Bmach

Op your name is fitting. To lazy to file a report and an ass for confronting the women. You are afraid of a couple small dogs and talk tough to a women, post it on the forum and get mad when you don't like the advise. The cops don't patrol the area, they take to llong to respond. Maybe there is a reason you know some of them and the clerk of courts yet won't seek their help. Mmmmm I wonder what that could be.

Lazyass

If I had some spray I would carry it. But I already have a Zefal HPX. Realistically, although they could obviously injure me these dogs aren't the most intimidating. I'd be surprised if they didn't run away at the first smack. I was surprised that one clamped onto my bars, they've never done anything but run beside me before. Maybe we'll see, maybe we won't.

Lazyass

Guidelines and Rules or Site Operation: All Members Read, Please


Harassment

Harassment occurs when a member insults, attacks, and denigrates another member at any time. We have zero tolerance for taking an argument about a any topic to a personal level. For instance, the use of terms such as "idiot, moron, stupid" and other derogatory terms constitutes harassment. The idea is to make this a pleasant environment to discuss cycling, not a schoolyard, or name-calling and rock-throwing festival.

CliffordK

So you have friends in the PD and they still won't come to your aid?

As far as dogs, the only ones I let chase me or run beside me are behind a fence. All others get a loud stern commanding GO HOME that can be heard from a mile away.

Lazyass

If I were to get injured, yeah, they would come to my aid. You would have to live here to understand, this isn't the big city. The "town" where this house in question is located is a town with no police force. The citizens tried to get the county to station an officer out there because they have a drug problem and meth heads breaking into houses, but the county didn't have the money. So everyone pretty much has to fend for themselves until something bad happens. I'm not going to try to call them out because a dog bit my bike.

coominya

If dogs are untrained, loose off private property, and attacking people they are by definition wild dogs and deserve a bullet in the head. Don't be so weak in your own head.

coominya

A good thing to carry is a telescopic Blind cane, the ones with the big ball on the end. I leave it to your imaginations to decide how to mount it on your bike and how to employ it on a vicious lawless wild dog.

FBinNY 

Fill a spray bottle with ammonia, Windex or lemon juice. You can add cayenne pepper for more effect, and/of add food color to leave a mark. make sure to set the sprayer to "mist". Carry it in your downtube bottle cage.

Next time the dogs chase, spray up a storm. Don't worry about aiming accurately, just make a cloud ahead of the dogs and let them run into it. That will end the chase, and dogs aren't that stupid and will remember and associate you and burning eyes for future reference. Some dogs are slower learners, and you might have to repeat the lesson once or twice, but ALL dogs do learn, and may chase bikes, but not you.

Slightspeed

Even though we have leash laws in California, I've been chased by a pit bull and a cocker spaniel in my own neighborhood. I outran the pit bull. He only lasted a block, and I had a better angle on him, but I did run a stop sign to keep moving. The cocker held on for a couple of blocks. I was more afraid of the pit bull, but that cocker certainly was tenacoous. A pit bull cocker combined breed would be real trouble!

italktocats

i am and it already gotten to that point, there is an obvious danger to OP (and ALL other humans in that area) and propety damage has already been done
over here, those dogs wouldnt be not gonna wait till they maul some kids

Lazyass

I might fill a bottle with apple cider vinegar. I have a jug of that and I read it's a good repellent. But if they get close enough to latch on to me again the Zefal is coming out.

Lazyass

The one time I got attacked by one of them was when I had to slow to almost a stop. I didn't try to outrun them, I was just cruising like normal expecting them to run along beside me like they always did. And when one is clamped onto your bar, literally one inch away from your hand, even you will start kicking. Trust me.

srestrepo

from a guy who once kicked a dog to get it off of the mail lady, make sure you wind up real good man.

Maelochs

This is not a cut-and-tried situation like some here seem to think.

First, there are places where dogs can kill people. It’s called, “Everywhere.”

Second, in rural areas, there are a couple dynamics urban/suburban people don’t seem to understand.

One is the “pack.” In some areas, where dogs are pretty much allowed to roam, the can actually form packs, just like they used to , to hunt.

There are posters here who have or who have friends who have, been surrounded by aggressive dogs ... dogs who didn’t pay attention when sternly told to “Go home,” like some posters here recommend. (Worth trying, for sure ... but it isn’t magic.)

I am fairly sure everyone here saying “Don’t hurt the doggy” would be self-urinating if six or nine growling dogs with raised hackles were circled around him/her.

Also, there are places where there are no police ... or the police patrol basically in town because there are two cops, two stores, and everybody else is scattered over a hundred square miles of farm and field and forest.

In that situation, dial 911, but make lunch first. (Of course, anywhere you live, a good response time is ten-fifteen minutes. it is only on TV that cops drive up exactly when the script calls for it.)

Also, there are people (this is urban also) who deliberately make dogs mean and aggressive. Sucks, but it is real.

And by the way, a 25-pound dog can kill you. it can cripple you. it can tear an artery or slash tendons and nerves. It can knock you off your bike and if you land badly, you can break bones, or wake up three days later in the hospital without a clue.

Or, the dogs might eat your face.

I am an animal lover. I grew up with dogs. I do not harbor particular hatred or fear of Any animal (except some humans, which is well justified.)

But I also ride far and wide sometimes, and I have been chased by all kinds of dogs. I used to walk even farther and met a lot more rural dogs.

Some of the fast young riders just sprint away. Not always an option. Sometimes you are tired, or surprised, or on a steep hill.

Ever meet a 200-lb mastiff or a 150-lb St Bernard? 100-lb pit bull? Ever see a dog drag its owner while the owner did everything possible to hold it back?

I have never been in a situation I couldn’t handle without violence. I consider myself very lucky.

I would Certainly not hesitate to hurt of kill an animal that was doing its best to hurt or kill me. I would probably cry like a baby all night ... but I would be alive to feel bad about it.

Some people have posted about being afraid of being hit by cars or hitting babies. Try to imagine who you would feel if a dog latched onto your arm and there was No one around to rescue you?

It won’t happen. Stuff like that happens less than people win the lottery.

But ... people win the lottery.

If you have never been in that situation, don’t criticize others who have been .. at least not until you think really hard about it.

Sometimes there is no one to call for help, no one there to rescue you, no one to save your butt. It is you, and what you do .. and maybe your whole life is radically changed by your response.

I have learned the hard way that sometimes life throws really crappy situations at you. And Rarely do we handle them the way we imagine we would have.

I took that “beat you with his stick” remark as a joke and a pretty good one.

But know this ... if he was riding next to you, and the dog was latched onto your leg, You would be screaming, “Kill it! Kill it! Beat it to death with your stick!”

Know that, and then the joke is funny. Otherwise ... bad karma is bad. I try pretty hard not to make my life any harder. That’s advice.

We are some freaks and loonies here. We will come to learn your sense of humor and your modes of expression and we will all get along fine.

Have a great time cycling.

mcours2006

You're not just dealing with the dogs here; you're dealing with the dog owner as well whom you cussed out. Your'e not sociopathic/psychopatic, but maybe she is, and yet you are not going to avoid riding past that area. The term sitting duck comes to mind.

Anytime I have a confrontation with someone on the road I am always regretful that it had escalated to the level that it did, because that's my regular commute route, and what if one day the driver decides that he's going to run me over from behind, because he's seen a few times on the same stretch of road.

The dogs attacked you, yes. And you should file a report. I also understand the urge for retribution. But I'd also be thankful that I'm not seriously injured.

Just some food for thought.

Zurichman2

My solution as I posted in another thread today is to carry a small bottle of ammonia with you. Just make sure you don't get them mixed up and try drinking some. It is really cheap at the grocery store and I did that a few years ago to an aggressive dog and he never bothered me again. You don't even have to get it on him just close to them with as strong as a nose as they have. My Golden just came in the living room to lay down beside me. Like the poster said above you can consider yourself lucky that dog was biting on your handlebars instead of your leg. I doubt if a 400 lb woman would have her dogs shots up to date. She is spending that money on food. lol



Zman

Chuck Naill

Listen here, lazy ass!!! Sorry, couldn't resist.


He's right, you know he is. If there is a leash law, go to Google Maps and find the house. Use this when you make a report to your animal control officer. Describe the breed of dog if possible. That said, if the officer were to go the owner she could accuse you of harassment and making threatening comments.

FBinNY 

It might be OK, though I'm a fan of using lemon juice.

In any case, don't wait until they present a serious thread. Spray them the moment they come within range. The object isn't to stop them from an attack, but to teach them to associate you with burning eyes, so they will keep distance in the future.

Maelochs

Some places, the cops simply couldn't be bothered. No one dead? No robbery, no mayhem? Sort it out yourselves.

And you are right ... if a cop did show up, the "he said, she said" would probably have the officer saying, "Good evening" and never coming back ... which is why the cop would never come in the first place.

I don't think either of the humans behaved well in their interaction ... but Lazy needs to find the state laws on recording and record the next encounter should there be one. (Some states don't allow recording with a verbal warning so it won't be admissible in court---best to know.)

bbbean 

You messed up. When you saw you weren't getting anywhere, you should have cut your losses and left.

FWIW, there is a sheriff in every county. While they may not immediately dash out to secure justice for your cause, they will take a report, and if you get the right sheriff or deputy, they'll talk to teh dog's owner. But by reporting the dog, you also leave a record that will help you with an insurance claim or lawsuit, should you decide one is worthwhile.

Keep in mind that you're riding in isolated areas, and if you make yourself enough of a nuisance, some dog owners might opt to leave a little less than 3 feet of room when they pass. You don't want that.

I live and ride in a rural area, and have a couple of dog owners like that on some of my routes. I'm frankly more afraid of the owners than I am of the dogs, and I have to live here. So I pick my battles and maintain a good relationship with the sheriff. I'd encourage you to do the same. Getting into a verbal squabble with a p'd off redneck won't get you teh result you want. You have to be smarter.

BB

canklecat

That's typical free-range aggressive dog owner attitude. I've never met a free-range aggressive dog owner who wasn't a dumba$$ redneck, hillbilly drunk or doper. I lived in a rural home for many years and encountered many of those types. They're all the same. Their dogs are proxies for their own $h!tty attitudes about life and toward humanity.

I'm not talking about the goofy dogs who occasionally get loose and roam around. I mean the ones who bark and chase you every damned time, whether you're just taking your trash can out to the end of the driveway, walking, riding a bike or driving your car. And it's often the same damned dogs who invade everyone else's property, terrorizing your pets and kids, killing your livestock, etc. No peaceful means ever work. You can never make friends with the dogs. No threats, yelling, pepper spray or bribes ever work. It's the same damned thing the next time, whether it's the next day, week or month.

And it's always the same crappy attitude games when you finally try to discuss the problem with 'em. "Git off mah propahty! Mah dawg nevah hoit nobody!"

Fortunately our sheriff's department would straight up notify the owners that neighbors had a right to shoot the dogs if they strayed onto other people's property or assaulted passersby. Sometimes that woke 'em up.

But not always.

I've been a photographer since I was a kid, and worked in various capacities providing documentation for court cases, so I'd photograph every instance of dogs trespassing on our property and provided copies to police and animal control. Helps refute claims from negligent owners.

We had a particularly vicious dog (a pit bull, but I don't consider them any worse than others, and we've owned pitties too -- they just demand more training and attention than other dogs because they're so powerful) a couple of doors down that killed most of our chickens and, finally, a turkey that sort of adopted us when he had an injured leg as a young jake and just stayed, and made himself home as he matured into a fine tom. The neighbor's dog mauled the turkey, tore him to pieces, but didn't kill or eat him.

I tracked the feathers and blood and gore to the neighbor's yard, and the dog still had blood and feathers stuck to it's mouth. I photographed that too. Same old crap from the neighbor: "Mah dawg nevah hoit nobody! Git off mah propahty!" He answer the door with his two little girls. I said "How long do you think it'll be before you come home and find your innocent dog has mauled your kids to death? You think it'll stop once it gets a taste for blood? Do something or I will."

The sheriff's deputies and animal control warned him. Didn't help. He kept letting the dog roam the neighborhood.

I finally shot that dog three times on three different occasions. Yeah, pitties are that tough.

First time was in the rump with a .22 at 100 yards distance. It was on our lake front property harassing our chickens. It wouldn't kill the dog but would cost the owner a pricey vet's bill. Probably penetrated less than an inch.

Didn't stop it. A week or two later it was back. This time I was outside mowing and stopped to chat with my grandmother who was on her electric scooter. The dog was at the lake front again. I grabbed a shotgun this time, filled with bird shot. The dog charged toward us. I waited as long as possible to give it a chance to veer away. I fired at 10 yards, a muzzle full of bird shot. Not enough to kill it but you'd think the dog would finally get the message.

Nope.

It was back in less than a month. This time I shot it at close range with a .357 when it was in our garden killing chickens again. Hit it mid-torso. Didn't kill it, but this time the owner finally kept it chained up. We never had problems with it again.

But we continued to have problems with other neighbors' dogs. Different breeds. Retrievers were often as bad, if not worse, at killing livestock just for fun and not eating it. Once a dog goes bad that way it's really hard to break them. That neighbor was even worse, with a son who was a teenaged bully and thug, harassing little kids and toddlers in the neighborhood, roaring down private driveways on his motorcycle, just showing off. Cops finally talked to the parents and they sent the kid away to live with other, more mature family. And they kept at least one of their dogs fenced in.

Anyway, I don't know what the answer is. I've never met an owner of dogs like that who was receptive to anything less than warnings from police and animal control, and finally direct action if all else failed.

Good luck. Take photos and videos on every ride to back up your case.

dksix

Yes, and the owner in the type of area the OP speaks of can be much worse than the 400 pound woman. What if you were there while to husband was gone to the ABC store or the son out to get some pills only to come home to a riled up belligerent woman telling her version of the story. If the cyclist is going through there in a somewhat consistent basis about the same time of day they may know when to be watching.

There is a good chance this situation has already gone from bad to worse.

ksryder

I'll lecture you. I'm ex-military too, and being ex-military is not some magical source of entitlement, nor does it provide justification for acting like a sociopath. Protecting yourself is fine, but if you go out intentionally looking to harm the dogs then you're a sociopath. She was wrong, but your response was also wrong. You're entitled to protect yourself but you don't need to resort to killing the dogs as a first resort. If you can't handle a couple 25 pound dogs I have to assume that a) you were in the air force and b) maybe you shouldn't be riding.

Lazyass

You lost me there. Sorry, stud.

02Giant 

That's news to me, seems to be the norm these days.