cycling and aggressive dogs!

[dave_uk]

When we go to Greece there can be several dogs roaming lose and these can be aggressive and chase cyclists.

Also, we have experienced dogs jumping at us - NOT ON LEADS - whilst cycling on cycle tracks, we have both been knocked off; who likes irresponsible dog owners?!

How to deter the dogs?
I was just wondering if anyone else has had any success with dog scarers like an Ultrasonic Dog Deterrent Device. Do they work? Reviews for them appear so misleading to say the least.

What do you use? Or do?

 

[Mikerb]

some dogs just like a chase!! One tactic if its a chaser is to stop. You dont need a dog deterrent unless you think the dog is dangerous and that is relatively predictable according to breed. Even then it is best to stop and keep the bike between you and the dog.

 

[steve_sordy]

Equip yourself with a small aerosol can of WD-40.
Dogs don't like it in the face; it blurs vision and obscures their sense of smell.
It may also sting like hell!
They sure run off howling and never come back!

When I last used it to deter a troublesome farm dog my spray was quite small, ca. 100ml, maybe even smaller. But the smallest I can see on Google after a 1-min search is 250ml. The small cans may still be available.

Other water-dispersal products may work equally as well.

 

[irie]

I have a 150ml can if this in my back pack for emergencies, not had to use it yet. Keep it out of your eyes!

Only for use as a muscle relaxant of course.

 

[LeftItLancs]

For unsupervised dogs, a small bottle of peppermint spray is humane and will not harm the dog. A small air horn will likely stop the dog in its tracks. A weak mixture of white vinegar and water will have much the same effect.

A dog owner would not take kindly to a stranger spraying a noxious substance in their dog's face, and supervised dogs have every right to be off lead on trails that are not designated MTB trails for riders only.

As Mikerb said, dogs like to chase (instinct) and 99% of the time will just want to say hello if you stop, saying that, no dog should be off lead if it has no recall.

Feral strays are altogether a different issue, and I personally would change my route if this happened regularly because by the time I needed to use any kind of deterrent it would have already bitten me anyway

 

[irie]

There are guidelines for dogs on public rights of way (such as Bridleways which we ride for much of the time).

 

[Mikerb]

There are guidelines for dogs on public rights of way (such as Bridleways which we ride for much of the time).

none of them can read and have no access to Google though .

 

[Nicho]

none of them can read and have no access to Google though .

Are you sure about that?

 

[ottoshape]

When we go to Greece there can be several dogs roaming lose and these can be aggressive and chase cyclists.

Also, we have experienced dogs jumping at us - NOT ON LEADS - whilst cycling on cycle tracks, we have both been knocked off; who likes irresponsible dog owners?!

How to deter the dogs?
I was just wondering if anyone else has had any success with dog scarers like an Ultrasonic Dog Deterrent Device. Do they work? Reviews for them appear so misleading to say the least.

What do you use? Or do?

I deal with this on every ride. My first defense for dogs on the loose is to slow way down or even get off and walk the bike.

Are they after us? Honestly, I'm not sure! I had one pup that went right past me and wanted to sink his teeth into the tire. BAD TIRE!!! Strange pup!

I started carrying dog biscuits with me for two reasons. Lots of cute women are walking dogs. Great ice breaker. If there is a shortage of cuties around, I'll give any extras to random dogs to let them know bicycles can be good for them.

Deterrents:
This works on most dogs I've had to deter. It won't work on a very aggressive or sick animal. They blow right through it.

Everything you need to know about DAZER II

Everything you need to know about Ultrasonic anti bark devices

www.dazer.com.au

Pepper spray is another choice where it's legal. FWIW, we will probably wind up with more of it on us than on the intended target.

I haven't tried any peppermint, I have some and will give that stuff a try.