FlashBazbo

It's been a doggy weekend riding in Middle Tennessee! Our bike club decided to depart from our usual well-scouted routes. Yesterday, two dozen loose dogs gave chase at various points. Today, we had been chased by about a dozen when one retriever mix got very close to biting. One of our riders applied a deterrent and we all escaped. Then, about 3/4 mile later, we came to a blind curve leading to a steep descent.

We knew it was a treacherous descent, so we strung out single-file. I was last in the line. Just as I started the descent, a massive Chow-Chow jumped down an embankment to my left and within two bounds had his teeth sunk into my left thigh. He was in full attack mode and he seemed pretty committed to removing my left leg. This was a big dog - i measure 4" between his upper canine teeth in my leg. I steered to the left edge of the road while yelling, trying to get him to release, alert the other cyclists, etc. As I'm coming to a stop, I'm beginning to realize that this dog may very well kill me.

Fortunately, my yelling alerted the dog owner in their home atop the ridge - about 20' above me at this point. They came out quickly and called the dog off me. They took me and my bike to the hospital.

Bad scene. Lots of blood. Very bad pain. Left thigh is wrapped in bandages an inch thick. The good news is that the dog has been confined and the owner is taking it for observation. The bad news is that it hasn't had its shots.

I used to love dogs. I'm getting over it. Definitely tending toward species-ist at this point. I know this is about bad dog owners. But I'm not allowed to shoot bad dog owners.

Thanks for tolerating the rant.

AEO

dogs like to chase.
dogs don't understand the human smell, but unhuman like looks of a bike and rider.
there's such a thing as bear pee in a bottle.

wkg

That dog sounds like a dick.

It's too bad you weren't here earlier maybe you could've contributed to my thread titled "Are you safer from uncontrollable dogs on recumbents?" (it got deleted).

Nachoman

Dog owner is the dick.

FlashBazbo

I sometimes carry bear repellant, but this dog was on me so fast - and on a difficult piece of road - I would never have been able to draw and fire. I was surprised he stayed hidden until he attacked me. The guy in front of me carries a revolver with rat shot in it. He might have had a chance to stop the charge if he had come after him.

FlashBazbo

In this area, you don't want to carry anything that might get a bear's attention.

Commodus

Bad luck!

Hope you heal up soon.

dshedd

I was bitten in Knoxville about a year ago, and that dog also had no vaccination records. It's not a fun experience. I just hope you didn't spend as much time in the ER as I did waiting to be treated.

diverguy

Wow, that really bites. (no pun intended) Hope you heal quickly and with no complications. Bad dog-owner.

rangerdavid

pepper spray

a small can fits nicely in the jersey when you ride a new route

FlashBazbo

Pepper spray only stops friendly dogs. Bear repellant (ultra high strength pepper spray) might have slowed this one but, like I said, I probably would not have had time to grab the bear repellant. He picked his ambush point well and was on me almost before I saw him.

ravenmore

I've heard chows are aggressive as a breed. I'm no dog expert though. I've heard that about pit bulls too but now I own one and he's pretty sweet. Seems to be especially good with kids.

I've also learned though that I can't leave him outside unattended. It takes him about two seconds to get into something that ends up costing me money, as I imagine the owners of the Chow are about to find out.

datlas 

I don't mind dogs.

I hate stupid dog owners that don't train the dogs to stay on their property.

Luckily in our area most folks either train their dogs, chain their dogs, use fences, or invisible fences....or some combo of the above.

valygrl

WOw that's horrible. Hope you heal fast and they kill the dog. Yes, really, I mean that.

tagaproject6

That is a horrible thing to happen! Hope you heal fast.

Cue the coulda, woulda, shoulda, pepper spray, insect repellent, small caliber weapon, use your bike as a shield, etc...

Where are the internet lawyers for the inevitable lawsuit?!?

:

Fedor

Yes you did.

Beau210

Feel your pain man. I went for a long ride yesterday on a new road I had never ridden before with a new riding buddy from work. About ten miles in a 150+ pitbull decides we look tasty and comes sprinting out after us and I'm in back. Didn't get caught but it was pretty close and I almost pissed by bibs. He looked like he meant business. Hope you heal up quick and get some money from those dick owners.

Doohickie

The good thing about urban riding is the dog's territory is generally much smaller. I get chased once in a while, but they usually break off pretty quickly.

ravenmore

Pit bulls average between 40 and 60 pounds. Mine is big at 70 pounds, but he's part boxer. People often mistake other breeds for pits. If the dog really was that big it probably was not a pit bull.

ravenmore

Also, when he is playing he sounds terrifing - like he's in full on demon attack mode, but he barely squeezes down when he play bites. I've only been chased by one pit, a female. When I yelled at her it looked like it hurt her feelings.

ColinL

correct. though very muscular, a pit bull is a medium to medium-large dog.

there are several larger dogs that look a bit similar, such as a presa canario. a mixed breed is one possibility, but another is that you (Beau210) were exaggerating or just plain wrong about the size of the dog. very, very few dogs are truly 150+ pounds.

tagaproject6

This is the 41...our average speeds are ____________!

Juan Foote

Hate to hear you got bit like that. It is a shame the owners didn't have the dog restrained in some way, but being a dog owner I can see that this is not always as easy as it sounds. I am certainly on the fence about the comment concerning putting the dog down. I can see where that is a worthwhile deterrent to owners, particularly, it really isn't all the dog's fault that it was simply doing what comes naturally. Perhaps it would be best to consider what the dog has done in it's past and to certainly ear mark it for possible future altercations, marked for destruction in case, etc.

Doohickie

Yeah, just playin'


No, really, he was. He's usually more like this:


You ain't kiddin'. The dog above broke out of the back yard a couple weeks ago. We keep him in the house now.

FlashBazbo

I've been bitten by a pit. Probably 50 pounds. After I thought the dog was kept up, I rode the road again. This time, I got him square in the face with a blast of bear repellant. He backed off about 20 feet, but kept chasing. Frothing at the mouth from the spray. Then 100 feet later, he made another attack run. Took another blast of bear repellant. Slowed and I was able to escape.

Halt and other dog-strength pepper sprays only stop friendly dogs who want to play.