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.

 

[Eliadn]

Lol just yesterday I was chased by 4 dogs (they were chilling in front of one house in the middle of the forest). They just kept running along and barking. I tried barking back but that didn't deter them, they gave up after a while and I couldn't dismount or slow down because the trail was covered in like 10 cm deep soft mud.

 

[Mikerb]

Some of you may be dog owners and know a bit more about dog behaviours but for those who are not some of this may help.
If you ride past a house or more likely a farm and d dog or dogs run after you it is likely a territory protection motivation. Best plan then is to stop and if necessary use the bike as a barrier between you and the dog.
When meeting a dog being walked by (typically) a lady there can be 2 different motives. The first is that dog gets excited by the bike....not you...and your wheels are its focus. The second motive may be protection of its owner.......that can be more acute if the lady also has a child with her. Note that the dog will easily react to any anxiety the owner displays. In this case the dogs focus is you not your bike. Also keep in mind dogs eyesight is different to ours , mostly monochrome and they see shapes/ outlines rather than detail. A backpack and full face helmet/ mirror glasses could may you look frightening to a dog.
The last thing to pay attention to in order to assess best course of action is the dog owner...assuming there is one present. A good dog owner will be calm and authoritative and use clear commands to control the dog. If they are panicky , shout and fail to use any clear commands they likely have no control of the dog and their anxiety will make the dog worse. If the dog walker has deliberately chosen a route where meeting any other dogs or people that may serve as a red flag. If the route is a popular dog walking trail and the dog is not on a lead it is unlikely to be a problem.

Assessing the situation and taking appropriate action is likely to pay greater dividend than relying on some spray deterrent.

 

[Stihldog]

I was greeted by these guys a few days ago.


One hated my bike and the other didn’t care.

Our area is used by numerous dog walkers and most are off-leash. In 5+ years years I’ve only been bitten twice. I really don’t know what the secret is to prevent attacks. I personally try to greet each dog, friendly-like , and let them have a sniff. They eventually lose interest or are happy to see me again.

My dog is smrt…


…but he needs boundaries.

 

[Mikerb]

I was greeted by these guys a few days ago.

View attachment 152908
One hated my bike and the other didn’t care.

Our area is used by numerous dog walkers and most are off-leash. In 5+ years years I’ve only been bitten twice. I really don’t know what the secret is to prevent attacks. I personally try to greet each dog, friendly-like , and let them have a sniff. They eventually lose interest or are happy to see me again.

My dog is smrt…

View attachment 152909
…but he needs boundaries.

Well no way you will outrun one of those!
Your dog is a cutie!

 

[Stihldog]

Well no way you will outrun one of those!
Your dog is a cutie!

I agree …but I should notify my credit card company to cancel any purchases from puppyporn.com, treatsunlimited.ca, Amazon, p00ddles.org.

I think some animals sense wether you’re predator or prey.

 

[steve_sordy]

When confronted with a ferociously snarling and barking dog, the owner says "he's OK, his tail is wagging!"
OK, which end am I supposed to believe? The end with the big teeth that are definitely not smiling, or the other end that just looks like excitement to me.

 

[Mikerb]

3 different signals. Snarling is definitely aggressive and designed to instill fear in its chosen opponent. Barking and tail wagging are a bout excitement and not necessarilly aggressive. Using the crouched/launch position preempts an attack. Raised heckles can be fear and may lead to aggression. So for example both my dogs, a Springer Spaniel and Cockapoo bark and tails will be wagging when anyone ( e.g. postie/courier) comes to the front gate. Neither nip or bite or have any aggressive tendencies at all so its all excitement. Thankfully our postie knows the score..........some couriers ( depending on nationality!) are intimidated so stay outside the gate until I go to meet them.
I never walk my dogs on a lead. Fortunately I can park with direct access to woodland used by lots of other dog walkers and the occasional runner or MTBer. The dogs seem to be a ble to tell if any dog they meet is aggressive.........being held tight on a lead by its owner it a sure sign! My Springer takes a big detour.......he is more interested in reading the news and cant be bothered with other dogs. The Cockapoo greets other dogs unless they are on lead......then she comes back to me for protection. One of the best ways to ensure good call back and consider you as their safe haven for any percieved danger is to walk them off the lead as soon as they have had their puppy injections ( 10/12 weeks old). ...plus of course recall training by voice, signal and silent whistle. With the Springer if I stop walking and go on one knee he will return even if far away. The Cockapoo will run after a bike.........because she is used to running with me on the bike!! If I see a bike coming I call her to heel and stay.

 

[ottoshape]

Our area is used by numerous dog walkers and most are off-leash. In 5+ years years I’ve only been bitten twice.

Same here and I've never been bitten. Hopefully that trend continues but in the event I do get bitten and blood is drawn, that starts a whole series of actions that are very unpleasant.

We can't trust our fellow drivers to carry car insurance and I'm certainly not going to trust a dog owner saying "shots and vaccines all up to date". Cops will be called and the dog is not leaving the area.

With that said, I will actually have to do some research on the laws for my locale and see what I can do legally. I'm certain I don't want to sit through a series of rabies shots because we can't reach the dog owner for follow-up.

 

[Stihldog]

A small Pamaranium dog latched onto my ankle once while I was passing a group of hikers. It did about 3 revolutions before it fell off. I just kept riding.

On my way home, through the park in my backyard yard, I suddenly came face to face with a family of 4 and their off-leash pitbull-like dog. Within seconds the dog bit my lower leg. When I tried to swat it away it bit my riding glove …with my hand in it.

The dad ran towards his dog, the mother started screaming, the two children began crying. The dad asked if I was OK …and was I bit?

Thankfully I was okay. No blood…but I later discovered that my glove was torn. I bet the entire incident took less than 3 seconds.

I’ve since started collecting pictures of trail dogs and add them to an album on my phone. Every dog owner is happy to oblige.