Neighbors and their crazy irresponsibility

My neighbors down the street have a new puppy. It's adorable. I love, love, love dogs. What I don't love is the fact that five times today, the puppy charged at my bike, right at the place where I have to turn around, so I'm going slow. I yelled no at the dog each time, and each time, I asked for them to get the dog. The sixth time, I got off the bike, yelled NO at the dog, and said "you really have to put the dog on a leash or take him inside. One or both of us are going to get hurt."

Two grown, humongous men proceed to start yelling at me that it's my fault, that I should call the cops, and that they're not going to put the dog on a leash. They said they would beat the dog's a$#. (Horrible people. It's not the puppy's fault.) At some point I was called "princess."

Um, WTH?!?!?

We have a leash law in our neighborhood that is very loosely enforced and I don't have a bit of problem with this. There are a couple of pups that run alongside me on a pretty regular basis. They don't charge the bike so there is very little danger of either of us getting hurt. My neighborhood is very small with only one street and only about 20 houses. If I lap the street twice, it's one mile. It's perfect because I'm in the country where riding on the road is a bit of a hazard. I ride every day. It's no secret that I'm going to be out between 5:30 and 8. Every day. Please put your dog up and don't scream at me like it's my fault. I have never been yelled at like that before, especially by two men. How did they think it was okay? How did they, even in the most warped of brains, come to the conclusion that it was okay to blame me for them not being responsible pet owners?

I'm shaken and my feelings are super hurt.

You should definitely take them up on their recommendation to call the cops.

I asked him if he was (expletive) kidding me and told him that he was a grown man and should be able to handle his own problems without the cops.

On a MUCH happier note, I'm up to 26 miles in one ride, I'm using clipless without falling once, and I'm signed up to ride a 35 mile CF charity ride next month!

Call the cops. Be nice and explain the situtation about the puppy and that you don't want to get bitten, crash, or accidentally hit the dog. Tell them that you've talked with the neighbors and that they wouldn't help.

You have every right to be safe and happily ride w/o fear of the puppy.

The other problem is that your neighbors probably think it's funny watching the puppy chase you and have no desire to stop.

In the meantime, don't ride so far down that way so you'll spoil their "fun".

It would be nice to not have this escalate further. Any chance of trying to train the pup to not charge? Stop and give it some really good treats? (Too bad it is even harder to train the neighbors. You could consider telling them that you are sorry things got off on the wrong foot and ask if is there a way for the two of you to work together so that the pup does't charge you? It might deflate him a bit.)

I understand the option of calling the police but it may be better as a last resort as it could escalate neighbor problems further.

Good luck! Nothing worse than neighbor problems.

I hate loose dogs. Hate.....

Out of curiosity though, what makes your "country roads" hazardous? In my part of the world (Indiana), country roads are the preferred place to ride for most of us. Granted, not all country roads are created equal, but the vast majority of them around here are pleasant and relatively safe (minus the loose dogs), assuming they're not heavily traveled.

I am curious as well, country roads are my preferred place for country riding. Loose dogs are my only real concern, and there aren't that many of them where I ride. My rear-view mirror on my bar-end helps me to keep an eye out for big farm machinery and rednecks, much easier to deal with than urban traffic.

I would prefer to be in the woods these days, but I have to actually TAKE my bike to trails, so on weekday evenings I am limited to country or park roads.

I don't understand pet owners like that, if they don't care about you, why aren't they concerned about their pet getting hurt?

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Originally Posted by goldfinch

It would be nice to not have this escalate further. Any chance of trying to train the pup to not charge? Stop and give it some really good treats?

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Excellent. Sometimes on my commute I carry treats. There aren't any threatening dogs but a couple of them come to the fence just to see. With the owners permission I like to thank them for their curiosity and good behavior.

Off leash dogs get dognapped, they get hit, they get into food/substances/stuff they should not eat and get sick or even die, fall in with the "wrong pack" and get into trouble ... If the pup learns it's fun to chase bikes, then cars and that might not end so well for the dog. :(

Maybe the two grown men have not thought that far out or at all.

Would giving dogs treats reinforce or encourage the behavior in the future? Maybe they wouldn't be as mean, but still may pose problems. Just wondering.

A friend of mine complained a lot about her neighbor's dog being loose. When the dog got hit by a car and died, she went off on the neighbor (instead of giving him sympathy) because she was so furious that the dog had been killed because of his irresponsibility.
Call the cops.

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Originally Posted by NaeNae

Would giving dogs treats reinforce or encourage the behavior in the future? Maybe they wouldn't be as mean, but still may pose problems. Just wondering.

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If done properly, no. Puppy comes up to bike, does a sit or just a sniff, or just is calm ... treat gets popped in the puppy mouth along with praise "good dog". :)

But we should not have to train other peoples dogs. It's all I can do to train mine ;) My dog is not perfect but she's remarkably calm around cyclists and any person on wheels; skateboards, rollerblades ... she says "whatevah" :rolleyes:

How is your animal control? I would call them rather than the cops - if they are good. I'm worried about that puppy's welfare and would love to save it!

Thank you guys so much for all of your excellent suggestions. I think I will definitely try the treat route because he's just a little guy who is curious about the bike and doesn't understand yet. I'm still baffled about the two adult men's behavior. My husband is out of town right now for work and when I told him about what happened, I was really, really glad he wasn't home. It amazes me that in such a tiny neighborhood that people would want to be that way. It's a little enclave of a community and there are so few of us that it would seem that we would all go out of our way to be nice to one another.

I'm ashamed to say that at a certain point in the conversation I snapped and yelled back. It wasn't my proudest moment and I really didn't know how to handle being verbally attacked by two middle aged men. It was disconcerting and hurtful. Maybe I'm a wuss?

I'm not sure how the animal control out here operates. I would hate to have to find out. Poor little puppy. I really feel for it. I actually heard the dog yelping when I pulled away. I'm assuming they made good on their "I will whip the dog's a$%" nonsense. It made me a little sick.

The reason I try to stay off the country roads here is because I live in Louisiana. The people in my area look at bicycles like people look at the bearded lady at the carnival. LOL I have seen one bike in the last three years that I have lived here.

Rebekah, where do you live?
You might call Animal control and ASK them what they do, they will happily tell you.

oops I see you told us where you live, sorry

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Originally Posted by Biciclista

Rebekah, where do you live?
You might call Animal control and ASK them what they do, they will happily tell you.

oops I see you told us where you live, sorry

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That's a great suggestion. For now, I am going to try the dog treats if necessary and just turn around earlier until my husband comes home and starts riding with me again. I'm all for keeping the peace. :o

Rebekah,
As a former Louisiana resident, I feel your pain (I left the state a 11 months ago). The state is a 3rd world country in many ways. There is an attitude that country dogs have a right to be off leash, even if there is a leash law on the parish books.

Would suggest that you call the cops or animal control. Don't want said pup to get trained that bike riders give treats - then it'll run towards the bike expecting a treat. Too bad the pup has jerks for owners, that won't teach the dog where the property line is, or keep the dog safely inside a fence.

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Originally Posted by bmccasland

Rebekah,
As a former Louisiana resident, I feel your pain (I left the state a 11 months ago). The state is a 3rd world country in many ways. There is an attitude that country dogs have a right to be off leash, even if there is a leash law on the parish books.

Would suggest that you call the cops or animal control. Don't want said pup to get trained that bike riders give treats - then it'll run towards the bike expecting a treat. Too bad the pup has jerks for owners, that won't teach the dog where the property line is, or keep the dog safely inside a fence.

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So you DO understand! LOL I live in Maurepas, about halfway between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. I'm seriously in the boonies as far as biking goes. We have some great roads around my area but they are curvy and people drive like speed demon animals. I'm so new that I really don't feel safe on the highways yet. It's best that I stick to neighborhoods for the time being.

The ride I'm training for is in St. Francisville. I'm so excited! This will be my first real group ride, outside of riding with my husband who is a very experienced cyclist. After only two days of fundraising, I'm halfway to my $500 goal. I might have to raise that sucker!

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Originally Posted by bmccasland

Rebekah,
As a former Louisiana resident, I feel your pain (I left the state a 11 months ago). The state is a 3rd world country in many ways. There is an attitude that country dogs have a right to be off leash, even if there is a leash law on the parish books.

Would suggest that you call the cops or animal control. Don't want said pup to get trained that bike riders give treats - then it'll run towards the bike expecting a treat. Too bad the pup has jerks for owners, that won't teach the dog where the property line is, or keep the dog safely inside a fence.

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My thoughts on dealing with dogs doesn't have to do with what we should or shouldn't have to do. Of course she shouldn't have to train the dog or train the neighbor. The way I think about it is what will work the best with the least amount of angst. Dogs are very responsive to treats and you can use them to lower their arousal level. A happy dog is not a charging dog, it is loping up to greet you and wait for its treat.

I just think we catch more flies with honey.

Calling the cops or animal control can have its own negative potential consequences.

one of the reasons country road riding may be nominal is because of the issue of loose dogs. In the country most dogs have more room to run, aren't required to be on a leash as often or as much as in the burbs, and are generally present to guard the house, and land whether or not the gate is closed so....

Out around where I ride there are several places where the dogs always run at me, so far none have tried to bite or get real close, I continue to ride at a steady rate while telling the in a loud firm voice, no and go home. They usually pull of when I reach the edge of their territory. But you can never tell. My sister was stepping down to consult a cue sheet when a dog owner brought his german shepherd out of the house across the street. The dog didn't bark, ust ran up, hit her twice, bruising her badly and breaking the skin once. The owner made no attempt to call the dog back or apologize ust turned and walked into the yard. Fortunately the guide got the local police and they went back to the house to check on the dogs rabies status, which fortunately was up to date, and at that point got a "I was so surprised and embarrased that I just headed back into the house so the dog would follow me" aplogy.

I love dogs, but they are ust like people, good and bad, and as good and bad as their owners make them or let them be.

If you decide to use treats, I would toss them, so the treat is a good distance from the bike.

You can start with short tosses, then lengthen them.

I don't know if using treats is a good idea, but given what you've said about the poor dog's owners, it might solve the problem.

Why is it, that the minute I read the title of this thread I know it would have something to do with dogs?! Those of us who make every effort to be responsible dog owners hate that there are so many who don't make hardly any effort at all, and don't take steps to learn.

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Originally Posted by bmccasland

Rebekah,
As a former Louisiana resident, I feel your pain (I left the state a 11 months ago). The state is a 3rd world country in many ways. There is an attitude that country dogs have a right to be off leash, even if there is a leash law on the parish books.

Would suggest that you call the cops or animal control. Don't want said pup to get trained that bike riders give treats - then it'll run towards the bike expecting a treat. Too bad the pup has jerks for owners, that won't teach the dog where the property line is, or keep the dog safely inside a fence.

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I agree with the fact that giving treats to the dog would teach him that running into the road is acceptable and desirable. If you look at your county governments website there should be a link to animal control, where the animal protection ordinance should be published. In our community a dog that runs out into the road has potential to do harm and cause and accident, and is considered a nuisance. Our laws here are unusually strict due to our county commissioners knee-jerk responses to some very well publicized attacks. A person can be found guilty of a misdemeanor for what Rebekah is talking about. It doesn't even matter if there is an attack or not.

maybe put a dog training flyer in his mail box or dog training in his mail box. It is truly their error and they should stand out side, when you come by and be like the dog whisperer and say. NO> STAY.. YES, they need to actively participate in the dogs training. they are being irresponsible owners. The puppy does not know not to do what he's doing. He thinks its fun. Oh boy, her comes that cool lady again. let me see if I can catch her today... huff.. huff... huff..

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Originally Posted by Rebekah H

That's a great suggestion. For now, I am going to try the dog treats if necessary and just turn around earlier until my husband comes home and starts riding with me again. I'm all for keeping the peace. :o

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we can try to keep the peace but as I read today, some people thrive on confusion so you can't see what THEY are doing wrong.

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Originally Posted by tytbody

maybe put a dog training flyer in his mail box or dog training in his mail box. It is truly their error and they should stand out side, when you come by and be like the dog whisperer and say. NO> STAY.. YES, they need to actively participate in the dogs training. they are being irresponsible owners. The puppy does not know not to do what he's doing. He thinks its fun. Oh boy, her comes that cool lady again. let me see if I can catch her today... huff.. huff... huff..

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In that area, the only dog training availble would be for hunting dogs. I've been to Maurepas. I'll also be that mail delivery is at the Post Office, with limited rural route delivery - so sticking something in the mail box won't work. And by the way, it's illegal to stick something in a mailbox if it doesn't come via US Postal Service.

I guess around here, they don't know that it's illegal. We have mail boxes at curb side and anyone can put something in there. I've been told by friends, eh, just stick it in my mail box. But,, it's all different every single place ya go..

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Originally Posted by beccaB

I agree with the fact that giving treats to the dog would teach him that running into the road is acceptable and desirable.

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The dog already acts like running into the road is acceptable and desirable. What really good treats may do is reduce the dog's arousal level and distract him from charging. Nothing to lose, considering the status quo.

A dog that has a high chase drive cannot be re-routed once it has started the chase. According to a book I'm reading "STOP" Predatory Chasing in Dogs (can't remember offhand the name of the author, a police dog trainer from England) The author makes an analogy that humorously compares the dog on a chase to a soccer player getting ready to score the winning world cup goal, and then you tell him you will give him a cookie if he stops running. The author suggests removing all the things that would be available to the dog to cause it to chase, or removing the dog from a potential chase scenario if possible. Of course that would involve a responsible dog owner willing to make the effort.