KonaRider125

Today I used my pepper spray I carry with me every ride for the first time on a dog. Coming up one of the last climbs of my local 50 mile loop today, a pissed off australian shepherd charged at me from the bushes barking and very pissed looking. Almost positive he was going to bite me. Before he was within 5 feet of me I pulled my pepper spray from my jersey pocket and let him have it in the face. The dog shut up, turned around and ran the other way.

Lesson here, carry pepper spray, it works wonders on dogs!

Lazyass

A squirt in the face from the water bottle works for me.

Darth Lefty 

Maybe, but it wasn't you chasing him!

CNC2204

The dog had it coming ...

lupy

I need to start carrying this, but I don't think I would be fast enough.

PepeM

I just dial it up to 400 watts.

KonaRider125

Carry pepper spray, I'm almost positive having it today saved me from a bite to the ankle.

KonaRider125

I'd rather teach a dog a lesson than end its life. I like dogs, unless they are intent on biting me.

roninguy

I carry pepper spray on all rides. It comes in a easy carry form no bigger than a spare tube etc. Glad you were OK and the doggy will be OK.

Doctor Morbius

The last thing I ever want to do is hurt an animal, but sometimes they give you no choice. Besides, I'm a cat person so spray away.

elmore leonard

as the dog didn't attack you maybe try a water bottle next time. sharing and caring is far more fun.

Maelochs

I have had lots of dogs chase me and even catch me. Much as when dogs chase a car, once they get there they have no clue what to do. I was not in your position so I have no idea if what you did was the perfect or the worst possible reaction. Glad neither party got permanently injured.

rmfnla

Yeah, but you're supposed to eat what you kill...

I'd never admit that in public, but I see what you did there...

Dave Cutter

A small pepper spray sounds like smart idea. But there are so many items/things I'd like to carry. I don't think of myself as a weight weeny or anything... heck my bikes aren't even all that light. But my medium size saddlebag must weight 2 pounds when loaded. I have tried.... but can't even force myself to keep a bell on my bike. And a bell is even required by local law.

missinglink

I had to pepper spray a dog about a week ago. It's something I'd rather not do, but sometimes you must. Fox spray is devastating. This dog ended up in a ditch with his paws over his face.
Often it's a matter of several seconds to try and determine the demeanor of a dog. This was a large Rottweiler running at me with a purpose, and not barking. I decided not to take the chance.

A week before on another country road, I had a large mixed breed come galloping out. But his demeanor seemed different. More playful. I had the spray ready, but held off. He sniffed the bike, ran along with me for a ways, then turned and trotted home.

If my wife is along, all large dogs get at least a small warning shot from both of us.

StanSeven

Save the pepper spray for the owners that allow their dogs to roam and bother cyclists

Shimagnolo

I was out jogging one day in the country.
Just after passing a house, I heard a bunch of yapping behind me, and turned to see two dogs.
All the yapping was coming from the little one.
The big one was in mid-air, just a split second before he sunk his teeth into my thigh.
I thought it was strange the dangerous one never barked.

A neighbor witnessed it, and called the cops.

colnago62

I use to carry bear repellant. Sprayed a guy who attacked me with a crowbar. I was calling 911 on his punk ass because he and his friends were beating up a guy who was begging for his life. Bear repellant works really well on goblins.

KonaRider125

If a dog is running at me barking, when I'm riding up a hill(as happened today), its getting sprayed. I don't like the idea of temporarily harming a dog, but hopefully I taught it a lesson and it won't give other cyclists trouble.

KonaRider125

I carry Mace brand pepper spray with a clip on it I keep clipped to one of my jersey pockets for fast access, worth its weight in gold when you need it!

TimothyH

Pepper spray is essential here in Georgia.

PaulRivers

In my opinion you accomplish several things:
1. Obviously you get it to stop chasing you and protect yourself.
2. You don't seriously injure the dog.
3. You teach the dog to associate chasing cyclists and people with pain. Yeah, it would be better to teach it in a nicer way, but you don't have that opportunity. Hopefully it learns it's lesson and you protect other people.
4. You may teach the dog not to chase stuff in the street, protecting the dog. Also protecting the dog from getting shot by someone with a gun.
5. As opposed to shooting the dog, obviously you don't kill it, and you also don't end up with the dumbass owner just getting another dog that also chases people.
6. Most places animal control will put down a dog that has attacked a person, you may protect it from being put down.

I'd have no reservations about spraying a dog who's chasing me. I'm just happy to have a non-lethal option that hopefully gets the point through to the dog not to chase cyclists.

Jiggle

There are more dogs than people in America. I would not be concerned for the dog as much as for the feelings of the owner. But if the owner is such a poor teacher and takes such poor care of the animal that it runs in the street, oh well. From my experience, the dog will aim for the lead person in the group, miss them, and get run over by the other people, causing crashes. That puts me in fear of serious bodily injury so lethal force is legal. Spray also has range limitations. Best thing would be to carry spray for solo rides and more serious tools for group rides.

GreenAnvil

Very true. Happened to me once in Upstate NY. Dog darted out of nowhere and took aim at my friend who was up front, missed, and I ran the dog over with my (at the time) heavy green Huffy. I crashed and the dog took off wailing.

Regarding pepper spray, bear spray works too and has much longer range than the smaller pepper spray clip-on cans. I don't carry it anymore since in order to have access to it fast you'd have to use a water bottle cage for it. I only used it once, full blast on the face of an approaching big dog. I don't know if it killed it but the dog pretty much cried and repented of all sins right there and then. There was another dog nearby that went like, "WTF, they shoot orange clouds too?" Sorry guys but I've been bit before and have no sympathy for aggressive dogs, nor for their careless owners.

YogaKat

I am frequently chased by dogs that run loose in the neighborhood on my way out to the trails and it's irritating as hell.

The other day I was riding along and a medium sized dog starts chasing me and won't let up. As I was speeding up to try to outrun him he had caught up with me and I felt him run full speed into my back wheel. He turned around at that point and thankfully didn't knock me down.

Last night I was contemplating getting a small bottle to carry lemon juice to spray at them or to just pick up some pepper spray. (I do ride solo in some remote areas and the number of fellow cyclists have been declining as the weather gets colder.)

A friend of mine carries this and it looks pretty handy:

https://www.sabrered.com/pepper-spra...table-arm-band