogs chase after me... I either outran them, stopped and chased them instead, or kept riding and kicked them in the jaw when they tried to bite my shoe. Once I hit one with a rock, and it learned not to chase us (me anyway) afterwards.

I do kind of feel sorry for it, but it didn't hurt too bad apparently...

Now that's funny right there.

Thanks for the heads up on the ammonia. I really don't what to kill the critter -- rather, to just keep him at a distance.

The one I am most concerned about is a mixed breed with some recognizable Pit Bull in him, and I suspect he would bite if he could get close enough. The other is a Catahoula (sp?) cattle dog, and I know from experience with that breed that anything that moves is viewed as "sport." Probably, that one would not bite.

About two years ago, a female rider where I live was severely injured when literally knocked from her bicycle by a dog, and she spent months in rehab. So since then, most of us where I live are not in a tolerant mood about canines.

I'll come back and post an update when I get some action on the issue!

Since these dogs are in a known location, and seem to be serial offenders, have you considered reporting them to the local animal control authorities?

I've done this in the past with dogs who were a continual problem, and had pretty good results. It might take more than one report, but a visit or two from the authorities can often convince the owner to pen them up.

Well, we live in an area of the county that is sort of a "grey" zone. The particular dogs are on property in the county, which means fences and tethers are optional. But literally across the street, the properties are in the city -- where dogs are to be fenced or otherwise restrained.

Probably, I would not be able to get much done unless I get bit. As a result, I plan to be proactive in disciplining the other guy's dog!

After posting earlier, I began to look about the house to see what I could find for weaponry, and ran across a bottle of automotive window cleaner that I picked up last year at an Auto Zone parts store. With the nozzle correctly set, this particular bottle fires a world class "stream" that any male would admire! The window cleaner is about 3/4 used up, so I think I'm going to add a bit of water and make my first effort a shot at fido with some windshield washer fluid.

After that, I'll report them as necessary.

Um, windshield wiper fluid is poisonous. Why not use diluted vinegar, lemon juice or peppermint extract instead?

Err doesn't most window cleaner have the afore mentioned ammonia in it? Just checking. I had a run in with a dog yesterday too (with my son on the trailer bike) but I wouldn't want to do long term damage to any animal unless I had to.

Even if the county does not require dogs to be fenced, surely they have rules against dogs chasing and harassing people. Reporting that you've been harassed by these dogs would probably get the owner a visit from the county animal control officer. It would also document the problem - something that's important in case these dogs ever do injure someone.

If you're looking for pepper spray, this site has some good products (get the "stream" pattern, not the "fog", to avoid blowback problems):

http://www.selfdefenseproducts.com/sprays.htm

Don't count out those 3-legged buggers. I was just chased by one of them recently and that sucker could run! I bet he had more heart than most 4-legged ones. Certainly, he was more determined, his 4-legged companion gave up way before he did.

Urine is the way to go.
Dogs mark their territory with it so what better method to psyche a dog out than by giving them a face full of piss, effectively stating "I own you" in dog language.

Enjoy

Down here, you can have a dog declared as a "Dangerous Animal", if it even growls at you or moves towards you menacingly. Subsequently, if you report the dog for such behaviour, the onus is on the owners to fence their entire yard with six foot mesh. Most of them put their dogs down in order to avoid the huge expense. The love seems to stop when the wallet gets hit.

For HaagenDas:
You're not allowed to buy pepper spray, no. But you can buy hot pepper sauce, which is basically the same thing. You can actually buy pure capsaicin (what makes peppers hot) from some hot sauce & hot pepper stores. Just be prepared to put some of it on your Clif Bar and eat it to demonstrate to the nice copper that you carry it around to spice up your energy bars...

:D ... and the bottle of fox urine? :D

Nah - he ain't deaf, I put one of them artificial dog limbs on him and when I called he just kept going in a circle. :rolleyes: