animals

[DDH]

What do you guys that ride in the country and or the city, do about dogs chasing you or coming out at you. I've heard squirting them with the water bottle works because of the shock of it, but what if it doesn't.
Most of my riding is done in the country because that is where I live, and people are always dumping their animals out here. I worry when I am riding about stray or dangerous dogs. So far the only ones that have come out at me or started to were dogs that were in their yard and the owners got them back. A really big German shepard was coming out of his yard to come get me one day and I guess the owners saw him leaving the yard and called him back, but man you talk about getting a little worried. I have a German Shepard, I know what their teeth are like. Not only that but I don't want to have them wreck me either.
Mostly though I worry about the strays.

[chickwhorips]

i know some people carry dog peper spray when they are cycling or running. i hear it works good, just becareful about wind direction and such.

the bigger furrier animals i encounter need more than that, though they do have bear spray, but i've been told bears also like their meat seasoned before eating.

[Lenusik]

That's to bad that people are so inconsiderate about their animals and people who are around as well. I ride in the city, so I do not have issues with dogs running after me. But i have three dog. I would just be very firm and yel "No" when you see a dog. Dogs need discipline and are OK when a person is in charge. Just show them that you are not afraid and be firm.
There was a thread about it some time ago but I cannot find it. Maybe someone can find it for you.

[mimitabby]

There are lots of threads on this but i know two things that work
and have worked for people.
one
STOP. get off your bike. tell the dog to go home while walking towards him.
(this works if dog isn't already snapping at your heels)
if dog is at your heels, stop and put bike between you and dog.

the second thing that works (but i'll bet not uphill) is to outrun the dog.
This might work for some people. ..

when you get off the bike you stop looking like prey to the dog.

[Tri Girl]

Mimitabby had some GREAT suggestions.
I also ride in the country where dogs are usually not penned up in yards very well. Have had numerous dogs hit the street after me running like the wind. I think they only want to chase you because you're moving fast, but it always scares the beejeebers out of me. I usually yell very loudly "Back" or "Get" and unclip one foot- because as much as I love animals, I'm not above kicking one to keep him away from my wheels. Luckily I've never had an accident b/c of an animal, but I've been pretty close. I have never squirted them with water, as I'm not that quick to react, reach down, open the spout and squirt (slow reflexes under panic I guess).
My DH is a mailman and has been attacked by dogs, birds, and even a goat- and the thing that works the most with dogs is an angry tone and a yell to let them know who's boss. I'd carry pepper spray, but with the omnipresent OK wind- it would surely backfire and squirt me in the face.
Stay safe out there!

[DDH]

thanks for posting the thread about pepper spray. I didn't know you could get dog specific pepper spray.
I'd be the one to spray myself accidently. I would feel better with it though, I just don't know how well the water would work and you just never know how aggresive a stray dog is going to be. Of course I guess you don't know aggresive some peoples dogs are either. Sometimes people train their dogs to be aggressive.

[mimitabby]

the biggest problem i see with pepper spray is you are on a bike, at some speed. You are going to take a bottle of spray out, point and aim it at a moving target?
I'm not sure I could do it!

I have actually stopped and gotten off my bike and yelled at a BIG dog.
He turned tail and went back home when i quit looking like a deer and started looking like a human.

[bcipam]

There are lots of threads on this but i know two things that work and have worked for people.

one
STOP. get off your bike. tell the dog to go home while walking towards him.
(this works if dog isn't already snapping at your heels)
if dog is at your heels, stop and put bike between you and dog.

the second thing that works (but i'll bet not uphill) is to outrun the dog.
This might work for some people. ..

when you get off the bike you stop looking like prey to the dog.

Perfect advice!

Used to live out in the country and would always have big group of farm dogs come racing out at me when riding. I never had a problem. I would stop. Stare at the dogs and yell at them loudly "GO HOME!". I never had to get off the bike. The dogs alway turned tail and went back home. Hey I'm waaaaaaayyyy bigger than them! They didn't want no trouble!

[Evie]

What about Bitter Apple spray? It's non-toxic, and it's powerful stuff. I can see why you're iffy about water's shock-value, but BA is incredibly persuasive.

A can full of pennies also has the "nails on a challkboard" effect, but I imagine it would be annoying to carry one around.

[chickwhorips]

What about Bitter Apple spray? It's non-toxic, and it's powerful stuff. I can see why you're iffy about water's shock-value, but BA is incredibly persuasive.

if you got it in dog's eye not sure what damage it could do. i used it to break my dogs from chewing on things. i sprayed it in their mouth first then on what they were chewing on. they run the other direction now when they see the bottle come out, if i ever do have to take the bottle out.

of you had that and ran into my two rugrats you wouldn't have to worry about anything.

[Evie]

if you got it in dog's eye not sure what damage it could do.

That's true. It would be hard to control where it goes if you sprayed on the run.

I've never had any trouble with dogs, but I'm sure I will some day. Stopping the bike sounds like a good idea. I never thought of the "moving target" aspect of it.

[chickwhorips]

lenusik are you talking about this thread?
http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showt...ht=peper+spray
there is some information there on where to find peper spray.

[Lenusik]

lenusik are you talking about this thread?
http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showt...ht=peper+spray
there is some information there on where to find peper spray.

I don't think that this is the one because I would be completely against using a pepper spray. If a dog is big this can only make it angrier. Plus it may affect a rider and you would not be able to ride away. But we are getting some good advice in this thread.

[SouthernBelle]

I don't think that this is the one because I would be completely against using a pepper spray. If a dog is big this can only make it angrier. Plus it may affect a rider and you would not be able to ride away. But we are getting some good advice in this thread.

It is the one, but you have to scroll. Petsmart or one of those places carries a citrus spray for runners, cyclists, etc. Pretty effective at keeping them from your heels and blow back isn't an issue. I used it on a big rottweiler a couple of weeks ago. They don't like the smell or the sound. Mine is clipped on my tiny handlebar bag.

[emily_in_nc]

The pepper spray I use is HALT, available at nashbar.com. It will not permanently injure a dog, just stop them in their tracks while you make your getaway. But yes, the wind can cause it to blow back into your eyes (or those of another rider) if you aren't careful, and sometimes you just can't get it out and aimed in time. Nashbar also sells (or used to) a little $2 clip to mount it on your handlebars (I think it fits drop bars only), which makes grabbing it much quicker. Yep, it's geeky, but it's helped me a couple of times. You can't spray it until the dog is quite close, though. Best for when you are going slow uphill and have no chance of outrunning the dog. Sometimes just pointing it at a dog is enough; most are instinctively scared of a pointed "weapon".

Another option that I invested in after my accident last April was an Air Zound airhorn. I believe I bought it at nashbar as well, but I don't think they carry them anymore - a web search would likely turn it up somewhere, though. These have an air chamber that mounts to your frame and a handlebar-mounted trigger to sound the horn. It is LOUD. If you use one, it tends to stop dogs in their tracks as well, and you don't need to wait until they are nipping at your heels to use it either. But tell any riding companions that you have one and before you use it if at all possible, to avoid startling them.

Dogs are definitely my biggest fear on the road. I also live and ride in a rural area where there are many unrestrained dogs (despite a county leash law), and as many of you know, two large dogs ran out at me from the side last April as I was riding. I had my HALT but could not get to it in time (and with more than one dog, it's of more limited use anyway). I sped up in an instinctive move to outrun them, while my husband (in front of me) slowed slightly to look back and see what was going on (I am sure I yelled "DOGS!!!"), and before I even knew what was happening, I slammed into his rear wheel. He was fine, but I crashed on my right side at fairly high speed, HARD, and fractured my pelvis in three places. It was very serious and required surgery and a long rehabilitation period. I have a 6" stainless steel plate and four pins in my ilium and will never be completely the same. The dogs ran away once I crashed. I am sure they just wanted to chase and have some "fun", but it was a very difficult experience.

It's good to hear everyone talking about this all-too-common road hazard. I think it's best to have a plan of attack when dealing with dogs - different situations require different tactics - and in addition to the dogs, don't forget to pay attention to other riders around you if you're not alone, since a bike-bike crash can be even more serious than a dog encounter!

Emily