saddlesniffer

lololol!!!

urbanknight

True, many of them just want to play or are going on chasing instincts. I have always been fine by making kissing sounds at the dog and saying hi. They usually stop, cock their head, and return to their home or human companion.

I understand why people don't want to stick around and find out which dogs are playing and which are attacking, but mashing the pedals is not likely to work. Most large dogs can run 30-45 mph, and getting caught at that speed will just get you a dog bite AND a bunch of road rash. Although I've never needed it, my plan is to stop and get off my bike, putting 18lb of metal and carbon fiber between its teeth and my skin. At least if I lose there, I'm not crashing at 30+ mph. My previous dog could also vouch for the effectiveness of pepper spray as it stopped him in his tracks when he got loose near the mailman. Didn't really hurt the pooch, either. Rinsed his eyes out with water and he was fine.

Calsun

An air horn is very effective and tends to stop most animals in their tracks. Amazon sells a Safety-Sport Dog Horn for $15 that includes a belt clip and would be easy to mount on the handlebar for use. It can be used long before a dog got close enough to hit with bear spray (though tempting nonetheless to try). I have found the air horn to be effective with deer and sheep as well as dogs out on the highway.

A friend lived on a very steep hill and a neighbor let his dog run loose and I had many near encounters. Fortunately another neighbor had a pet mountain lion he had raised from a cub and it was on a long chain and the dog would bark at the cat. One day the dog got too close and was quickly killed. No tears were shed when we learned of the dogs demise.

RNAV

My wife works for a professional dog trainer. They use the exact same CO2 inflators (with a trigger) that most roadies already carry. They reserve it for breaking up dog fights, or when a dog is being particularly obstinate and doing something bad and won't listen. Just shoot it straight in their face -- won't hurt the dog, but dogs hate it and will instantly stop. It's pretty amazing how effective it is.

However, most dogs are someone's pet. That someone probably calls them good boy/girl, good puppy, etc. I've found that by saying things the owner might say, in a calm and reassuring voice (i.e. good puppy, it's ok, etc.) is plenty effective at getting dogs to realize you're not a threat, and they'll back off. I haven't had to use the CO2 thing in years of riding, because the calm/reassuring method hasn't failed yet.

Calsun

Dog behavior is largely determined by its breeding and compounded by the owner. A hunting dog is going to be more likely to chase down a cyclist than a sheepdog and then there are the breeds like the Chow that were bred to be guard dogs and have not contact with people. Few people have a clue about how to train a dog and too many let them run loose.

My neighbor's dog is good natured and a dachshund mix but it is not street savy and the owner did not bother to put on the collar that jolts the dog when it crosses the boundary wire my wife put in place for the neighbor. The dog ran out into the street in front of me and I crashed and tore up both knees and an elbow and I have not been doing any riding for the past 3 weeks. Approaching a dog at 15 mph and saying "good dog" is not going to accomplish anything unless the dog has the right temperment and training, and most do not as a result of negligent owners.

When as a young teen I was collecting for my paper route I was bitten twice by dogs. One time the owner opened the front door and the dog charged out and grabbed my ankle. I was trying to shake the dog loose and the owner berated me for "kicking his dog". The classis is when people say that their dog does not bite as though a dog that does not bite them, the hand that feeds the dog, is therefore not going to bite a stranger.