Dog Attacks

[ash]

I'm wondering where I can find some dog spray ? I was out riding the other evening when a chocolate lab charged me.I stood my ground blocked his head with my forearm and was lucky that he only tore my cycling jacket.Now I'm fighting to owners of the dog to replace my jacket . But this is the third time I've had an incidence involving dogs. Ok look forward to suggestions.

ash

[Dogmama]

Wow, that must have been scarey. I've been cycling for over 10 years and have trained dogs for obedience for 20. Let me tell you a little about doggie psychology.

First, a dog spray (hot pepper spray) might make things worse. If you have a pit bull, or other breed who has the propensity to be vicious, you might just make him angrier. I've never had luck breaking up a fight with pepper spray - it just infuriates them more.

If you have a dog that is chasing you - they might be just after the chase. Labs, especially, (and other bird dogs) like to chase and retrieve. Unless you've got a little dog after you, and you're pretty fast, I wouldn't try to outrun him. Dogs can be great sprinters! If it's a herding dog, they'll cut in front of you & you know the rest.

The first thing to do is stop peddling. The whirling of your feet often excites the dog and makes them want to grab you. I yell "NO!! GO HOME!!" in my loudest, most authoritative voice. DO NOT act scared - dogs sense it & they'll go after you. Most dogs will retreat - or at least stop. You can evaluate whether or not it is safe to continue. Don't forget - if they cut in front of you, you're road rash.

If that doesn't work, get off the bike and put the bike between you and the dog. Use it to keep the dog away from you and continue yelling "NO! GO HOME!" If the dog loses interest, he'll leave. If he just wants to chase you & you've stopped, you aren't fun anymore.

Now, if he's truly aggressive you should not provoke him by trying to hit him with a bicycle pump, etc. You'll just excite him. Putting your bike between you & praying that the idiot owner is somewhere around it about the best you can do. Don't provoke him, but don't retreat. Stand your ground. Speak in a LOW tone and very loudly. You know how people speak to dogs in high pitched tones "Oh Fido, aren't you a good boy!" - you want the opposite.

If you want to carry pepper spray, be sure you try it out before you ever have to use it. You'll need to hit him squarely in the face, preferably in the eyes.

I'd take the idiot owners to small claims court if necessary. People who are irresponsible dog owners make it bad for the rest of us.

Good luck & let us know how things go!!

Kim in Tucson

[Cranks]

Ash,

I've used my water bottle to prevent those pesty little nippers. Try spraying from your water bottle at the dog to get it to back off. The water may surprise it enough to give you time to get away. Good Luck!

P.S.-If theres a leash law in the area where that lab charged you, you can report the owners. If enough reports are logged maybe the local law will step in...you won't see any $$$ for the loss of your jacket, but you'll get the satisfaction that the owners themselves may have to deal with local courts, i.e. court fees.

Cranks

[J**]

Thanks for the advice, Dogmama--I'm sure we can all use it at one time or another.

I, too, own dogs, and they are happy, friendly, rambunctious sorts who would probably chase a person on a bike just because it would seem like fun to them. Fortunately for all involved, I don't allow them to do that. As cyclists, we can't immediately tell the difference between a dog just giving friendly chase and one who means to do us harm.

Also, even a friendly dog can do some damage without meaning to. About a month ago, I got a nasty scratch on my calf because I cycled past a house where I know the dog and she knows me, but she was in her front yard, unsupervised, and when I rode by, she came after me, and when I didn't stop, she pawed at me. After that, I did stop, and she lost interest. I relate this little tale hoping that no one else will be as foolish as I was to think that just because you know the dog, you can accurately predict her behavior or that behavior will necessarily be harmless.

In the future, I'll treat all dogs, especially large ones, the same--as Dogmama suggested--stop, get off the bike, keep the bike between you and the dog, and order it to stop and go home in as deep and authoritative a voice as I can summon up. This strategy has worked well for me whenever I've been smart enough to use it.

--J**

[pennys]

I hope you called animal control and fifled a complaint. This will help you get your $$ for your coat.

[ash]

No I didn't call animal control .The problem is the owner not the dog ,it's only a jacket ,but thank you all for the tips I'll be using in the future..

ash

[missliz]

Dogmama is so right, but if you can get some out of the mailman (US) they carry a great dog repellent spray. I don't think it's pepper spray; the letter carriers swear up and down by it. I used to skate cross country ( well cross town) and was harrassed by dogs. A mailman saw it and gave me a can of the stuff. The one time I used it I was impressed. The dog seemed more repulsed than in pain and went away immediately. I was stopped at the time so it could just be an adjunct to stopping.
And Lance Armstrong too!

Miss Liz

[axelrox]

Hi Ash,

Just wanted to say that I agree when you say that it's the owners, not the dog that are the problem. It's just sad that bad owners give many dogs bad reputations. And that doesn't make it any less scary when they come after you. Stopping is definitely the best suggestion. Along with simply avoiding streets where you know loose dogs are a problem, if you have an easy alternate.

I have found that argueing with "bad owners" about who is at fault/responsible is generally a waste of time. It is never their dogs fault. I chalk it up to experience and remember the street as an avoid when possible. I am and always will be an avid dog lover and owner, but my dogs will never be known as a nuisance. Keep your eyes open out there and have fun!

Sandy

[Vicki]

One day I was out riding my mt bike on the road and a huge hairy white dog came after me. I ended up going down in the ditch but never crashed, thank goodness. The next day he did it again but I kept my cool and stayed on the road this time. Over the next few days I noticed that he was always waiting for me. This dog was as big as a saint benard and very fast. My husband said I ought to put pepper juice in a bottle and squirt it at him the next time and he would never chase me again. I was more afraid that I would forget that the bottle had pepper juice in it and take a big drink of it. Plus as much as I didn't like this dog chasing me I really did not want to hurt him. I'm a big softie when it comes to animals. All I did was squirt my water bottle (with water in it) and he never botherd me again. Oh, he would come out to the road but I would do was just hold up my water bottle for him to see and he would just watch me go by. One day I drove by and saw a big white hairy mass in the road and thought he had been ran over but he raised his head up. I guess he was just sleeping. Sad to say that I haven't seen him all summer long. I think maybe he took to long of a nap in the middle of the road one day. I kinda miss him.