Nasty Dogs ( and bitches)

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

Low Roller

Well-Known Member
Location
East Yorkshire
How do you cope with these when you are touring?

There’s a story within a story here. About 20 years ago I got involved in a discussion on the CTC forum about dogs. I was trying to reason with a headbanger who thought using a knife was a good idea. Not my scene at all. In the event the thread was closed and, having been associated with the thread I was unilaterally excluded from the forum. For the last 20 years CTC has not received any subscriptions from me.

Two years ago three dogs were chasing me along a wide, very isolated canal track next to a farm in France. You have two choices: stand and fight or outrun them. I chose the latter and got away.

Dog Dazers emitting a high frequency don’t work unless you throw them at the dog. I used to carry a 2 foot bamboo cane. Just waving it was enough to make them back off. I don’t bother anymore. I reckon that the rear panniers protect your ankles and you should just keep pedalling. ( This may not work in the bowels of Cornwall: I know of one farm sheepdog renowned for biting and puncturing back tyres.

I am hoping that by inviting comments I don’t attract the moderators attention. I merely throw the stone in the pond and watch the ripples. ( A little like that thread about gurus !)
 
OP
OP
Low Roller

Low Roller

Well-Known Member
Location
East Yorkshire
Some interesting and relevant posts and links later in this Café thread: http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/a-...especially-with-owner-down-to-one-arm.167682/
Yes. Thanks for that. Interesting stuff. Even if it is one small dog snapping at you it is still uncomfortable. To be fair, it seems to be a very rare occurrence in France these days.
 

classic33

Leg End Member
Put the bike between you and the dog(s).
Then if need be you can swing the rear of the bike at them. Your other alternative is to pedal faster, get into a higher gear or both.
 

jack smith

Veteran
Location
Durham
I love dogs but when they are agressive and coming at you deal with it how you would a person, use what force is necacerry for that situation, but if your going into someones land thats a different story depending on the situation.
 

jack smith

Veteran
Location
Durham
Quite a good article posted above, its a shame pepperspray is illigal in the uk as that would be a great humane way of getting rid.
i own two german shepards and the old neighbour had a jack russel, oneday it dug under the fence and attacked my eldest who is quite frail, i lived on a farm and did have a firearm on me at the time but instead of shooting it (it got shot at a later date anyway) i gave it a kick and it nearley went back over the fence where it came from. it was a horrible aggressive dog and one i was glad to see the back off especially with two dogs of my own and a disabled brother at the time.

Bad behaviour and aggression is usually down to the owners though so if the area looks rough beware. Dogs are lovley animals but they need to be treated with care and respect but if it comes down to saving a life or someone from serious harm actions need to be taken. Just remember DONT RUN.
Your not going to outrun it and it will only make it attack you. My youngest who is a very large male is very placid and cant even chew a chip nevermind bite someone but when people run away from him he chases and jumps on their backs, although he dosent do much he just kind of sits in your face haha
 

RWright

Guru
Location
North Carolina
There is a Chihuahua that comes out in the street chasing me on about every bike ride or walk that I do. It's owner is even outside sometimes. He will yell at the dog to come to him but it doesn't do much good. It is not that I am afraid of the dog ( I figure I could punt it at least 30 yards) but I don't really want to see it get run over. There have been times I have crossed the road in closer situations than I would otherwise never consider doing, just to get the dog to chase me away from the path of oncoming cars. Even worse than the dog getting ran over is the odd chance that someone swerves to avoid the dog and run over me.
I carry pepper spray on the bike and even though I don't want to use it, I may. I am also considering maybe ammonia in a squirt gun. I think in the long run it might be the best thing for the dog. Kids live at the home with the dog so I don't want to do anything too extreme. People who let their dogs run loose and get in the streets should be the ones getting pepper sprayed.
 
Last edited:

xilios

Veteran
Location
Maastricht, NL
I once read a thread about dog attacks at bikeforums.net and one guy suggested a water pistol with an ammonia water mix. It will definitely get them off you but it will also harm the animal.
We carry pepper spray bought in Germany. Not allowed in most places we visit but i'll worry about the police once I escape from the dogs.
But that clip in Greece is worrying, I don't think the two cans we carry would be enough for so many dogs.
 
OP
OP
Low Roller

Low Roller

Well-Known Member
Location
East Yorkshire

xilios

Veteran
Location
Maastricht, NL
I'd like to point out that even though the guy on the bike saw the pack of dogs early on he continued to cycle towards them.
After reading many journals on crazyguyonabike from people touring Greece, the Balkans, Bulgaria or Romania, it really is not all that common. And that guy riding claims he is also a farmer and has dogs. He had also passed earlier a pack of 10 dogs without any problems.
If you start worrying about dogs, drunk drivers, thieves, psychopaths, etc... than stay home where its safe.
We had a dog scare in 2013 while riding along the Maas river in France, only one (huge) dog, but it caught us by surprise and we didn't have our pepper-spray handy, we were just happy the owner was nearby and called it off before it reached us. Needless to say we got the spray cans out but didn't have any more problems. Also in 2007 we got robbed in Parga, Greece, it did not put us off and we plan a tour of northern Greece in the future, it really is a beautiful country.
If you check out crazyguyonabike Greece you'll find a couple real nice tours like this one http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=Sh&doc_id=13470&v=D7
Dog attacks can happen anywhere with some horrific consequences, just ask SatNavSaysStraightOn.
 
Last edited:

Bodhbh

Guru
I carry pepper spray on the bike and even though I don't want to use it, I may. I am also considering maybe ammonia in a squirt gun. I think in the long run it might be the best thing for the dog. Kids live at the home with the dog so I don't want to do anything too extreme. People who let their dogs run loose and get in the streets should be the ones getting pepper sprayed.

Ammonia is crossing the line - in the eyes it's liable to permamently blind the dog. The dog is not going to run to a sink and rinse it out. Not that I'm saying I wouldn't squirt it at a dog that already had it's teeth in me. You don't want ammonia leaking about on yourself and your luggage either.

A makeshift pepper spray is easy to make - a handful of ghost peppers or suchlike liquidised in vinegar, and strain out the pulp. Stick in a drop of detergent to keep it emulsified. A dog is really not gonna like that in the face much.

I've not really got a stratergy beyond sticking the bike in the way and hoping for the best. I do know you can't out accelerate a dog on a loaded bike, and probably not out speed it either.
 
Top Bottom