Isaiahc72

In late May 2015, I set off on a solo adventure through Arkansas. On the 4th day of the trip I found myself riding down a small county road. Throughout this rural area, About 50% of the houses had vicious "farm" dogs that ran out after me. I shouted at some of them and then had to use pepper spray on one after shouting at it had no effect. However, the pepper spray did no good. The dog still kept right on my heal and I was barely able to escape. I made it into the next town shortly before my body became a fiery inferno from the pepper spray. I ended up having to be taken home with severe chemical burns.

Ever since then, I've been afraid to venture out of known territory. I've been afraid of another encounter with vicious dogs like the ones that had caused me to end my trip. I hear that dogs can sense fear which makes it all the worse for me.

I want to be free again! Can someone please help me? How do I deal with these "fanged flying carpets?" Every website/forum I read seems to offer me different advice to the point that I'm just confused. What about encounters with multiple dogs?

Daniel4

I was googling to find out if bear spray is any different from other pepper spray. Then I ran across UDAP Pepper Power which describes what you are doing.

Other than that, consider tranquilizer darts and tazers.

phoebeisis

I'm a dog/cat "animal lover" I guess
I/we have owned maybe 30 dogs over the years
The last 3 have been recycled greyhounds
Greyhounds rarely show agression toward humans-
But I have been nipped/bitten by every dog I have ever owned-and by 2 stranger owned pet dogs
ALL DOGS WILL BITE NIP is suitably provoked
and some will nip bite because it is their nature
The last bite-on the butt-was from an australian shepard-
The owners-young married couple-were outside with the 4 dogs-normal suburban area
I was 20 yards away with my 3 yo son-
the 4 dogs-took one look-and made a bee line for us
I picked up Charlie(son) faced mutts-kicking away-manuevering while they were jumping-seemingly trying to get him
Owners-ran over insisting "they won't bite"
well they control mutts
But right at the end-I get a really good kick that lands on the jaw of the least offensive dog(felt a little bad about it-but he was in range-and my blood was up)
Wife says "he wouldn't have bitten you"
well I pivot around-pull shorts up-showing my bleeding right buttock
no doubt said something like "what the fu$ is this"
I head home-2 streets over
hose off wound-medical training-not deep-no big deal-zero rabies risk-heard tags on collars
Next day-hubby come by-making nice-
I'm correct-but not friendly
No doubt scared I would sue etc
I lectured him on pack behavior-gave him the don't have dogs off leash etc-all dogs bite-some have significant prey drive
might have seen child as prey
more likely herding behavior of the most aggressive mutt-
the pricy looking australian whatever that is the mutt that actually bite nipped my butt

My point-all dogs will bite-most bites are extremely minor-safer to ride on control bike-don't crash
But my experience with dogs is the best approach when riding
1)Keep riding-
2)don't stop
3) don't pay any obvious attention to them
4)Concentrate on SAFELY riding your bike in the situation-many many chased by dogs injuries are from CRASHING while trying to evade mutts-
5)gear down-spin-so you legs ankles are moving fast-hard to bite-and your pedal foot can deliver a blow
6)Forget the pepper spray-that is for HUMANS-and you are better using a much more lethal weapon on humans-
7)REMEMBER human predators and CARS are the main risks-when chased by dogs-the CARS or the road signs-or the ditch-or the grate-is your main source of injury
8)Dog nips-are minor- just rinse with warm water-soap-when you get a chance-dog transmission of rabies to humans-extremely uncommon in USA

So ignore mutts-downshift/spin fast -concentrate on safely negotiating traffic etc

Forget all the weapons-keep riding-best strategy-bringing the weapon to bear while riding will cause you to crash.

Human predator-bike jacker thief or just an angry thug wanting to roll back younger more affluent hipster types moving in-(problem in NOLA)-completely different story

Daniel4

Also consider ultrasonic dog deterrents. Sound frequency is higher than what any human can hear. Not a weapon.

BobbyG

I can think of three incidents I encountered dog trouble while bike commuting, but I found my Airzound Airhorn worked two of the times. The first time it scared the dog. On the second occasion another dog was startled and surprised long enough to stop momentarily before resuming its charge, but from further back and gave up shortly. The third occasion was a mean and nasty dog that I would see most days in a yard piled fence-high with junk. I knew it was a matter of time before he figured out he could walk over the fence. One day I saw him in the street and made a detour a block away. But he saw me and followed me for three blocks barking and growling and getting within a foot of me all the while running off to threaten neighborhood children before running back up to me. No yelling, screaming, talking or honking dissuaded him. As soon as he broke off I called the police and mentioned the children. That was the last time I saw the dog.

FBinNY 

One of the problems with most pepper sprays is that they emit a thin stream, which means that you have to aim accurately, which isn't easy if you're trying to race away.

If you're going to use pepper spray, dismount and put the bike between you and the dog, then spray. The dismount before spraying not only improves aim, but prevents the wind from blowing it all back against you.

Or buy a small spray bottle, and fill it with ammonia. Adjust the spray head for misting vs. a stream (if adjustable). This will allow you to put out a cloud that the dog will run through and irritate his eyes and nose enough that he should break off. The cloud vs. aimed spray greatly improves your odds of discouraging the dog, and allow you to focus on controlling the bike.

Chris0516

"fanged flying carpets"

That is a description I never will forget.

For me, if anything. I actually worry about a dog getting killed. If it chases me. It doesn't matter what breed it is. I guess the county the OP lives in. Doesn't have a leash law, or if it does, a lot of dog owners ignore it.

ghostbhob

I grew up in a dirt road community where hardly any dogs were fenced or chained. A lot of them would chase bikes when they passed. My brother was the only person I know who was bitten, but I think his mistake was stopping and showing fear. I learned early to just keep riding and as soon as you pass their "territory" they'll stop chasing.

Of coarse, my brother-in-law (20 years older than me) had a different way of dealing with them. He would ride right at them growling and barking. The dog would usually just stop and look at him like "Wait! That's not what's supposed to happen."

phoebeisis

Like ghost suggests-
RIDE ON-IGNORE
Keep control of your bike
forget the half assed sprays-wind- and will distract you from retaining control of bike-crash
Sprays are for Human predators if that is all you have and you have been knocked off bike-ambushed

Deal4Fuji

I 1st bought pepper spray but was concerned with the small size (getting it out of a pocket quickly) and short range. I've seen wasp spray mentioned here, and liked the long and heavy spray stream you get from wasp spray, also the cheap cost. Another advantage is the larger size makes it easy to access quickly if mounted in a water bottle holder. To make the fit snug I use a "huggie" taped on with painters tape that very closely fits my bike color. I haven't had to use it yet and hopefully won't have to, but in tests it works great.

JanMM

Pleasantly surprised in recent years to find that many dogs in rural Indiana are contained by invisible fences. At first, I thought it was because the owners were considerate of cyclists but turns it it's mostly to protect the mutts from being run over by cars. (Invisible fences less common on roads with little car traffic.)

GravelMN

Mods

Can we get a dealing with dogs sticky and lump all of these posts together as they are all the same anyway and usually go downhill quickly.

Chris0516

It would have to have a big IF.

I have no problems with dogs, even vicious dogs. Here, In the State of Maryland, there is a leash/chain law for any dog that is outside. But there are those here(on BF) who do have a major problem with dogs. Either because of how they feel about dogs, or because the dogs in their respective locale may not be very well trained/cared for, or both.

But a sticky about dogs, doesn't have the same 'absolute necessity', as did the sticky about not describing one's injuries here following a bike accident. In that, we all have a different opinion of dogs, and live in different locales. Too many variables for a sticky. Not enough common ground.

Isaiahc72

I have tried the "ignore them and just keep riding" method and on several occasions, it didn't work. The dogs only got closer to me.

phoebeisis

Isaiahc72
Were they close enough to bite?
Usually spinning legs -metal crank arms pedals-tough target-
Granted it is a leap of faith-
but slowing down or worse stopping yelling-or taking aim-at a pack-
leaves you more vulnerable
and if you try to shoot on the fly-
you are distracted from controlling the bike

No good solution unfortunately-

erig007

Got a few ideas with solutions that don't requires to stop or aim at the dogs (not tried)
-throw on the ground a balloon filled with black pepper while riding (ninja style) (the cloud of black pepper should probably be enough to make them stop i believe)
-empty a bottle of black pepper while riding (a pringles bottle attached to the handlebar and a rope attached to the bottle cap for quick opening should do) . Since you're moving forward everything behind you should get the stream

brianinc-ville

If you can just ride on and ignore them, that's best. I've found I can outrun the pit-bull-mix "farm dogs" in my part of NC if they chase me one-on-one.

The problem comes when a pack of several dogs surrounds you, so you can't ride forward without hitting them. Last time that happened to me, I slowed down to a walking pace; one of 'em bit me on the ankle. Not fun. Next time, I'm just gonna keep riding and if I hit 'em, I hit 'em.

corrado33

You guys are far too afraid of dogs. They like to chase. They like spinny things (tires, your feet, etc.) It's not the barking dogs you have to worry about, it's the dogs that chase you silently with the intent to hunt you. If you've ever seen a dog chase anything it's wanted to kill, you'll notice that it does not bark at it. It runs straight at it with it's head down and is absolutely silent until the thing it's chasing get's caught somewhere (in a tree or hole.)

Most dogs want to play. Many dogs don't know how to play (will bite/nip.) They do NOT want to harm you, they want to CHASE you.

In the end you most likely outweigh the dog by at least 2x. Not only that but you also have a 10-30 lb club in your hands (your bike.) You really have nothing to worry about.

CrippledKonaBoy

The ammonia spray is a good choice. Taser, not so much. Ultrasonics? I may need one of those myself, got a source?

My thought was a paintball gun.

Last thought: I'm not riding with corrado33. Ignored evidence in favor of opinion, not a good combo.

corrado33

Do you REALLY, HONESTLY think there are killer dogs out there not tied up in people's yards just looking to come after you? Paranoid much? You will rarely, if ever, find a dog who actively wants to ATTACK you. They want to play or scare you away from their property. Once they see that you're not having fun (if they do manage to bite you) they'll back off.

I've been running and riding bikes along country roads since I was 12. I have plenty of experience with "vicious" dogs.

indyfabz

+1. You will have to alert them personally as they cannot monitor every thread.

indyfabz

More that 15,000 miles of loaded touring in the U.S. and God only knows how many road and commuting miles. A good, loud yell to show them who's "top dog" does the trick. Either that or a squirt of water in the face if they get that close. But most of the time I just ignore them. In the OP's case, assuming it's a true story, I wouldn't be surprised if the pepper spray antagonized to dog.

CrippledKonaBoy

Hyperbole much? Why is it either A.) dogs are almost never aggressive, they're just playing tag; or B.) they're a slavering mass of vicious alpha predators out to dominate us and shred our flesh? EVER HEAR OF THE MIDDLE GROUND? People HAVE been attacked...say, like the OP. Your dismissal of that tells me that you don't ride near loose dogs AND that you've never been chased by one.

You would be irrelevant about " rarely, if ever, find a dog who actively wants to ATTACK you"; how many does it take to force a rider off his bike for an extended period for healing? I've been chased twice by dogs over the last three years. One did so for a MILE, wanting to play -- he wanted ME to chase HIM, too! The other chased me for a block, wanting blood, but she was too fat to catch me.

I'm not paranoid about dogs; but since we DO have a leash/chain law here, I expect it to be observed. There are PLENTY of dogs on my usual routes who, were they not leashed, would take me off the bike. Too many people here get a nut from having a dangerous dog.

I have the number for Animal Control in my phone, used it 2x in the last 9 years. I have a chain lock on my bike for car windows of drivers who want to play. Which do you think I'm more concerned with?

Now tuck that micro-phallus back in, I'm not intimidated by you, either, chump.

corrado33

The OP was chased, not attacked. Being "nipped" and being "attacked" by a dog are two completely different things. If you were attacked by a large enough dog you'd probably be dead or at least very badly injured. I'd like to see the stats on that, I doubt there are very many actual dog attacks. In fact, if you look at dogbite.org, you'll find that between 1982 and 2014, there have been a bit less than 4000 deaths and maimings reported in the US and Canada. If you work that out, it's about 125 a year. Not 125 deaths, just 125 "significant" dog attacks. Now, if you think that's a lot, remember that cows kill 20 people a year (in the US), stinging insects kill 58 a year. If you think it's still a lot, remember that motor vehicle deaths measure in the 10s of thousands every year (in the US.) (33,000 was the number I found.)

Note: I skipped the number of dog "attacks" that simply caused "bodily harm." Anything can be reported as bodily harm, including a tiny nip or bruise, so I'll stay away from that statistic. I've been "nipped" by completely friendly dogs that go too excited when I was playing with them. Sometimes they even caused me "bodily harm" including scratches. Would I consider that a "dog attack?" Heck no.

And you're right, I've never been chased by a dog. Do you know why? Because when a loose dog starts to chase me (on the road) I stop. Every single time they come up to me for pets or stop 10 feet from me and bark. Then I ride/run away slowly and everything is fine. And how can you say the dog who chased you "wanted blood?" Really? Exaggeration much? Can you read the dog's mind? Can you identify the signs of a dog wanting to attack? What's the middleground of a dog wanting to play and a dog who wants to attack? A dog that bites you seriously once then leaves? When would that ever happen? A dog that wants to scare you off of his area? He'll simply bark at you. Not much different from a dog wanting to play. If the dog doesn't want to HURT you, it's not going to ATTACK you without provocation. They aren't mindless animals.

In all honesty, I can't find one case of a cyclists being seriously attacked by a dog. (I'm sure a few will be posted after this.) Knocked off? Sure. Big dogs can do that easily if they're not well trained. Nipped at? Sure, dogs love moving things (your legs.) Nipped at enough to draw blood, sure. It's happened to me too by friendly (not well trained) dogs. Actually bitten purposely by the dog and attacked? No, I can't find any cases of it. (In my 5 minute google search.) I've found stories of panniers being ripped, but that doesn't show intent for the dog to want to hurt the PERSON. Have you ever ridden a big-wheel or tractor or anything that moves relatively slowly and has wheels on it around a dog? Ever notice they like to bite at it? A bike is no different.

Lastly, it's good to know you're thinking about my "phallus." I think that tells us more about you than we really needed to know...

canklecat

There are many every year. That said, I'm more worried about careless drivers. Most folks with dogs along my cycling routes keep their dogs fenced or use "invisible fence" collars, including a home with half a dozen enthusiastic hounds that always stop 10 yards shy of the road. Since resuming cycling in August I've been chased twice, including this evening by an unrestrained pit bull. I'm accustomed to pitties and wasn't particularly worried. In fact, I accidentally ran over the dog when it stopped short in front of me. No injuries to either of us.

But I don't underestimate the danger, particularly at my age. At 58 my reflexes aren't as quick, I don't bounce as well and I have no illusions about winning a wrasslin' match with any determined large dog, particularly a pit bull. In my experience pitties are no more vicious than any dog (chows are the most unpredictable of the dogs I've owned and cared for), but the margin for error is nil with those massive bonecrusher jaws. Simply being knocked down by a dog can result in massive head trauma and death, particularly for older folks.

85 year old bicyclist mauled by animal in Christian County

Bicyclist dies after being attacked by animals

Police shoot, kill dog after it attacks cyclist

Police shoot, kill pit bull to end attack on bicyclist

Police: ‘Vicious’ Pit Bulls Hurt 4 At Montevideo Middle School. "According to police, three staffers were bit. When an officer arrived at the scene, a student was holding back one of the dogs with a bicycle. The dog also went after the officer."

Pasadena police fatally shoot pit bull after attack, injure two other dogs. "Ross was walking his bicycle southbound when the dogs charged him from across the street, according to Ibarra. She said Ross tried to put the bike between himself and dogs that were trying to bite his legs. One bit him. Ross dropped his bicycle and jumped onto the hood of a parked car, Ibarra said."

Google around and you'll find dozens of similar stories. The tricky bit is filtering out the irrelevant hits about a cyclist shooting a service dog, or law enforcement shooting dogs when no bicyclist, jogger or hiker was involved. But I Googled for this very same topic a few months ago during a similar A&S thread and found many documented instances of dogs attacking cyclists that resulted in serious injuries and deaths.

Keep in mind that the decline in local newspapers means many incidents of all kinds are under-reported. So web searches are no longer representative of newsworthy incidents that aren't salacious enough to attract the attention of national media. In my hometown even murders are considered too routine to be widely reported and it's often weeks or months before we hear about serious crimes. Never mind incidents such as non-fatal dog attacks - unless the victim fits the profile for generating web traffic it probably won't be reported. We'd need to search police blotters and emergency response logs to get the kind of information that I used to routinely sift through every day as a police/fire beat reporter.