C.Jester

I just moved to Alabama from Michigan. One thing I've noticed is that 90% of the population has a dog and only about 1% of those dogs are fenced in. In Michigan I actually carried a handgun. I don't have a concealed carry permit in Alabama yet... So how do y'all deal with chasing hounds???

Milton Keynes

There are a lot of threads about this, usually pepper spray/gel is the answer. I'm planning on getting some soon.

Cyclist0108

Halt! Anything more and you are likely to get yourself killed by an owner.

Colnago Mixte

I like my dogs medium rare. Lots of existing threads here on the subject, and fortunately this isn't the kind of board where "use the search function, looser" is an appropriate answer, so I'll put in my .02 cents.

I ignore them to the absolute maximum extent possible. The moment when a dog starts chasing you is often the instant that something else happens, like a pothole or an approaching car or something in the road. Your concentration needs to be on the road ahead only. Kicking, while satisfying, only throws you off balance, and gives the dog something to attack (your leg). Spraying with water is useless, spitting is OK if the owner isn't looking, but still distracts you for an instant, probably not worth it.

What else do people do? Yelling, useless IMO, only gets the dog more worked up and creates more of a "situation" out of nothing. Often, when I'm in a group and a dog starts chasing, everyone gets all excited about it, and have varying reactions and overreactions, mostly fear. Chaos ensures, whereas if everyone just kept riding and ignored the dog, there would be no disruption at all.

I just mind my own business, and realize the dog is just bored, or putting on a little show for his owner to demonstrate what a useful companion he is. Dogs that attack you are ones who single you out for some reason that's very important to them. If you're some random person riding past their house on a bike, they don't know you from Adam, so they are not gonna be out for blood. They might be very scary, and their bark might be very loud, and they might be big, but I have yet to have a dog attack me that was not sicced on me by his owner. YMMV, good luck out there.

JonathanGennick 

Well, I don't shoot them! I'm very situational. There is one house with some little yipper dogs where I'll often slow down so that I don't run them over. They'll run alongside and yip until i'm out of their turf. A much larger dog recently positioned itself between me and its yard while i road by, but the dog didn't run out at me, but rather just paced me and growled until I was past the yard.

avole

Well, not shooting is a good start, followed by a realisation that 99.9% of dogs are just chasing you, they don't intend springing at your throat and dragging you to the ground.

TimothyH

PM sent.

Colnago Mixte

Yeah, the urge to chase has not yet been bred out of them. It's apparently a very strong instinct for dogs, it's how they used to eat. I think the "biting" part you won't find much at all in domesticated breeds these days, unless they're fighting dogs. Though you need to take into account abused dogs, they can be quite dangerous, especially when they're pitbulls.

The worst thing that a dog out in the country will do is MAYBE force you off your line a few inches. I think giving a dog room only encourages them to chase, so just maintain your line and ignore them. I don't encounter city dogs running loose too much, so I can't comment on that.

OBoile

I'm guessing troll thread.

avole

Yes indeed, hence the concealed hand gun scenario.

C.Jester

I don't have 10 posts yet so I can't get your PM yet.

C.Jester

Thanks all. I was living in Iowa for several years ago when I started riding and had a big mutt sink it's teeth into my right leg. so I'm a little apprehensive around them to begin with, but Alabama has a freaken boat load of dogs and I tend to ride out in the country.
I'll swing by the store this evening and see if I can find a big bottle of Halt or something similar. If nothing else, it'll calm my own nerves to have it handy.

mtb_addict

The dogs are usually far enough from the road, that I can hammer down and ride away. If not, screaming at it usually confuses it enough, for me to pull away.

canklecat

Dog thread.

Proceed...

Koyote

If you would seriously consider shooting an innocent dog whose owner is negligent, I'm not sure that I want to waste my time on you.

dedhed

Well it's a whole lot less trouble than shooting the owner

Koyote

Not if you shoot one of my dogs.

Troul 

Bring an eggroll & fried rice. They'll get the hint...

TiHabanero

Shooting a dog will create a ton of trouble for you, so don't bother with it. I whistle at them and sprint like mad. The only dog that bit me was a schnauzer. Right on the thigh, that little bastard. Up to 4 dog chases this year. 4 times more than last year. If ever I am injured by one of these things, the owner will learn to keep it under control.

JohnDThompson 

I don't think there's any single best answer. Pepper spray is illegal in Wisconsin so that's out.

Fortunately, I haven't had a great deal of trouble with dogs, although a couple days ago I had an interesting episode. Riding along a rural stretch of road, a couple big dogs came out of the woods as I was passing by. One of them had a mauled raccoon in its jaws. When they saw me, the raccoon was dropped and they started to give chase. I didn't get the feeling that they just wanted to play, so I "droped the hamer" and sprinted. It was super-hot that day, with humidity to match, and apparently they decided a raccoon in jaws was preferably to chasing down fresh prey and they quickly gave up. Not sure what I would have done if they had caught up to me.

gregf83 

Do you let your dogs chase cyclists?

I have trouble relating to these threads as everyone seems to have their dogs trained around here. In 10 yrs of riding I've never had a dog come close. They occasionally run alongside the road in their yards but it's extremely rare to see an unleashed dog roaming around near the road.

CAT7RDR

Look, if a large canine is is doing more than protecting its turf and is going out of his way to harm me, pepper gel is the first and only warning.

I have been charged at twice by pitbulls. One I kicked so hard in the chest it landed in the street and was hit by a minivan.

The second one decided my 110 lbs male GSD would get the better of the deal and decided to end the charge.

The truth is people die from dog attacks.

Doctor Morbius

Man, this thread sure has gone to the dogs!

TimothyH

I'm next door in Georgia. The dogs are really bad here too.

Sabre Red Pepper Gel stops dogs instantly.





-Tim-

JLDickmon

When my kids were younger, too young to ride, I hauled them in a wagon trailer.
I had battery-powered electric squirt gun (size and feel of a Beretta 92) that I filled with water and dish soap..
I got charged ONCE by this mangy mutt up the street.
I hosed him in the face with the soapy water. Most of it went in his mouth.
Dog was sufficiently impressed to not try any more shenanigans.
Dog's owner was NOT impressed.
I told him he was welcome to call the Sheriff's Dept. if he wished.
He declined. Never had it happen since.
Which is good, because now I have a Ruger LCP9 and a CPL.