SSP

A week ago, a woman in my club went down and broke her clavicle when she ran into a dog in the road (while trying to dodge a second dog!)...so, I've been pretty p*ssed about loose dogs for the last week.

Yesterday, while descending at about 25 mph from one of our most popular local climbs, I saw a large pit bull standing in the road up ahead. He put his head down and started to charge at me as I approached. Unfortunately, I'd forgotten my pepper spray or he'd have gotten a snout full. Instead, I unclipped and prepared to kick him in the head but he stayed just out of range.

As I exited the area, I yelled to the house to get their f*ckin' dog out of the street.

About 300 meters up ahead was a 4 way stop sign. Just as I got there, I saw a sheriff's deputy pull over onto the shoulder. I approached her and told her I'd just been charged by a pit bull. She asked where, and I led her back to the house...the dumb*ss pit was standing in the road again. The deputy took my info, and said she'd call Animal Control and take care of the problem.

As luck would have it, the Animal Control officer was on duty and only a mile or two away. When I got home, he gave me a call to get more info from me, and let me know that the owner had been cited. He seemed very sympathetic to the dangers that loose dogs can cause for cyclists, and assured me that they take those reports very seriously.

Damn...that sure felt good!

crtreedude 

good for you - it is time to take back the streets from the loose dogs.

DrPete 

Good on ya. I love dogs, but I also believe that pit bulls and other aggressive breeds are really not to be taken lightly. They require patient, competent, responsible owners (unfortunately not the typical pit bull demographic in my experience) who understand how to raise and train them and put in the necessary effort. This dog clearly did not have one of those owners. It may sound harsh, but I really believe that aggressive dogs who do things like this need to be placed with a new owner who knows how to manage them and re-train them or they need to be euthanized.

pokalex92

Good job! I hate it when careless owners feel that that they can free their dogs without realizing the danger they impose on people.

GaryA

I agree to a point, however I feel any loose dogs is a threat to cyclists. You never know what they are going to do and any of them could take you down.

I was chased by a Rottweiler a couple weeks ago on a country road, I went back later in my truck but it was not clear where he had come from.

SSP

Good points...even a little "yapper dog" can take down a bike if they run out in front of you.

FWIW, the dog I reported was standing in the road on one of the most popular training routes for local cyclists...every weekend there are dozens of cyclists cruising by that location, usually at 25+ mph for the ones coming down off the climb.

AGGRO

Good!

Treefox

Good to hear a story of this genre that turned out positively.

DrPete 

You're absolutely right--any dog in the middle of the road is dangerous and unpredictable. However, when it comes down to it, your reaction to a poodle is going to be more dangerous than the dog itself. A pit bull, on the other hand, can do some actual damage on its own.

garysol1 

Great job. Seems like lately the dogs around here have been getting more and more aggressive. It really stinks to be close to max heart rate on a climb only to have a dog come out for a chase.

bdcheung

Any animal in the street is a danger to:
- Pedestrians
- joggers
- kids
- other animals
- drivers
- bikers
- runners
- walkers
- old women
- fraternity guys
- the Bush administration

Hambone

I'll play Devil's Advocate here...

You mention this is a common training route yet you don't mention having ever seen this dog there before. Is it not possible that some otherwise well intentioned and responsible dog owner had a guest/kid who left a door open and the dog got out?

I'm glad the owner was cited but let's leave the tar and feathers home just now.

SSP

According to the Animal Control officer, the actual owner was away and the house and dog were being taken care of by "the grandfather". I'm assuming that "granddad" didn't pass the cop's "attitude test" and was therefore cited for his loose dog. Regardless, I'm not losing any sleep over it.

daytonian

Tar and feathers would've been an asset in this situation. And a 12 guage.

Hambone

I'm having a flashback to the joke which keeps coming up in Capricorn One.

"Your grand mother got out of the house and ran up a tree..."

DrPete 

If the dog went next door and fatally mauled a child playing outside, would your answer be the same?

Hambone

c'mon that is a silly reply.

If instead of staring at a cyclist that rode by and not actually doing anything to that cyclist the dog had killed a young child living next door would I feel differently?

garysol1 

If someone owns a dog that is known to be aggressive such as a pitbull then they best ALWAYS...ALWAYS know where that dog is. No excuses.

Sprocket Man

You may want to read the original post again. The dog wasn't just staring, he was charging.

DrPete 

I only bring it up because either way, the dog is a threat. These dogs can do serious damage. The OP didn't mention the size of the dog, but an adult pit bull would certainly be big enough to knock a cyclist off their bike, grab onto a leg, etc. and do some serious damage.

So, really, I asked the question sort of knowing that you'd feel differently, and to demonstrate that the potential was there for an equally bad outcome.

SSP

The dog did, in fact, charge at me. I yelled at him, and unclipped my right foot in preparation for kicking him in the head. He stayed just out of range, but continued to run alongside of me as I yelled at him.

If I'd been carrying my pepper spray, he was well within range and would have gotten a face full.

FWIW, I love dogs and have been around them all my life. I can easily tell the difference between a big friendly lab in the road that just "wants to play" and an agressive dog that is trying to bite me.

GaryA

IMO how the dog got out doesn't matter. Accicently let out or let to run free all the time, will make no difference to you if your bike is broken and you're in a cast.

JayC

Me and my ridng buddy Karen G (Wolfpack on the forums) were chased by a medium sized dog yesterday. The owner was standing right there when the dog took off after us. He didnt bother to call the dog back or anything, just let him come after us. I already had my water bottle out and sprayed it at him when he got close enough. I've been chased by that dog a lot as its on my training route.. Ive never seen the owner outside, tho.. Guess they just don't give a sh*t.

SSP

In that case:

1) Get some "cop strength" pepper spray. You may be able to train the dog not to chase cyclists after a dose or two.

2) Report the situation to Animal Control.

GaryA

I still say there is no difference. For their safety as well as ours dogs should not be out running around. If my dog is out of my yard he is on a leash period. As a pet owner its your responsibility to the public as well as your dog to keep both safe from the other.