Dogs?

[Tuckervill]

I had a Jack Russell Terror who became convinced that chasing the squirrel or cat 2 acres away was worth the shock. She'd just get to running at top speed and LEAP over the place where she got shocked. But it was never worth it to come back in!

She ended up in a chain-link area, with an actual electric fence wired up, to keep her from digging out and climbing over.

Karen

[IFjane]

Dogs are DANGEROUS even if they are just chasing or playing around. A dog under the wheel could cause a serious wreck and cause you an serious injury and damange your bike.

+++

A very good friend of mine is currently recuperating from an accident involving a dog. He was cycling a few weeks ago on a country road. A man was walking his two dogs in the opposite direction and as my friend approached one dog ran toward him. The dog was not approaching aggressively. It was more like he was running to greet him so my friend kept riding. Just as the dog got to him he (the dog) turned right in front of my friend. Friend hit the dog, came to an abrupt stop, fell on his right side and broke his femoral neck.

Emergency surgery that afternoon to reattach (three LONG screws) & hope to get blood flowing to the "ball" once again. He will know next Friday if it worked. If not, he will have to have hip replacement. Meanwhile, he cannot put any weight on it and has only just started therapy. It will be at least 3 months before he can get on a bike again.

Be careful around dogs!

[kenyonchris]

That really IS wrong. SO wrong. I would talk to the police about whether the owners can be made to put up a big sign for invisible fence at the very least. I see signs like that up here and there.

LOL. I don't have to go far to talk to the police....that's me! No city ordinance requires an invisible fence sign, but I know that invisible fence puts up a little sign when they install their fences....like a security system sign. Also, there are usually little survey flags. I didn't notice them in the melee. Apparently once the dog is used to the shock, the flags can be taken down.
My mom lives in montana where the rock is so close to the surface it makes fencebuilding pretty labor intensive. Her dogs have an invisible fence, but it keeps them close to the house, rather than running all the way to the road. And, being bulldogs and of very little brain, I guess it works.
My mastiff is no rocket scientist, but I know if I shocked him with anything, he would cry for a week and refuse to ever go outside again.

[Biciclista]

my dog trainer friend does not like dealing with dogs (training) who have been kept with invisible fence. If they're not in their own yard, they are always hesitant, looking for where YOUR fence might be. but from the non dog owners perspective, they are better than no fence at all!

[arielmoon]

I just ride like h*ll... has anyone here not been able to outrun a dog? I am absolutely terrified of dogs both on and off the bike and when one chases me on the bike I just hammer down and take off. My DH frequently slows down and tells them "no" and stuff, but I am G-O-N-E!

I thought the same thing until I learned the hard way that chasing is not the only way to get in a bad situation with a dog.

The dog that cause me to break my pelvis and sacrum ran out and hit my front tire almost a 90 degree angle. There was no out running him. He had miss-judged his speed, my speed and his angle of intersection.

Something to think about.

[emily_in_nc]

I thought the same thing until I learned the hard way that chasing is not the only way to get in a bad situation with a dog.

The dog that cause me to break my pelvis and sacrum ran out and hit my front tire almost a 90 degree angle. There was no out running him. He had miss-judged his speed, my speed and his angle of intersection.

Something to think about.

+1. I fractured my pelvis in three places (including a doozy from the outside of my ilium to my sacrum requiring a 6" plate and 4 pins to put back together) when two dogs ran out at me from a 90 degree angle. They did not hit my bike because I sped up out of instinct before they got to me, but my DH (who was a little ways in front of me -- a few feet at least) slowed down, and I plowed right into his rear wheel at speed. Scared the dogs right away, but by then the damage was done.

So...if you're going to try to outrun dogs, make absolutely sure there is no one in front of you who might react differently.

I should also mention that I was reaching for my Halt (pepper spray) right before I crashed -- it was right there in a handlebar holster but couldn't keep me safe in this instance!

[tctrek]

OK.. this thread has successfully made me more terrified of dogs than I was before. Must not read this thread anymore....

[tulip]

OK.. this thread has successfully made me more terrified of dogs than I was before. Must not read this thread anymore....

I've never had any collisions with dogs (knock knock). I am aware of them, and it certainly could happen, but so far, so good. I have squirted some with my Gatorade and that always stops them. Alot of times, though, I just yell at them (NO! or STAY! or BAD DOG!) and that tends to distract them.

So while alot of people here have had very bad experiences, there are alot more who have not.

I can't help you if you are frightened of dogs off the bike, though. No advice there, except that if it really gets in the way of your life, I'm sure there are resources that you can use to get over your fears.

[Flybye]

I always always always always STOP - dogs see things moving and want to chase them - it is instinctual. No movement = not prey = no fun.

[beccaB]

I'll never forget that dog that went in the road to greet me and got literally ran over by a car. I saw it in slow motion frames. I still see it in my mind. It was not a very nice thing to have happen on my birthday. The dog survived, but the car didn't stop.

[arielmoon]

+1. I fractured my pelvis in three places (including a doozy from the outside of my ilium to my sacrum requiring a 6" plate and 4 pins to put back together) when two dogs ran out at me from a 90 degree angle. They did not hit my bike because I sped up out of instinct before they got to me, but my DH (who was a little ways in front of me -- a few feet at least) slowed down, and I plowed right into his rear wheel at speed. Scared the dogs right away, but by then the damage was done.

So...if you're going to try to outrun dogs, make absolutely sure there is no one in front of you who might react differently.

I should also mention that I was reaching for my Halt (pepper spray) right before I crashed -- it was right there in a handlebar holster but couldn't keep me safe in this instance!

YIKES!!!

I think I have scared myself out of this thread too ...LOL

Seriously there are so many ways to get hurt on a bike or whatever. Every time you get in a car there is potential for injury. Just have to think positive and hope for the best!

[Skierchickie]

Last week I was riding on the wide shoulder of a 2-lane highway with a friend. We saw a BIG furry, fierce-looking dog in a yard, who moved like he was coming after us - just as quickly as he charged, he suddenly veered off, and the next moment he was grabbing his big furry bunny toy and standing there looking at us with a goofy look on his face, with bunny arms and legs and ears drooping all over. He was pretty cute. We both went "Aaawww".

[emily_in_nc]

YIKES!!!

I think I have scared myself out of this thread too ...LOL

Seriously there are so many ways to get hurt on a bike or whatever. Every time you get in a car there is potential for injury. Just have to think positive and hope for the best!

Absolutely agreed. My father died in a car accident six months after my bike accident mentioned above, and that kept me off the road with serious fears of vulnerability much longer than my own accident did. Horrible, unexpected things can happen at any time. I was determined, ultimately, not to let fear rule my life. I'm really enjoying riding on the road again and am sorry if my posting about my accident scared anyone unduly! I just wanted to point out one of the possible consequences of trying to outrun a determined dog. That said, I still sprint like crazy if one chases me now -- I just make absolutely sure the road ahead is clear!

There are risks in everything we do, but in most cases, the rewards of doing something we love outweigh them.

[Crankin]

+1 to what Emily said. If we worried about everything, we wouldn't leave our houses!
But, I still dislike dogs on or off the bike. Sorry, animal lovers, but there is nothing that could make me like them. It's not so much fear (although there's a bit of that when a dog is chasing you on the bike), but rather, a feeling of grossness I get when near a dog. It's smell, touch, slobber, barking, etc. I know this is hard for most people to understand, but I've always had this reaction. I'm not a particularly prissy person, but I actually almost gag if I get near certain dogs.
I don't ever mention this to my animal loving friends, but come to think of it, I only have one close friend who has a pet.

[tulip]

+1 to what Emily said. If we worried about everything, we wouldn't leave our houses!
But, I still dislike dogs on or off the bike. Sorry, animal lovers, but there is nothing that could make me like them. It's not so much fear (although there's a bit of that when a dog is chasing you on the bike), but rather, a feeling of grossness I get when near a dog. It's smell, touch, slobber, barking, etc. I know this is hard for most people to understand, but I've always had this reaction. I'm not a particularly prissy person, but I actually almost gag if I get near certain dogs.
I don't ever mention this to my animal loving friends, but come to think of it, I only have one close friend who has a pet.

I get it, Crankin! I feel the same way, but about children!