Newbie here - ideas, please!

[GenB]

Hello! I'm a complete novice to cycling and just happend upon this fabulous forum!

I have a hybrid which I ride 3 l/2 miles to and from work each day. Great ride, good neighborhoods (I thought!!),

I've been doing pretty well until I got chased by two pit bulldogs yesterday. Thankfully a man in a van came by and tried to help by distracting the dogs with his van until they gave up on me. It was really horrifying. THese dogs definitely meant to get me and I found out from animal control that they have killed several animals in the neighborhood and chased several school children back on to busses.

My question is this. What do you ladies carry for protection, if anything?

THanks for ideas!!!

[Tri Girl]

Welcome to TE, and congrats on commuting to work.
That's pretty scary! Some breeds scare me more than others, and although not all pit bulls are mean spirited, the only ones I've ever had encounters with are. I'm glad the man stopped to help you out.
They make dog mace, but I don't know how you feel about using it (you'd have to be pretty close to use it, and what if the wind is blowing towards you and you spray it??). I know a lot of people just squirt dogs with their water bottle and it seems to work, but pit bulls can be pretty aggressive.
I hope you get some good advice from others who may know a little more than me.

[Biciclista]

can you avoid the street that those dogs are on? If you can't, you can call animal control. (you should do this anyway!)

If they've killed other animals already; they need to be removed from the streets.

I don't carry anything for protection. If it came to that, i would get off my bike and scold the dogs with my bike between me and the dogs, but with two pit bulls snarling at me, that would be a tough thing to do.

let your fingers do the walking this time!!!

[out_spokin']

I'm all for alternate routes when necessary/possible...and if animal control knows these dogs and you're complaining, seems like there should be some action!

I don't carry anything specific for dogs, but have encountered plenty. My three main strategies: Voice -- yelling "go home!" has been astoundingly effective. Doubt any of them have been trained with that as a command, but it seems to confuse, which equals slow/stop, most dogs. Water bottle - I often grab it to spray them, though think I've only done it once, and again, effective - surprise does interesting things w/ dogs. And my third, ride like the wind ....OK, that didn't work with the border collie, who turns out only wanted to herd me, not bite me. My back up strategy is like Biciclista's -- I'd jump off with the bike between me and dog(s) but hope to never need it.

Good luck -- don't let some bad dogs spoil your great new habit!

[Geonz]

Indeed, I would be inquiring of animal control why this situation seems to be accepted. It wouldn't be here.

[GenB]

Thanks ladies - I have figured out an alternate route to work and will be taking that from now on.

I did find out yesterday that the dogs have been taken in to be destroyed - turns out they attacked a biker in a neighboring suburb when the owners lived there and did some pretty serious damage. Not sure why that county chose to ignore the situation.

I feel like these people will just get more dogs. I agree that its people that make pit bulls mean - not the breed. The neighbors think this family uses these dogs to fight and that even with these gone they will just get more. I really wish there were a way to ban them completely from owning animals at all. The whole situation makes me sick.

But in the meantime, I am cycling a different route and didn't even think about using my water bottle!! (I could not have gotten to it this time, though, with two of them after my ankles!!)


Thanks for the insights and encouragement!! I do love to ride my bike!!!

[PscyclePath]

After an incident last fall, I invested in one of those little cans of pepper spray, but I carry it much more for use on cagers than canines...

[sundial]

I've been doing pretty well until I got chased by two pit bulldogs yesterday.

What you have described is pack behavior with the intention to maim or kill a perceived victim. This is a very dangerous situation developing.

Please contact animal control. Any dog that exhibits this behavior should be quarantined and evaluated by a professional behaviorist or a vet. Until the dogs are captured, find an alternative route that is away from the territory of these dogs. Bear spray may be effective but there's the potential you could be exposed to it if the winds should shift. When dogs are poised for an attack, it will take much more than water squirted from a bottle and mace may not deter them.

I wanted to add that there are several positive cases for rabies in dogs in our county in Arkansas. A rabid dog will become more aggressive as the disease progresses. Be ever watchful for any unusual behavior in wild animals as well as dogs and cats in your neighborhood.

[lo123]

Scary.

I know this is late, but I saw someone mention the mace sprays. I can attest to their usefulness on some dogs. This past Saturday my husband and I were riding in a rural part of our county. We encountered MANY dogs on the ride. Most we were able to get to leave us alone by yelling at them, but the last round was different. It was two dogs, a mutt and a pit bull and they were charging my husband who was about 1/4 mile ahead of me. He pulled out his mace and got the pit in the eyes. By the time I got there, the pit was back in his yard pawing his face. The other dog, I'm guessing, was not the dominant one and backed off when the pit did.

My husband and I both carry mace/pepper spray that we bought at Academy Sports & Outdoors. It has range of 10-12 feet and comes out in a straight line, not a dispersed spray. I clip mine onto my shorts at the leg grippers so it's easily accessible.

Several other riders in our local club carry the same thing, particularly for that route due to the high number of off-leash/unfenced dogs. All of them swear by the stuff.

[GenB]

It was quite clear that the dogs meant to get me off my bike and do alot of damage. I agree - the water bottle/strong words definitely would not have worked in this instance.

I did get a bottle of pepper spray and am told by a friend who rides that it was very effective on a very aggressive pit bull he encountered a couple of times. I have also chosen another route to work. The dogs supposedly (according to animal control) have been confiscated and will be put down because they actually bit (mauled) another rider earlier in the year. They also went after a child while I was speaking to animal control after my incident.

I know the people who had these dogs will just find more, so pit bulls will always be a problem in this particular block. I am horrifically worried about the kids that get off the bus in that neighborhood, though. THis city is very slow to act about this kind of thing and these people are going to cause a child to be maimed or worse. I have to appear in court sometime in August over this matter - maybe I can get something done then. Till then, I'll never be without my pepper spray.

[Kris]

Well, I'm way late with my comment, but I wanted to thank you for the dog repellent recommendation. I ride with my blue heeler on a Walkydog (spring thingy attached to the seatpost). The only thing that really scares me is loose dogs. Fortunately there have only been a few, and they weren't serious about catching us, but I'm going to get some of this stuff, just in case. I like the idea of a concentrated stream. Then hopefully I could avoid hitting my own dog.

My son has a pit bull. It's about the sweetest dog I've known, and no danger to a person at all, but he doesn't like strange dogs much.

And what's "animal control" for if not to control animals that are attacking people and pets? They need to get on the ball.

[bikerchic]

I did find out yesterday that the dogs have been taken in to be destroyed - turns out they attacked a biker in a neighboring suburb when the owners lived there and did some pretty serious damage. Not sure why that county chose to ignore the situation.

My sister and I had a simular situation with a pit bull and it took us and two other people to be terriorized by this dog before Animal Control finally did anything about it. Well actually they did request the owners restrain the dog better, when that didn't work, they had them build a dog run, when that didn't work and two more people were attacked one being a jogger with his baby on his back finally Animal Control came out and took the dog away from the owner.

We were told that the County will try almost everything to keep from destroying the animal, which lead me to believe people aren't as important!!

Anyway one of the things I carry with me in my jersery pocket ever since has been mace. So far I've never had to use it and I'm wondering if it's any good gosh it's been years I've carried that stuff with me!

Anyone know if it goes bad or escapes the container, you know evaporates? Maybe it's time for a new one?

All that said I hardly doubt I could think clearly when under attack to get the darn stuff out of my pocket, turn the cap the right way and aim it at the dog before I got eaten alive! Grrrrrr!

[Kris]

All that said I hardly doubt I could think clearly when under attack to get the darn stuff out of my pocket, turn the cap the right way and aim it at the dog before I got eaten alive! Grrrrrr![/QUOTE]>>>>

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Yeah, I've heard of people shooting themselves in the face. That wouldn't be good.

Kris

[lo123]

Anyone know if it goes bad or escapes the container, you know evaporates? Maybe it's time for a new one?

All that said I hardly doubt I could think clearly when under attack to get the darn stuff out of my pocket, turn the cap the right way and aim it at the dog before I got eaten alive! Grrrrrr!

I'm pretty sure the stuff lasts a LONG time. I've got a can that's ~10 years old. I tested it recently, and it's still working.

To avoid spraying yourself, I'd suggest getting one of the runner/cyclist specific designs. It's what I have. It has a safety that's super easy to use on the bike (just slide your thumb under the plastic "hood"). IF you spray yourself with it, then you're really talented

The one I have (it's the exact model found here) has a clip, so I clip it on to my shorts, and the safety is as described above. I found it at Academy.

[bikerchic]

lo123 that is great to know and thanks for the link I will check it out. Also I do think I will try mine out to see if it at least sprays still.