bnb69

I guess you don't get my point. Responsible owners keep their dogs on their own property. You don't do that, therefore you are irresponsible. It doesn't matter who you are buddies with ( the animal control officer ), keep the dog on your property. Small town or not, that person needs to do her job or find employment elsewhere. Apparently if she had, you wouldn't have got bit.

RidesaJapanese

I'm not 'buddies' with her, she is my neighbor and very fond of dogs especially mine. She has moved mountains to improve conditions and find homes for stray and abandoned dogs. There are quite a few dogs here that aren't kept tethered or caged, it's not an issue because they're not vicious dogs. The pit bull wasn't always loose, it was improperly restrained and escaped. Not all dogs, or owners, are the same. Most people want a pit bull because they think it's cool to see it tear into something, now they'll have some board bills to pay and the dog cannot remain here as they were in violation of the pit bull ordinance and it tore into my leg. Pit bulls are just likely to do that, they're bred that way, often they're trained that way, I don't trust or like them. I do know this, if my dog had been with me that day, that dog wouldn't have gotten near me. I don't think I'm above the rules, I just think my dog is.

WebFootFreak

Not always a Pit. My attack was from a German Shepherd/Chow mix. This was back in the 80's and they did nothing until he attacked another kid who ended up worse off than I did.

canklecat

Since the OP has already chosen a course of action my only advice would be: Don't try to outrun a dog. In a hasty retreat it's easy to slip and fall and be more vulnerable to a hyper-excitable dog.

When chased by a single dog I'd dismount and keep the bike between the dog and me. Usually easy to do with an unladen bike by grabbing the seat post and handlebar stem. Nudge the mutt a couple of times with a wheel and they tire of the game, especially after bruising their gums on the spokes trying to gnaw their way through. Worst case scenario I'd grab the Zefal pump and swat the mutt. Those long lightweight aluminum tubes had a lot of reach. In a pinch you could even access the pump without dismounting. Never had to hit a dog very hard to discourage them. The time or two I actually swatted a dog with the Zefal pump I never saw it again, or it didn't chase me a second time. Unfortunately the newer micro-pumps wouldn't have enough reach or be very persuasive.

I cycle commuted for years, up to 20 miles a day, and encountered a few aggressive mutts. Pretty quickly I'd learn the habits of the pesky dogs and avoid those routes if possible. It isn't always possible to find another route. If a dog persisted I'd try to contact the owner, but in my experience owners of aggressive dogs don't care - if anything they're proud of their wild beasts. Only thing left to do is contact animal control and the cops and let the authorities handle it. Most cities and suburbs will resolve the problem quickly, but it can take longer in rural areas.

RidesaJapanese

Last night at dusk I had a narrow escape. There is a huge grey mastiff that lives in the front yard at a trailer, tethered in the yard. He always lunges at me, before they kept him tethered he'd rushed several people walking by including myself. This time he jerks awake, when he took off I knew he was going to snap that Dollar store cable and he did. I swerved away and pedaled like mad, he stopped giving chase when I'd left the boundary of his yard, but he was right on me and another dog bite looked highly probable. I now intend also to perhaps avoid certain routes, or maybe find a good anti-dog defensive weapon to carry. There are several other dogs that will chase me when I go by, they seem intent on giving me a bite if the chance should proffer itself. It just seems sad a cyclist cannot ride where he may choose, because people here won't follow the dog law. Or lest I sound like a hypocrite, they won't keep dogs that are worthy of flouting the dog laws.

RISKDR1

I was in the insurance business for 38 years. Wrote a lot of home owners insurance. Dog bite claims are the single largest liability claim and are usually policy limit claims. Some HO policies already exclude do bite so the owners may be on their own. That could make a lawsuit non productive because the defendant can declare bankruptcy and there may be no assets to liquidate.

Yeehova

I was chased by a dog this morning! Riding with headphones really cuts down on reaction time!

Chris516

Another reason to ride w/o earbuds.

RidesaJapanese

This morning I rode my Trek 730 out on the gravel roads to the river to see how high it had gotten from last nights rain. It was a good little ride, had to roll through water in a couple spots, the river was bank full and rising. Anyway on the way there a pair of medium dogs, black short hairs, come up to me at a farm house. They were friendly and curious, I stopped to greet them, and they then tagged along to the river and all the way back to town with me. Once I hit the hard topped roads and could get some speed going they gave up and I presume returned home.

Mos6502

With how many people get attacked by feral dogs idiot owners abandon, I would say it's never wise to approach any dog you don't know.

scozim 

I'm in the insurance claims business and have settled my fair share of dog bite liability claims. There are some carriers that just won't insure a person with specific breeds of dogs - pit bull, Rottweiler, Doberman, German Shepherd, Akita, etc. - due to the experience of dog bite claims with these breeds.

30 yrs of cycling on mostly rural roads and I've had only two instances where I had to dismount and place my bike between myself and a dog (one was a Great Dane and the other a Chow). Because most of the roads I ride regularly I know where the problem dogs are and am prepared if they are out. I've used a variety of tactics to avoid them including water, frame pump, handful of rocks, kick to the face and sprinting away from them. I've had them wait in a ditch, charge out from a driveway, run parallel to me, or even just wait in the roadway for me to get there.

Two weeks ago my string of luck ended as I was nailed hard by a Staffordshire Terrier (one of the pit bull breeds). It was at the end of my ride when I was slowing for a 3/4 mile cool down and also turning right. I had never seen the dog at this house before and he got me from behind - no barking, growling or anything. He was just there and I never knew he was there until he bit onto my leg and it jerked my bike sideways. The front wound was torn and deep enough I could see the tendon. The lower calf had six tooth marks with one being quite deep as well. I was fortunate not to be pulled off the bike and the dog ran back across the road after I yelled at it. By far this has been the most painful injury I think I've ever had. And, that's after three surgeries in the past year. The worst part - I am the third victim of this dog. It is being put down (if it hasn't already) but really should have been after either one of the other two bite incidents. Clearly the dangerous dog laws in our state didn't work very well before my run in with the dog.

Lesson learned - sometimes there's not a lot you can do about the dog or the attack. I'll be even more vigilant when I can get back on a bike.

Korina

Why do people resist teaching their dogs manners??? Seriously, it's every dog owner's responsibility to teach their dog acceptable behavior, just like they teach their 4-year-old. It doesn't seem that difficult a concept.

There's a rural ride DH and I take sometimes, and at one house there's a pair of dogs that often come out; the larger one trots up looking to say hi, and the little one, I think a terrier mix, runs out looking to rip off your face. I was taught to keep my bike between me and the dog, but what if it's a bloodthirsty 20-pounder that can run under the bike?

indyfabz

Sounds like this old fellow we encountered on tour while in Olney, MT. He was the perfect companion for the local children and as sweet as could be.

Up North

I carry a lightweight folding knife clipped to my bibs. The first dog that bites my ass won't make it home.