Dog Repellents - Yeah or Nay?

[JMM77]

Just wondering if anyone out there has any experience (positive or negative) with either chemical or audible dog repellents? I was out for a nice evening ride the other day when a dog decided to play chase. Unfortunately, I wound up with a broken rib from being forced off the side of the road! I don't have any fear of dogs but I certainly don't want something like this to happen again. Thanks in advance for your help!

[Urlea]

Sorry to hear about the broken rib! Yikes. Hope you recover well/quickly.

I am going to get flack for suggesting this one, but it does work.

Fill a water bottle w/ vinegar & ammonia water. Could probably go with just the vinegar, stay slightly more humane. Anywho, squirt the animal when it nears.

[berkeley]

There's a product called "Direct Stop" that is useful for deterring charging dogs. It's a citronella spray.

[Skierchickie]

Just a stream of water in the face has always worked for me - no chemicals required. No extra bottles & canisters, either.

[surgtech1956]

Somewhere I read(don't remember where) that the best thing to do when a dog is chasing is to vary your speed because it will throw the dog's speed off and they will give up, they can't adapt to a slow-fast, etc... Don't know how true this is.

[sundial]

I slow down to give the impression that the dog is not going to chase me off. If the dog continues to be persistent, I squirt it in the face with my water bottle and that usually does the trick.

[tulip]

When I see a chaser, I yell in my loudest, deepest, most serious voice, NO! or SIT! That has worked in a surprising number of cases. I also get my water bottle ready to squirt it if I have to. Just make sure the top is open. I've squeezed and nothing's come out!

[msincredible]

Somewhere I read(don't remember where) that the best thing to do when a dog is chasing is to vary your speed because it will throw the dog's speed off and they will give up, they can't adapt to a slow-fast, etc... Don't know how true this is.

It's true (you slow down, then suddenly accelerate) but works best on a motorcycle, you can't always out-accelerate a dog on a bicycle.

[Crankin]

Last summer, when I had my dog incident, I did the stop, put the bike between the dog and I thing, and yelled. I *think* I squirted it with my water bottle, but about then, the dog lost interest. When the same dog chased my husband about a month ago, he was going the opposite direction, in the same spot, and was going about 30 or more down a little hill. Nothing would have worked, but his outstanding bike handling skills, which did save him.
I am not sure if I could get the pepper spray or even my water bottle out quickly enough to use if I was actually still on the bike. But I have no qualms about using anything to protect myself. I honestly admit I don't like dogs under any circumstances, but in this case (and most) it's the stupidity of the owners that cause the problem. In my old town, there was a leash law and most people had invisible fences. Here, even the owners think they "own" the road, walking 2-4 abreast and not getting over into single file when a bike or runner is approaching, with warning. More than once I have let loose a string of expletives when these women look at me like I am the one who is crazy when they don't move or call their dog.

[tulip]

I bet an air horn would work.

I like the strategy of stopping and getting off the bike. Most injuries from dog-bike interaction are due to the collision of the dog and bike, not from bites. Just ask arielmoon (I hope you're feeling better!). But my instinct is to get out of the way fast. It's counter intuitive to stop and face the danger--on the bike as in life in general.