Aggressive dogs

[chris667]

To those who are skeptical because they have never been a victim one might as well say because I have never died then surely I will live forever!

Don't know if you were talking about me, but that's not what I said!
On every cycling forum, there's a regular thread about dogs. It's as inevitable as the h*lmet debate.
They're always started by someone who has had a run in with a dog, and then everyone else, pro and anti dogs joins in. It's a harmless pursuit, but I reckon it must put people off cycling, because it sounds like a common occurence when it isn't.
Problem is, someone that expects trouble very often causes it, sometimes without trying. If you have resorted to carrying round something to defend yourself against dogs, you aren't in the right frame of mind to deal with them.
The same is true with dog owners, BTW; many's the time I've talked to a dog owner who has said something like "Ooh, our Fido doesn't like labradors/postmen/black people/cyclists"(delete as applicable). Dogs aren't that selective, what tends to happen is the owners change their behaviour around certain individuals, which unwittingly makes their dogs guard them.
Look, I understand disliking dogs is your choice. Personally, I recommend if you are frightened of them you make friends with someone who owns a dog and get used to it, because you are going to encounter dogs, but if you don't know how to act around dogs you are more likely to have a problem with one.

 

[yello]

What I can tell you is that dogs are masters of reading body language, and if you act scared of them, they will react to that.

Whilst I would agree with that it still is no guarantee that a dog won't bite the unafraid. I too was brought up with dogs - we have 2 now - and used to deliver newspapers as a kid so had many many person/dog interfaces.

How many times have I been bitten? Precisely ONCE! By a collie that was all wagging tail and friendly as it came up to me and then promptly nipped my leg. Some (sheep) dogs do nip rather than bite but the difference is kind of irrelevant if you're on the receiving end!

One of our dogs (a malinoux cross) nips as well. She has done it to me once, playfully, and it's more a shock than pain, but she has also done it to 2 other people. We have no idea why, as she is not aggressive nor does she do it to everyone that visits. The point is, I do believe there is something that dogs pick up that make some people more likely to be bitten than others. Again, that's no consolation!

 

[ronmac]

I appreciate all the points everyone's making. I certainly don't want to put anyone off cycling but sweeping a potential problem under the carpet isn't going to solve it.
After reading the Mike1026 entry and looking at the bbc report I for one will have my contingency in place when cycling in rural areas, especially in Europe. But I certainly won't be cycling around worrying about dogs.

 

[Gary Cummins]

My wife and I have done plenty of touring, particulalry around eastern Europe where stray dogs are common. Her method is to simply get off the bike if a dog begins chasing us, it works. Dogs chase bikes as a rule, not people, once you are off the cycle the dog seems to recognise you as a person again.

 

[Crackle]

My cousin and I were touring once and went along a lane downhill past a lodge. A very large dog decided to make it's presence felt and my cousin, having read somewhere to get off the bike and place it between yourself and the dog, decided to do just that. Trouble is I think he'd missed the bit about stopping first. He ended up in a big heap, panniers and contents everywhere with him on top of the prostate bike. No real damage except to his dignity and the front brake which was fatally injured. The dog just stopped and wandered back to lying in the sun.

 

[Lone Rider]

After regular incidents with dogs in the country I bought a small can of pepper spray last year, and have not seen a dog since.

 

[ronmac]

I've just cut this from the bbc news website :

A Taser gun has been used to help capture a stray Rottweiler that attacked two motorists after sedatives failed to subdue the dog.

I rest my case. I'll have my contingency plan in place.

 

[chris667]

Ronmac, that's a very stupid way to catch a dog. If you hurt a dog, it will be harder to bring under control, not easier. I'd like to read the rest of that article and find out the whole story, no professional dog person would ever use a taser to control an angry dog.
You are looking for a confrontation if you are carrying something to hit dogs with, pure and simple, and you're looking through the internet to find news articles to back up your views to us. This is fair enough, although it can't be much fun for you going for a bike rides. And don't be suprised if the police aren't your friends if you are caught carrying a club for dealing with errant dogs. Where does it stop?

 

[ronmac]

Chris667, You're completely wrong on your 2 points.
1. I have not trawled the internet looking for aggressive dog stories. My homepage is the bbc news website and has been for a long time. By pure coincidence that story was on it when I logged in this afternoon. I haven't looked for any dog stories on internet. I'm sure if I did I'd find many examples.
2. I never seek confrontation. I'm too old for all that confrontational nonsense. I was rushed at by a Rottweiler while minding my own business in a public place. I don't know if it would have attacked me or not if I hadn't legged it. I'll feel safer having a contingency plan in place just in case an aggressive dog ever does ATTACK me.
What's wrong with having a contingency plan in place for anything. Does your work do fire drills every now and again ? Does that make it more likely that a fire will occur ? No. It's contingency.
If an aggressive dog rushes at you while cycling and this causes you to fall off your bicycle and the dog then proceeds to maul you about the head while your on the ground what are you going to do ? Worse still what if you have a child with you and he/she is getting mauled.
I really do rest my case.

 

[John the Monkey]

I had 3 dog experiences today - I was fixing a puncture by the roadside, and was passed by;

1) A rottie pup, that wasn't interested in me.
2) A Staffordshire terrier that gave me a bit of a sniff and allowed me to tickle behind its ears (lovely dogs those).
3) An Alsatian that ignored me too.

Just in the interest of balance, and all. I did keep my bike pump to hand just in case one of them went for my throat though, can't be too careful after all.

 

[RussellEngland]

There's a few humans I'd like to Taser

I've never tried it, but what about a silent dog whistle? Doesn't need batteries or gas, they have a long range and I believe they can be adjusted to increase the intensity.

 

[jags]

remember when you were a kid ,the dreaded water gun never miss with one of those ,,wright between the eyes.

 

[Crankarm]

I think all dogs should be shot.
There's one down the road leading to my village which is usually on its lead but one time it got out and started chasing me, it looked a lot like a pit bull. It tried to keep up but I accelerated and it couldn't run at 20mph for more than a few seconds.

Did it have to make a Pit stop?

 

[Crankarm]

I've had more problems with dogs when running than when cycling. Our local park is used as a private lavatory by local dog owners. They also let their dogs off their leads despite signs saying all dogs must be on a lead and their dogs regularly chase after footballs and the kids playing as well as runners such as me. In a spell of 2 weeks last summer I got so sick of their mutts jumping up and scratching my legs that for one dog owner who kept telling me when I passed her and her delinquent mutt "Aw....he won't hurt you" as he jumped up to bite through my arm "Well if he doesn't hurt me then I won't hurt him and then I won't have to sue you". I then got a torrent of abuse from the lardy woman about 45 years old and a smoker. The next day she brought her husband along. I tried to run a slightly different route around the park to avoid them but their dog spied me and gave chase. As it approached I stopped and stood still. The thing still jumped up at me. The lardy owners came running after screaming at the dog to get down and come to them. Their commands had no effect and it would only withdraw when they pulled it away. There was no apology. They blamed me for running around the park it excited their dog! I reminded them it was a public place and of the signs at the entries requiring all dogs to be kept on a lead, to clear up all dog mess and that their dogs should not be out of control. They then tried to argue their dog, some sort of hunting cross was not out of control and that he had never hurt anyone. Right! I reminded them that they are responsible for it and the dog should be on a lead in the park. I told them if it comes for me again I will chase and bite them and see how they like it. Again lots of abuse if I touch their dog etc etc. Anyway they walked off dog still not on lead. So running another lap around the park again coming around again and not too far away from them, they had finally put the dog on the lead so I ran full sprint straight toward the bloke. He crapped himself obviously thought he was going to be attacked and dropped to the ground. I shouted at him “See how you like it!” I didn’t make contact with him. I never saw them or their dog again in that park. Another owner in the park used to deliberately let their little handbag dog off it’s lead as I approached. It always yap yapped, as I ran past trying to give it a wide berth, trying to get my ankles. Unfortunately one evening my fancy footwork to avoid getting bitten failed and I took a nip on the back of my right ankle. Ouch!!! So straight away I booted it like a football and it flew about 10 feet through the air. The owner an old bloke about 55 years old and about 25 yards away went nuts. No concern for me who his dog had just bitten. I reminded him of all the stuff about keeping the dog on a lead in a public place etc and that his dog had bitten me. He said it was my kcfuing fault for running in the park! He came at me he was going to do this he was going to do that. Bring it on nasty old man see where it gets you. He was going to get the police onto me. Ok I said call them but I will show them the blood that is now staining my white sock. I don’t carry a phone when running. The scene was becoming rather ugly. Then some other dog owners came along and he told them I had just attacked his dog, so at that point I decide to get out of there. Fortunately the other 3 or 4 dogs just couldn’t be bothered or were actually on leads. I didn’t report this to the police as firstly I felt they wouldn’t do anything and secondly I felt that I had sorted it out thirdly that the dog owner wouldn’t report it as he knew that his dog should have been on a lead and shouldn’t have bitten me. I cleaned up the laceration when I got home and got my jabs redone the next day. Most dog owners I find are pretty selfish people who use public spaces as their own private exercise grounds for their dogs to crap and pee everywhere and cause a nuisance to others. They just can’t appreciate that others do not share the same enthusiasm for their Fido that they do, that they do not want to be harassed by their dog or have to pat or stroke it to avoid being seen as a threat and being chased.

Earlier this year a chap appeared on the playing fields with two Rottweilers. He would park his white van adjacent to the park and playing field entrance then take his two dogs onto the playing fields to which the park is adjacent and both of which I run round. They are clearly security dogs. They are not muzzled. The first time I saw them I chose to continue running. Bad move. One of the dogs showed an interest in me and started to run toward me. It was quite far away and there was nowhere I could hide so I just crapped myself and froze. The owner was shouting for it to come back but it still it came barking and growling. I tell you I was sh1tting myself. Anyway about 25 yards from me it stopped and turned back to it’s owner as quickly as it had come. These are a very dangerous breed of dog. I took the registration of the van and reported the owner to the police. Result was that 1 week later he was still walking these dogs off the lead and un-muzzled in a public place where kids play. Following this I now pick up a couple of rocks from the car park area on the edge of the playing fields so I can throw them at any dog who comes for me.

There was a shocking case before Christmas where a relief postman delivering in Cambridge was mauled by a Rottweiler that had escaped through a magnetic gate which came open. The postman’s young son was with him although he was not injured. A plumber who was passing the property heard the commotion and tried to get the dog off the postman who had already suffered terrible arm injuries. I believe the plumber had to bash the Rottweiler around the head with a piece of scaffolding pole killing it to stop it as it had then turned on him. The owner of the dog was allegedly a business man. Obviously he dealt with people in a shady under world. This was local news story but it also appeared in national bulletins.

I have had the occasional dog chase me on a bike but that has tended to be when cycling through less desirable lowlife areas. On both occasions I had seen the dog and anticipated being chased, so unclipped a shoe ready to strike but one dog suddenly thought better of it having begun a chase and let me continue whilst the other took a blow to the snout as it lunged for my right foot and scampered off back to it’s owner who screamed abuse at me for hurting her dog who she cannot control. Cycling is certainly a lot safer than running from the dog attack aspect.

Not sure what system I would use to protect my self on a bike. If I got anything then I suppose it would have to be effective – 80,000v cattle prod? No only joking. From the words of wisdom here it would probably be a water pistol or water bottle as this would not harm it but hopefully stop it. I didn’t realise dogs don’t like water being fired at them . Is this guaranteed to stop them?

This appeared in The Times in february:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/giles_coren/article5728143.ece


.

 

[asterix]

The idea that dogs can sense some kind of fear in their target does not stack up in my experience. Recently I cycled past two yappy creatures that chased me until I stopped and chased them. On my return I decided not to avoid the creatures but see what would happen. I had no fear of them whatsoever but they still came hammering down the road after me, yapping away. I just ignored them and they must have been quite a long way from home when they packed it in

I don't have a particular dislike of dogs they are like people, some good, some in between, and some bad.