psycho lady and her little dog too!

[caligurl]

i sure am a motor-mouth on here lately!

so last night i left for the "neighborhood ride" by myself.. in the interest of time.. hubby left right after me with both dogs.

i got the the end of our street where psycho dog lives.... normally in his chain linked fence... where he runs the lengthe of it barking, snarling, and biting at the fence (he does this to us riding and to us walking the dogs.. unlike every other dog in the neighborhood who ignores me/us on bikes) anyways...

i turn the corner.. and at the very next house down.. there is psycho dog.. uh oh. _ i stopped (thank goodness for speedplays!

then psycho sees me... charges at me barking.. fortunately i had JUST read an article about putting my bike between me and dogs... (thank goodness for the internet... even hubby noticed that an mentioned i had done good!)...

however by this time.. my doggie maternal instincts kick in.. cuz i hear my babies barking in anticipation of reaching psycho's house (they bark right back at him)... i start backing up so hubby can see me.. while having my mace out saying "come on you little bastard.. i'd LOVE to spray you" (disclaimer.. i LOVE dogs and cats.. have 2 each)

finally psycho lady comes out and yells at me: "you're not too bright to be standing there".. uhm.. scuse me.. YOUR dog is out.. barking at me.. bikes the freaking fence.. and YOU have a "beware of dog sign" on your fence advertising your dangerous dog.. so i'm not bright for chosing NOT to ride my him.. as an inexeperienced rider.. uh huh...

finally psycho realizes/hears my dogs coming so she quickly calls psycho dog inside the fence.. then proceeds to yell at us/hubby that our dogs bark or something or other (keep in mind... our dogs are LEASHED and not terrorizing people roaming outside their yard!) hubby says.. "next time he's out he's getting maced" and she yells "fine.. i'll call the cops" *note to lady.. the COPS are the ones who told me to buy mace and a taser to ward off illegal roaming dogs.. sheesh...

i was soooo ticked! i already hate that we have to walk different routes with the dogs (and now ride too) cuz of a pit bull that charged us one time.. i used to enjoy walking the dogs by myself occassionally until we were charged by a rottweiller... yes.. not to great with the animal control around here!

i did call animal control an report them...

granted.. we've always said.. he can bark and snarl all he wants when he's FENCED... it's his property (however it's a little strange that they purposely let the dog out to bark/snarl when he hears us walk by and barks inside.. heck.. if my dogs bark at other dogs.. i tell them to be quiet cuz that dog has a right to walk by our house! lol!

i'm really gearing up for a confrontation cuz she seems the type that will show up on our door step after animal control visits her to have a little talk...

i guess i'm asking too much to feel safe riding (and walking my dogs!)

sorry so long.. had to vent!

p.s. this isn't a "little dog".. it's a golden sized dog... just thought the title fit!

all this drama and i've only been riding 2 weeks!

[Adventure Girl]

Reading through your post I was all ready to start yelling at you because you and your husband were just as much at fault because you had your dogs. Until I read a very critical line in your post.

Originally posted by caligurl
(keep in mind... our dogs are LEASHED and not terrorizing people roaming outside their yard!)

With that, I got a completely different picture of the scene. Psycho Lady was 100% in the wrong. You two were the responsible ones! But, unfortunately, I doubt animal control can do anything unless they see her dogs unleashed outside the fence.

So what are your choices? You can change your route to avoid that part of the street. You can continue riding that route and carry your mace just in case. You can wait to see if Animal Control helps you out any. Or maybe you can do your sprint drills on that block!

Ride carefully!

[caligurl]

even when we go off into the desert for a hike.. our dogs stay leashed! i'm way too paranoid! i just know brie would see a rabbit or lizard and run forever.. totally ignoring us! so they both are leashed!

where i was really torn on what do do was not being with them.. having the bike.. knowing they were coming... cuz when we are walking together.. hubby hands tyler off to me so that i hold both dogs and he gets between us and the charing dog.. so i was trying to decide if i should lay my bike down and run (ya right) back to take them from him or what... but fortunately psycho came through..

on a really stupid on my part p.s.... (wouldn't recommend this!) when the rottweiller charged us.. which happened WAY quickly.. hubby handed off tyler's leach to me.. i screamed and threw myself over he dogs to protect them.. ya.. i told you.. not to smart.. just my "protect my babies at all costs" instinct! tyler was barking at rotty through my legs... ugh.. i shook for days after that! thank God the dog was people friendly.. cuz hubby.. also stupid that day grabbed the rotty (he also lives down the street from us.. he had darted out the door when the owners opened it.. unlike last night where the dog was just our for a neighborhood whatever!

[pedalfaster]

I'm glad you called animal control.

Last week three dogs attacked me while I was riding. One got me on the ankle and down I went. I too grabbed by bike and used it to block the agressive dog.

The owners were not very cooperative.

I rode to a nearby friend's house; luckily she has also beena n RN and she patched up. I then called my attorney (I'm a practical gal!) who advised me to call both animal control and the sherrif.

Animal control has issued the offending owner a citation. I guess it was a first offense and carries a fine of ~$20.

Damages to the bike include torn handlebar tape, ripped saddle and a damaged front shift lever (dura ace). My rear shifting is off as well, not sure if something was bent when the bike landed on the pavement.

I'm very very badly bruised, although the road rash has mostly healed. I took photos of the injuries. I lost one day of work.

We are kind of waiting to see how my injuries progress before we send the owner the bill (on the atty's letterhead of course).

I'm a huge dog-lover as well, so this was very disappointing to me. Stupid owners!

[caligurl]

oh my! that's horrible!!!! i hope you heal quickly.. your incident makes mine look so frivoulous!

sometimes i just don't understand dog owner's mentality... most towns have leash laws... sheesh!

my dogs are sweethearts.. but i still NEVER EVER EVER let them run free.. why??? cuz i LOVE them too much! they are my children... would i let my small children play in the street?

geez.. i'm so anal.. that when we walk.. i have an extra collar that goes through their choker and hooks around their regular collar cuz the chokers have actually come free a couple times...

grrrrrr never mind licensing the dog.. license the owners.. test required first!

*off my soapbox*

[ChainsOflove]

Snobby Beacon Hill lady walking her designer doggie (no leash), ran out in front of me on the bike path--and CRASH!

I took her out! She deserved it. Thank god I didn't damage my new knickers that day.

[Trek420]

caligurl wrote "my dogs are sweethearts.. but i still NEVER EVER EVER let them run free.. why??? cuz i LOVE them too much!"

me too, I love my mutt, she's always leashed outside. It's safer for the dog, if she got into something (poison, street, fight) and got hurt I'd feel so bad.

Sunday on a group ride we were on a multiuse trail, came around a turn, up a little whoopdeedoo, gal in front of me had to emergency brake (and thus so did I) to avoid an off-leash cocker spaniel. I was as polite as I could manage but I gathered I came off a tad miffed, told her she needed to put that dog on leash (dog was 20 feet away from the owner, not under voice comand, ran right in front of the rider). I pointed out the physics of cyclist at 13-18 mph hitting doggie. Dog was not hostile, just ran right up in front of the bike. Owner apologized said "well my dog is usualy..." I don't know what the dog is "usualy" and said I didn't care what she usualy is, right now she's in danger. Told her for the safety of the dog and others she needs to leash the dog. She did.

If her dog needs off leash exercise she's got plenty of options nearby.

[CorsairMac]

No - my fav?.....I have 1 dog that is aggressive to dogs not "in his pack" so I run him on a prong collar and use a Y snaffle to attach him to his packmate and I run both in the street - off the sidewalk. They are voice trained and know they are not to move off a "sit" when another dog comes out - its the other dog. I've never seen a state that has more unrestrained dogs than New Mexico. Now to my fav part?....as I'm keeping my dogs under control - the owner says - oh don't worry - he won't hurt you he "just wants to play". Well - first hes off leash, second hes out of his yard and third hes obviously not under control of his master/mistress. I usually say - "oh thats nice but I have one thats aggressive" and watch that owner come running. *shakes head*...just amazes me how many people think its OK to let their dogs run loose coz "its ok...they just want to play!"

[smurfalicious]

Ugh, I'm just relieved that I'm not the only one with a psycho lady neighbor. I have one with two psycho, chained up, nuts still in tact german shepherds. Why don't people fix their animals? Sooo few are breeding quality anyway. So yeah, she comes out on her porch with a spotlight when I go for runs, with or without my horse. She constantly comes down the road and turns around in my driveway to make sure no one cut her fence to let her ugly a** horse out. Ummm, hello lady there's a good $50-100k in horse flesh in the three houses at the end of the road, why would anyone risk stealing that nag.

Sooo anyway, I've asked her non stop to quit turning around in my driveway because it's gravel, and make the dog bark, and make me, a single female chica a little nervous that I have unexpected visitors. Anyway, now I have a charming note from the Sheriff to call about my goat, Freckles. Freckles is my goat I rescued from petting zoo hell. She used to live in the pasture with the horses, until a coyote spooked her one night, she got out, and crazy lady sent her packing to the pound!!! Yeah, a whole lot of money later she lives in the barn, with fresh water and food daily. She's fat and sassy, but she is a nubian, and nubians get lonesome, or stressed, or bored and they cry. Freckles always cries when she hears a car pull in, because it means attention from either myself or my roommate. So I'm pretty convinced the psycho called the sheriff and told them how abused and neglected my goat is. GRRR!!! She's so obvious about it too. Today I was unloading a ton of hay when she drove by, slowed way down and tried to peer into my barn. Oh well, one sheriff already told me she's known as being a complainer. This is the first week I've had the time, and the help to get some new goat proof fencing put up so she can have her own play area. Yeah, so abused as she waits to be rubbed between her horns.

Okay, thank you for allowing my non related rant. =)

love and cookies
-smurf

[pkq]

Use Tergaderm bandages and silver sulfadiazine on road rash for fast, somewhat scar-free healing.

I had a wreck in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana many years back due to loose dogs. The owners didn't want to assume any responsibility for damages, which were significant. Calcasieu Parish has leash laws so I had a leg to stand on. My homeowners policy would cover the new bike and trip to ER; however, when they learned the address of the dog owners, they were clients of State Farm, too. What fortune! State Farm informed them they would be covering all my expenses and providing pain and suffering $$$ for shoulder damage. The shoulder hasn't been right since.

The first ride after healing found the dogs still loose. I called State Farm who immediately called the owners and informed them the dogs had to be controlled at all times or they would drop them as clients. They had legal grounds to do so. On all future rides, the dogs were controlled.

For those with Neighborhood Politics, your insurance company may be able to help. Owners are responsible for controlling their pets and damages incurred when they aren't controlled, if leash laws are in place.

My neighborhood is kinda' like Mr. Rogers.......everyone's nice.

[Trek420]

pkq "My neighborhood is kinda' like Mr. Rogers.......everyone's nice."

can you say "see you in court?" i know you can. ;-)

the other day while walking my leashed dog, a neigbor's pitt jumped the fence to come at her (my mutt is part pitt so no anti-pitt-prejuidice there. i'm just carefull of her genetic whisper of dog/dog aggression). i was about to praise my dog because she was doing sooo well with the other dog nearby (relaxed body posture, not aggressive) when suddenly the pitt was there in our faces. i reached for mae's leash because if there is a fight i have to give her the option to defend herself or run and not pull me in, as I yelled at the other dog to go home.

fortunately the owner called the dog off.

I chastised him, he has small kids in the yard and his dog can easily jump out...or another dog in, he also has holes in the back fence as we discovered on the way home.

off to walk Mae since i've got a cold that'll be my workout...but we won't go on that block.

[pkq]

Actually, I try to avoid the court system and use of lawyers. So far, so good. I guess I've not been pushed far enough.

I see so many people's pets, primarily dogs, running loose on the country roads, where they will be more easily killed by motorists. I never understand it. Seems at the very least, pets should be trained to not leave their areas. I'm A$$-U-Me-ing dogs can be trained in that way. I've had dog owners watch their dogs chase me down while cycling, never once calling to them. I guess they enjoyed the show. One was particularly aggressive so I yelled at the owner, "He hurts me and my bike and you pay." That ended his dogs freedom to "run the road."

[CorsairMac]

Loved that response pkq......I may have to remember that one! After all this - just 2 days ago the neighborhood kids had their -awww ain't he cute? - little yippie dog out running in the streets with them as I came riding by. That -aww ain't he cute?- ran right in front of my bike and almost took me down - so I took that little dog for the run of his life. I took off like a shot and called that dog to run after me and the little dog ran his little legs off trying to catch me! When I came back around (it was by my house and I was trying to go home) those kids had that dog in their yard on a leash. I'm guessing - that dog isn't going to be running loose anytime soon!.....but what a great interval workout for me - after the end of a 6 mile climb up the mountain!

[pkq]

CorsairMac, most people don't understand the rights of cyclists but they do understand dollars and cents so that's the level I reach quickly with people. I also let that particular dog owner I had experience there.

I did something similar with a motorist this summer. Some fella' thinkin' he was all cool and stuff in his 'stang buzzed me. It was too close for comfort and he picked the wrong day for me to boot. As I rolled up to his rolled down car window at the next traffic light, I leaned in stating, "I'm an electrical engineer. You buzz me again and hurt me, I'll own your car, your house, and everything else you own." His reply, "Get lost!" However, he gave me a wide berth after the traffic light. I usually wait for motorists to get through traffic lights so they don't have to pass me twice. That's an anger management technique I use on motorists and hopefully it fosters good will towards us. This time, it just didn't work that way. I was glad to see he understood dollars and cents, too.

I don't know who I'd be more afraid of, you or the yippie "ain't he cute fella." Just kidding!