2manybikes

Just bring it to my house, I'll take care of it.

2manybikes

Correct.

I have done it, it works. Also if the dog is moving around adjust your position to still be sideways to the dog. This is a display of a wider easy target in a dog fight. Head on is a smaller target in a fight, that is a challenge. Do not look the dog in the face either, that is also an aggressive signal. Don't even look at him. If you can out last the dog he may just quit. If you try to ride again, dogs will probably run after you they typically chase things that seem to be running. Walking away is possibly safer. Also when standing sideways, take a deep breath and let it out and relax your muscles. The dogs can sense a lot of tension. If you stay sideways and the dog takes it easy, you can slowly move and take the dogs space. This means you are in charge, but don't want to fight. It works great.
Being motionless is not as important as relaxed muscles in the body. There is a lot of info out there that is more help.

sknhgy 

I don't know about your county, but in mine there are leash laws, but when I asked the sherriff about them he said I would have to go to a city counsel meeting and request that they be enforced. This was after I hit a dog and broke my collar bone. The sherrif also twice refused to fine a report, saying that no motor vehicle was involved. His advice was that I carry a fire extinguisher to spray dogs with.
Halt spray has never failed me. If it ever does then I would have no qualms about upgrading to either ammonia or wasp spray. Guns aren't legal here in Illinois.
I believe dogs can sense if you are going to run or fight. When a dog comes at me I whip out the Halt and get ready to spray them at close range. I have a lot of confidence in the Halt spray. The dogs seem to sense that and few of them come close enough for a dose.
Face it. Many people, including law enforcement officers, don't like cyclists. It's a touchy situation. You have to defend yourself but in doing so you stand to face a lot of repercussions. All I know is I love to ride, it is my right, and my safety comes first. I will not let some irresponsible person's dog attack me without me doing whatever I can to stop it.

goldfinch

Good supplement to what I said. However, many here seem to rather be more interested in their rights than in good techniques for actually dealing with dogs.

Connell

2 years ago I was out jogging with my dog when we were attacked by 2 Rottweilers. They weren't interested in me, but went after my dog, savagely biting her on the neck, face, body and hindquarters. I couldn't find a stick, or a rock, or anything with which to beat them off. Instead, I was kicking them as hard as I could but as I was just wearing running shoes, they didn't even notice. The attack probably only last 2 or 3 minutes but it seemed to go on for hours before their owner called them back.

Had he not done so, I truly believed they wouldn't have stopped until they had killed my dog. Fortunately, she was a long haired breed so wasn't seriously harmed (physically) although she had numerous puncture wounds and required many stitches and weeks of medication. Mentally however, she was never the same dog, going from a friendly, lovable soul to a timid, nervous wreck. She died just over a year later, at a comparatively young age.

I confronted the owner at the time and he was full of apologies but admitted that despite having a dog-run on his property, he let them out just "so they could run around". As I made my way home, a lady came out in her car to let me know she'd seen the whole thing from her deck, that it wasn't the first time these dogs had attacked and that she was afraid to walk her own dog in the neighborhood because of them. The two of us filed a report with Animal Control.

And what a complete waste of time that was. Even though there were three, count them three previous reports of these Rottweilers attacking other dogs, the judge decreed that all he had to do was compensate me for my vet's bills. No fine, no attempts to euthanize the dogs, or stop him from keeping dogs, nothing. We were told that until they actually bit a human, there was nothing that could be done. The a-hole even asked for, and was granted, time to pay. This is despite him living in a $250,000 house with 4 cars in the driveway.

I still consider myself a dog-lover, and have two dogs now. But I carry mace when I walk them.

contango 

Poisoning the dog neutralises the threat without being seen to take direct action in front of an owner who is demonstrably irresponsible.

If the dog routinely chases people and it's likely only a matter of time before it causes someone serious injury or worse and the owner does nothing it seems to resolve the situation without the use of an obviously deadly weapon which would just cause more aggravation down the line.

I don't care about revenge on dogs, I do care about making sure a dog that attempts to bite me doesn't get any more chances than I can get away with.

contango 

All well and good in theory but "take a deep breath and relax" doesn't help people who are afraid (with or without good reason) of dogs, nor does it help against the idea that when I go out on my bike I want to ride, not spend untold amounts of time playing the canine psychologist.

Zeake

Poisoning any dog is a cowards move.

Pat

Well besides that has anyone considered something? The poison might not get the "intended" target. Poison is not selective. The vicious dog may be too "hopped up" to bother with it. So it could be consumed by someone's pet (dog on a leash) or cat. It could also be consumed by some wild animal like a bobcat, fox, raccoon, vulture, bald eagle, hawk etc. Leaving poisoned food around is not a really good idea. I believe it is also highly illegal because of the possible harm it could cause.

2manybikes

That seems to be the case in just about anything in the forums. ?

2manybikes

Actually one can learn to be less afraid. Even scared people can learn to relax the body more. Most don't understand.
If one does not want to spend time on a problem, that's a choice as well. Of course the problem will still exist in that case. Just learning more about how to deal with aggresive dogs can reduce fear. A little success will lead to less fear,. less fear leads to more success. It's all tied together. The end result can be a safer place to ride, not spending time with the dog. It's up to you. You have a choice.

OldLog

I think All dog owners should be under mandate to leash the dog or keep it in a fenced in secure area. The first time fine for not doing so should be heavy. Second offense remove the dog. There are people who care for no one but them selves whether they are dog owners or not.

Sculptor7

Anyone have any experience with air horns? There are pretty small powerful horns for boating, etc.

Also, I wonder if this problem has ever been dealt with by Caesar Milan, the Dog Whisperer?

byte_speed

Even well intentioned owners can be a problem.

A pit bull near home attacked me one day, but the owner diverted the dogs attention long enough for me to escape. Next time I go by, the dog has a fence. Well within a month or so, the dog has learned to climb the fence and the chase is on again. Once again, the owner was present and able to divert the attack. Now the dog is chained inside the fence, but it is a big dog and small looking chain. How much longer?

I have been chased by dogs that broke chains, broke rope, jumped fences, and escaped from invisible fences. But I agree, the dogs running loose are the worst.

I want to try a paint ball gun for repeat offenders (dogs). Those things can hurt. If I could find a way to fill the balls with ammonia or some noxious chemical, all the better.

Dan Burkhart 

Good to know the differences in bear species too.

contango 

So shoot it instead then. The whole point of the alternative approach was to avoid the highly likely confrontation arising if you do shoot a dangerous dog in front of its irresponsible owner. Throw whatever words you fancy around, any useful solution has to involve neutralising the thread and leaving intact.

contango 

Up to a point I'd agree with you. I'm not sure that learning to be less afraid of dogs when faced with a snarling pit bull off its lead is the best way to go about it though.

Yes, although if dogs that were so dangerously out of control were destroyed on the spot the problem would cease to exist.

If I wanted to learn to be less afraid of something I wouldn't want to do it in a place where my life could be seriously endangered by that something because it was out of control. I wouldn't consider it much of a solution if one person trained themselves not to fear the dangerous pit bull so they could walk away only to find it savaged a child who hadn't trained themselves not to be afraid of it. There's a difference between avoiding the problem in a personal sense by passing it on to the next person and solving the problem in a more permanent sense.

DnvrFox

I guess I don't see dog training as my responsibility, nor should I have to learn to be "unafraid." However, I have no practical solutions for the dog problem except to state it is not a problem in my area, where the laws are strictly enforced, and certain breeds have been prohibited. Moving is my only thought. I wouldn't shoot the dog, but I would use bear spray, given I had enough time. As coyotes become more and more of a menace, I may consider the bear spray.

You might be interested in completing this dog control poll:

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...l-in-Your-Area

overthehillmedi

I believe that you can get "paintballs" filled with a pepper spray substance, Dog the Bounty Hunter and crew use them. Don't know where but shouldn't be to hard to source.

sknhgy 

Riders who have experienced accidents or dog attacks seem to have more practical and effective means of dealing with dogs. I have a plate in my shoulder from my dog encounter. Sorry dog lovers, but the "bad doggie, go home" approach is no longer in my bag.

TMB

It is threads like this that make not want to ride with other people and that have me questioning riding at all if I am going to run into cyclists on the road who are carrying firearms.

daleb116

If I think too much about dogs.... I would probably stop riding. I was bitten once while riding. It was a well set up flank attack from tall grass. And there were other close encounters. Anyway, unfortunately I have closed off certain roads, and explore new roads very carefully. My biggest fear is not necessarily another bite, but a crash. Pepper spray would be a last resort in a situation in which I have stopped, and probably off the bike.

zjrog

I'll admit to having been bitten when I was much younger. By a 210 pound Saint Bernard. Kujo had NOTHING on that dog.

Having large dogs myself, I always know that they "COULD" turn. They have been socialized as puppies as much as possible. Our 205 pound female English Mastiff is a real sweetheart. Her 50 pound swinging club of a tail is about as dangerous as she can be. Then again... We trained them not to jump on people. There are few things worse about a big dog that jumps up on people. Especially for those already afraid of big dogs.

I really dislike folks that don't properly train their dogs...

Ira B

Most gun shops cater to law enforcement and carry a variety of pepper spray options.
I have had great success with "Punch II" in the 6 oz can, solid stream version. It has a range of 15-20 ft.
Had to use it several times and the effect on a dog is about the same as if you smacked it across the snout with a 2x4 but without any lasting effects....other than causing them to be somewhat less eager to chase bicycles.
I love dogs, but not as much as I love not going to the emergency room to have bite wounds treated.

Northwestrider

+1 exactly Ira B