annie wrote " in the moment the dog is snapping at my ankle and I am scared to death I'll crash"

It's not the big dogs that snap at your ankles that worry me, it's those little bitty teeny tiny yap dogs that get wedged between your spokes ;-)

Just kidding, I like dogs, really!!!! Mae, stop growling at me like that ;-)

It is scary when anything darts out suddenly or chases you. Slightly off post but anyone experienced kami-kazi squirrels? There's simply no training them.

Alameda Creek trail, one of my favorites is full of the little monsters and they dart out from rocks and play chicken with your front tires, then dart behind a rock and laugh with each other about how you nearly crashed.

"I have a feeling that most farms I ride past probably have a dog and most of them are well trained and don't bother cyclists. I just wish they were all that way"

Yep, it'd be nice if everyone did. It's very rewarding on both ends of the leash to train a dog.