dog bite

[DogmaStu]

This is far from the days when I lived in South Africa and I carried a Glock 19 on my person (small holster, jersey pocket) when doing long rides!
Albeit not for defence against dogs...I've never hurt an animal.

Re the dogs issue, I'm back now in the UK but in Portugal where I was for the past 5 years, I used to encounter dogs on many rides, often wild packs when off-road. The most dangerous were the domestic ones loose in the street and it was really mostly about ensuring no accident when they chased but if they got close, a squirt from the water bottle distracted/put the off while I pedalled away. I've sacrificed an energy bar too as a distraction once.

I have used my bike as a shield as well on one occasion off-road with one wild pack leader - puppies nearby, I suspect - and showing no fear makes a difference in my experience. The dog must see you are confident but not a threat as you move away. I've grown up with dogs all my life, large breeds mostly, and it does help to learn the signals. If you are stressed, shouting etc it ups the ante with the dog and the whole situation ramps up. Keeping calm, confident, not shouty, moving away is important I think. Obviously easier said than done if the dog is frothing and overly aggressive with all teeth in attack mode from the off!

 

[Fastpedaller]

Don't be fooled by that. Two of my worse experiences have been with Border Collies.

I guess all Border Collies aren't sheep dogs though!

 

[Threevok]

I guess all Border Collies aren't sheep dogs though!

No, although one of the three that bit me once - was.

 

[Fastpedaller]

No, although one of the three that bit me once - was.

Oh - not a good outcome; your advice 'don't be fooled' is well founded...... unless....
You aren't a sheep-rustler are you

 

[Threevok]

Oh - not a good outcome; your advice 'don't be fooled' is well founded...... unless....
You aren't a sheep-rustler are you

Worse thing was, she saw me coming in plenty of time, whistled to the dogs who then lay down. But as soon as I got near, one of them jumped up and bit my foot. Luckily, I had robust shoes on, plus overshoes with a big rubber toe on them (Endura MT500s).

What she was doing on a cycle track with three working dogs is beyond me.

Of course, it was my fault. "You caught me by surprise. You should have let me know you were coming” she said, despite seeing me 50 yards before I got near.

I did ask what she was expecting to encounter on a national cycle route, if not bikes, but all I got was a tirade of abuse, as she shook her crook at me, then walked off.

 

[Drago]

A good resounding "eff off you ignorant old battleaxe" would not have helped, but would have at least perked you up as you put your boot in the dogs ear and rode away.

 

[Threevok]

I had another border collie (not a farmer's dog) that chased me, and bit through the sidewall of a very expensive ice tyre (and got a clonk in the snout from my forks in the process).

The next day, the owner flagged me down, wanting to know why I didn't stop. I said "usually when a dog is attacking me, I don't stop for him to finish the job"

She didn't like that and called me selfish, irresponsible and accused me of going too fast.

 

[Dogtrousers]

When a puppy, my sister's dog didn't like bikes. If a bike went past while I was out walking her, she wouldn't attack the rider - no - she would bite me. (Possibly as I was the representative of all cyclists). The dog went a bit bonkers if my sister was walking her and a bike went past, but only I was treated to the full bitey experience.

Fortunately she grew out of/was trained out of this behaviour.

 

[davy]

Don't be fooled by that. Two of my worse experiences have been with Border Collies.

well that is a surprise ...I thought along with assistance dogs Collies would have been the safest dogs to be around....just shows the need to be every cautious ...thank you

 

[davy]

When a puppy, my sister's dog didn't like bikes. If a bike went past while I was out walking her, she wouldn't attack the rider - no - she would bite me. (Possibly as I was the representative of all cyclists). The dog went a bit bonkers if my sister was walking her and a bike went past, but only I was treated to the full bitey experience.

Fortunately she grew out of/was trained out of this behaviour.

let us hope that is what happens to this particular dog

 

[Drago]

Collies of all flavours can be quite skittish.

 

[Reynard]

And collies are even worse when they're bored out of their minds. They're smart doggos and need to be kept occupied.

Retired well-heeled farmer neighbours (two bachelor brothers) lost their very elderly collie, and bought a puppy from working lines. Dog got two long walks a day, but lived outside 24/7 (had a kennel, but that IMHO is not ideal), and had no training to speak of. He also had no toys, no socialization, didn't get treats, the owners were too mean to do something like agility or flyball etc.

The dog was only "safe" when he was chained in the garden, because he'd go for anything that moved. I had a few near misses. The last straw for the neighbours was that he chewed the entire interior of one of their cars, and the tyres off another. TBH, it should never have got to this point. Still, they had the dog PTS because they couldn't cope - when in fact the problems were all of their own making.

Compared to one of my besties who has two miniature schnauzers. She takes them for two walks a day, but they have access to a secure garden where they can play with her four sheep. They also have half a dozen or so cat friends with whom they pile up in a heap on the living room carpet at the end of the day. The dogs have more toys than they know what to do with, they are well trained - they listen to my friend, and they also listen to me when we're out on walks, you can trust them around anyone and anything - except for fox poo! But when they do something good, they get a treat and attention and there's that connection. My friend also takes them to a local doggy adventure park, they go to sessions for things like flyball (they're not good at it, but they love it), they're complete pros when it comes to doggy day care.

Such lovely dogs to be around, and I'm awfully fond of them. Mind you, they know that their Auntie Reynard always has their favourite mini gravy bones in her pockets...

Much what I said upthread, you only get out what you put in.

 

[a.twiddler]

I opened my back gate to get my bike out the other day and a large chap walked past and said "hi" then "come along, Prince!".

I stepped back and framed in the vertical oblong of my gate I saw that he had an extending lead behind him. As he walked away I was expecting to see some impressive beast tagging along behind him but the lead got closer and closer to the ground and still no dog, then a tiny chihuahua trotted by, gave me a look with attitude, and carried on. I have seen a lot of large men with small dogs recently, usually Yorkies and such but this has been the smallest for a while. I suppose if you're on the large side, nobody laughs at your dog. Is this a new trend? Maybe easier to deal with than macho blokes with pit bull -like creatures.

 

[Reynard]

Back when I was a postgrad student, I had an indoor cat. I lived in a really busy area where letting him out really wasn't an option and I couldn't cat-proof the garden. So I trained him to walk on a lead and harness - which he did very well - and we'd go to the local park for a daily constitutional. He'd even sit at the kerb while we waited to cross the road.

Toby was average sized for a mog, but I found it so damn funny when people were walking dogs that were smaller than my cat.

 

[Slick]

Back when I was a postgrad student, I had an indoor cat. I lived in a really busy area where letting him out really wasn't an option and I couldn't cat-proof the garden. So I trained him to walk on a lead and harness - which he did very well - and we'd go to the local park for a daily constitutional. He'd even sit at the kerb while we waited to cross the road.

Toby was average sized for a mog, but I found it so damn funny when people were walking dogs that were smaller than my cat.

To be fair, I am a fairly big guy, and was more than annoyed when moving into a new home when this tiny carpet slipper of a neighbour just wouldn't shut up. I knew I had 2 choices, either befriend it or sort it out. It wasn't looking good for her when she just went mental as I tried to approach her. Nothing really changed until I met her owner, who turned out to be a cracking lady in a wheelchair, and I immediately felt guilty, as the poor dog never really saw further than the back garden. I ended up walking the streets of Dumbarton, just short of 6 foot and every bit as wide, with a wee Yorkie on the end of a bit of red ribbon disguised as a lead.

We became great pals, as I walked her every night, and took her further afield on the weekends in the car. My street cred took a bit of a battering though.