Aggressive dogs

[Zimmerframe]

My presence on a trail does not mean that someone is going to end up in hospital with a torn-up leg because I was completely out of control and bit a chunk out of their calf...

Even if you were hungry and the mud on their leg looked like gravy ???

 

[Olof Bike Adventures]

I got chased by an aggressive dog in the Spanish country side once, no fun experience but I escaped unharmed. After that I was thinking of buying some pepper spray and mount it on the bar to have it close at hand.

But then I got the advice from someone that squirting water in the dog's face is very effective. According to that person the water will startle the dog and interrupt it from what it was doing. Haven't tested that theory yet, though...

 

[RustyMTB]

I used to have a whippet that loved doing "fly bys" . I'd ride my bike on the road, she had to run on the grass nature strips next to the road. If I said "left" she'd take the next left - that was so I didn't turn into her. If I slammed to a halt - she'd be with me like it was a game. If there were two people walking side by side talking, she'd slow down a bit, line them up, then zoom between them with the accuracy and speed of a peregrine falcon. They'd shriek, throw their arms around, and then start laughing. Once I caught on, I'd see her little brain ticking over in anticipation of a "fly by"; I'd say "ella" in a low tone which would bring her out of her pre fly buy focus and she'd behave. On busy shopping strips I'd be riding outside of the parked cars and it was like watching a Mexican wave - all the reactions as she weaved through; lots of giggling and laughter. They had no idea she was with me - just this dog on a mission catching glimpses of me between parked cars.
View attachment 45187

I've had a Whippet for years. Love the old girl. ?

As for dogs, they're the biggest pain in the arse out on the trails. My view is there are generally very few bad dogs but no shortage of bad owners.

Where I live, there are a bunch of parks & the local council puts a lot of effort into keeping them up to sniff. They employ dog wardens with powers to fine. Consequently, you see very few dog eggs around the place. Get out onto the trails though & it's a different story. As a mountain biker, nothing tops off a ride quite like running over a steaming dog turd & having to scrub your tyres clean. ?

 

[urastus]

As a mountain biker, nothing tops off a ride quite like running over a steaming dog turd & having to scrub your tyres clean. ?

Yes, unfortunately that's a huge problem here too. In built up areas or popular areas for dog walking there are biodegradable bags and bins supplied for dog poop. We always see bags of poop left by the side of the trail or on the beach. Absolute arrogance and laziness. They're not doing the dog owner community any favours. As usual though, it is people who are at fault.

 

[urastus]

That's what known as a false equivalence. My presence on a trail does not mean that someone is going to end up in hospital with a torn-up leg because I was completely out of control and bit a chunk out of their calf...

I've heard walkers complain of the potential for collisions (I'm in a bushwalking club), even though it hasn't happened to any of them, and track damage, which is true to a degree. Everyone that complains has some sort of reason, whether it is a real problem or not. I've heard mtb riders complain about walkers being on the tracks; usually they've had to slow down on some steep fun stuff. It seems that banning one group or another, or segregating all groups, just means that there will be less for all of us.

 

[steve_sordy]

............. In built up areas or popular areas for dog walking there are biodegradable bags and bins supplied for dog poop. We always see bags of poop left by the side of the trail or on the beach. Absolute arrogance and laziness. They're not doing the dog owner community any favours. As usual though, it is people who are at fault.

They have already done the hard part, the unpleasant part; so why not take it home? If they intend to leave it behind, it would be far better to let the dog crap in the shrubbery, at least it would decompose there In a plastic bag it will be preserved for years.

 

[urastus]

In a plastic bag it will be preserved for years

One good thing is that all these supplied pooh bags are bio degradable. There are also dog pooh bins. If I get home without finding a pooh bin, I can drop it in the compost. It's still a sad practice by many dog owners. I'm guessing it's because most dog walkers don't carry anything with them - other than their phone of course. I always have a day pack.

 

[Semmelrocc]

Last saturday I had my first dog encounter on a bike. The owner, an old lady saw me coming and grabbed her two dogs by the collars. I passed her slowly, she said thank you (for giving her the time to collect her dogs), just to hear her screaming a few seconds later, and four pairs of paws hunting after me.
For a moment I thought about racing away, but then decided to slowly stop, as you're supposed to do, when a dog is coming after you. Well, that didn't really help. The first attack was thwarted by my 5-10, but the second attempt of the little bastard was more successful. At least he decided he had enough then and raced back to his owner.
Fortunately it's not much more than a scratch. The doctor gave me a prescription for 3 days of antibiotics, just to make sure. Thanks to your tips I'll know what to do next time.

 

[flash]

Stop. Dismount. Drop bike on dog.

If a dog bit me I'd have it put down and the owner charged. Done. Because if it's prepared to bite me then it's prepared to attack a four year old learning to ride.

I've had German Shepherds for 30 years. Over socialised and trained. The biggest problem I've ever had is people ringing me asking where to drop the dog off that's been hanging out with their family for the last two hours (I live next to a beach and if the gate is open....). When my daughter was in year 2 she took a 55kg German Shepherd to show and tell at school. The teacher was freaked out. The kids were delighted. But that dog also volunteered with sick and disabled kids.

I have zero tollerance for dogs that aren't socialised properly or trained to return. And less for their owners. It's just not that hard.

Gordon

 

[Beekeeper]

When attacked by dogs I simply change my riding position and problem sorted.

 

[Morton027]

Walkers are not much of a menace, it's joggers with earbuds! No amount of tings, loud "ahem!"s or squealing brakes seem to work. I have to shout, which always sounds aggressive and gets them narked in return.

My Spurcycle bell gets the attention of anyone with headphones or earbuds guaranteed, it‘s the old people who presumably have lost their high frequency hearing who seem totally ignorant of it lol. Maybe I need a subwoofer for them

 

[Yaroslav Fadeev]

Our town have such problem as stray dogs, some of them are aggressive, so we have to put bicycle lights to scare away them

 

[sipaldi]

Hi All, I ride my bike with my Czechoslovakian wolf dog.
I also do a fair bit of hiking with my dog so see things from both perspectives.
If I am on my bike my dog is tethered and runs with me unless I am way out in the open and have a clear field of view. If I see other distractions appearing I simply stop and clip him back on then proceed with respect and caution.
I use the same mindset whilst out hiking with my dog, if its clear and no animals etc I allow him to have a run.
The issue can arise if, out of nowhere, a speeding cyclist appears and my dog instantly thinks, wow, I love cycling I am off with this guy/gal! It has happened.
So, all I do is make other people aware when I am approaching them, ESPECIALLY from behind. I am not keen on ringing cycle bells at people as it feels like I am shouting "SHIFT"! I just say to my dog, "steady boy" enough so the other party can hear me. Its usually greeted with a friendly Hi etc.
If I am out walking and you accidentally surprise me from behind on your bike and my dog is off the lead , the easiest thing is just to stop a moment whilst I clip him on his lead and then proceed, I will thank you for that.
Yes there are Morons out there but if you come across me, say Hi as I am not one of them . You can't miss me I am 6ft 5" and have a Wolfdog.
Phil

 

[steve_sordy]

6'5" and with a wolf dog!
I believe that I would give you both a wide berth.

"While some wolf hybrids are docile and non-aggressive, a higher percentage of wolf hybrids are likely to be dangerous and prone to attack humans and other animals. In fact, dog bite statistics show that wolf-dogs hold the sixth position in dog bite fatalities by breed."

and

Dangerous Dog Alert: Wolf Hybrids More Likely to Bite

While some wolf hybrids are docile and non-aggressive, a higher percentage of wolf hybrids are likely to be dangerous and prone to attack humans and other animals. This article details Indiana's most recent Wolf Hybrids dog bite attack statistics.

www.2keller.com

 

[Nicho]

Hi All, I ride my bike with my Czechoslovakian wolf dog.
I also do a fair bit of hiking with my dog so see things from both perspectives.
If I am on my bike my dog is tethered and runs with me unless I am way out in the open and have a clear field of view. If I see other distractions appearing I simply stop and clip him back on then proceed with respect and caution.
I use the same mindset whilst out hiking with my dog, if its clear and no animals etc I allow him to have a run.
The issue can arise if, out of nowhere, a speeding cyclist appears and my dog instantly thinks, wow, I love cycling I am off with this guy/gal! It has happened.
So, all I do is make other people aware when I am approaching them, ESPECIALLY from behind. I am not keen on ringing cycle bells at people as it feels like I am shouting "SHIFT"! I just say to my dog, "steady boy" enough so the other party can hear me. Its usually greeted with a friendly Hi etc.
If I am out walking and you accidentally surprise me from behind on your bike and my dog is off the lead , the easiest thing is just to stop a moment whilst I clip him on his lead and then proceed, I will thank you for that.
Yes there are Morons out there but if you come across me, say Hi as I am not one of them . You can't miss me I am 6ft 5" and have a Wolfdog.
Phil

A nice photo of your nice little doggy needs to be added here!

 

[RustyIron]

When my homeboys and I ride on the wilderness trails in the middle of the week, we REALLY like coming across dogs. It usually means that not far away will be a soccer mom in yoga pants or running gear. An exception yesterday was a heavy-set young guy with a three month old German shepherd pup... the cutest thing you'd ever seen. I mean the pup, not the guy. The pup was well behaved and curious about the fragrant guys on round-wheeled machines. Another exception is the coyotes. They're usually timid, but if you howl at them just right, sometimes they'll stick around to see what you're up to.

 

[RustyIron]

A nice photo of your nice little doggy needs to be added here!

Facebook profile pic:

 

[urastus]

A sachet of chilli powder or cayenne pepper ?
Not to throw in the dogs faces . No , for the owner who has no control of his dogs . He should train them more before he goes to public spaces .

a lot of parents would be buggered then

 

[irie]

... I‘m sure that may on here have had this happen to them, so what do you guys do to get around this?

Until we get further out onto the South Downs there are often dog owners some of which evidently believe that you love their dogs much as they do. They're often off the leash and out of control so we're forced to get off our bikes and walk past them keeping our bikes between the dogs and us. Do we normally get any thanks? Nope. (I also grew up with dogs btw).

 

[RustyMTB]

Local to me. 97 tons of dog eggs equivalent to the weight of a blue whale collected by the council in six months. Grim. No such thing as a bad dog imo but plenty of bad owners.

Council to patrol hotspots and issue dog poo fines after HUGE discovery

Worthing's “dog poo hotspots” are to be patrolled in a bid to crack down on the foul problem that is plaguing its green spaces.

www.theargus.co.uk

 

[OldBean]

Clue is in the name " Dog Shit Alley"
I lived in A tiny village in France for a while ...... many of the narrow alleys were covered in the stuff . usually the smallest dogs produce the biggest dumps .

 

[Monkey Dog]

I was told by vet some years back that dogs see you & your bike as an animal
A dog attacked my front wheel earlier this year & the owner blamed me for running into his dog despite I was going slowly passed & giving a wide birth. I was one side of the path & the dog came over and attacked.
I often wonder how some peoples minds work.
I have quite a few dogs chase me on my commute to work, I just stop as dogs love a chase & in my experience soon lose interest.
Most animals will chase you if you run, horses, cattle, pigs & so on.
My dad's a retired farmer & he told me at an early age they're more scared of you than you are of them.
I've always remembered that & he wasn't wrong.

 

[Stihldog]

I was told by vet some years back that dogs see you & your bike as an animal

I agree. Some dogs have had a negative experience with bikes or it’s their natural instinct to chase or protect.

Once I had to stop when a terroir, or pitbull type dog, (off leash) attacked me while riding through the park. The father, in the family of 5, wasn’t fast enough to stop the attack. He was frantic, his children were scared and they all realized the seriousness of what had just happened. I was bitten once on the ankle and once through my riding glove.

I’m sure the dog saw me and the bike as a threat to his pack. Two of the children were visibly upset by this incident. I was ok, but this was an upsetting event for everyone. I’m sure, or hope, in the future he will leash his “family” dog.

I like dogs. I slowdown for children and dogs when I ride. But I worry about my grandson when we ride in the park.

 

[steve_sordy]

There was a dog trainer in the newspaper today who said that dogs can turn their head and bite four times faster than a human can react and move their hand. He'd nearly lost his hand to an Alsatian. It bit him just as the owner jerked the dog back pulling the teeth through his hand. Four times faster!
Well that explains how terriers can catch rats!

 

[pagheca]

I may be overconfident but I always try to socialize with dogs chasing me. Or ignore them. Until now it worked well, although they usually sport a quite surprised, funny face when I stop and talk to them.

Also true that If it didn't work just one time I wouldn't probably be here writing stupid posts...

Never met a wild Presa Canario, though...

 

[Mikerb]

A dogs likely reaction to a bike can often be anticipated by knowing the breeds and their characteristics. I mostly know which dogs may pose a problem. At least around here ( rural SW/south coast) whether in the forests or on coastal ridgeways etc dogs are mostly off the lead and pose no problems. You see a very different set of dog breeds if you are near town centres or housing estates..............but then I would not be riding in those places!!

 

[Freeforester]

The white men came, and brought their problems with them. £100 licence fee per annum plus registration by chip should be mandatory, this would reduce ‘lifestyle’ dog ownership (dog walker service people fill up a vanful, head for the forest with the mutts of the time-poor who are too busy to walk their own, with all too obvious results in the affected areas) engender responsible ownership, and there should be clear signage for everywhere dogs may and may not run freely, and when; studies show the detrimental impact they have on ground nesting bird species, even where they don’t actually find the nest the birds often abandon, panicked after a ‘close call’. Bikers - don’t ride in open air dog toilets, which many of these places are quickly reduced to being.

Attacking/biting dogs like this should be destroyed as a matter of course, without exception, to deter others from inconsiderate behaviour such as was displayed in the video, the owner/handler clearly did not have any command or control over them. Wildlife manager/responsible dog owner’s view, only a recent emtb user, my views may not be popular, but then neither are dogs which end up mauling people - what if the rider was a child? It’s not as though we are short of unruly dogs in the country.