Aggressive dogs

[andym]

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

They probably remembered you as the guy who joined in the game the last time round.

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.
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That's got to be the longest paragraph I've ever seen on an internet forum.

 

[psmiffy]

ditto

 

[just jim]

But not on CycleChat!

 

[samid]

The logic of "you were afraid of the dog hence it's your fault that it attacked you" that it seems to me some people argued here escapes me. There are people who are afraid of dogs, sometimes with good reasons. That's not their fault. In a public place, if a dog attacks a person - it is always 100% the dog's owner fault and - IMHO - any means of defense against the dog are perfectly justified.

 

[Plax]

I had an interesting commute home today. I was attacked by midges and chased by two dogs. The two dogs - one was a Jack Russell and the other looked a bit like a pit bull terrier. Yappy little effers came after me when I was cycling up a hill. I carried on going and thankfully the pit bull looked quite old and gave up after a while. The jack russell though stayed with me for a while. All the time yapping and running alongside the bike, but not trying to bite me.
I don't buy the "they'll only attack if they sense fear" argument as I'm not afraid of dogs but still have had the odd one chasing me. Usually little yappy terrier types. I think it is ingrained in them. Neighbour a few doors up has some kind of terrier. Sweet enough dog and knows who I am but still feels inclined to run alongside me yapping when I'm on the bike. I usually shout "F*ck off Jack" and he stops.

The only time I've been slightly concerned is the couple of times I've stayed at work past 6pm and taken the cycle path home along the lake. An old fella walks his German Shepherd around that time. The dog is always off the lead and thankfully the owner has always seen me first as when he sees me, he gets into a bit of a flap shouts for me to stop cycling and then goes and gets the dog on the lead and ushers me past. So now I avoid the cycle path at that time as one of these days the dog is going to clock me first and from the owners reaction I'd rather it didn't!

 

[Crankarm]

......The dog is always off the lead and thankfully the owner has always seen me first as when he sees me, he gets into a bit of a flap shouts for me to stop cycling and then goes and gets the dog on the lead and ushers me past. So now I avoid the cycle path at that time as one of these days the dog is going to clock me first and from the owners reaction I'd rather it didn't!

Next time you ride past him ask if he has a lead and insurance for his dog because if he doesn't and it harms you, you will sue him for every penny. You might get a torrent of abuse but it will focus his mind on the risk he is placing you and others in if there were any likelihood however small his dog could turn bad .

 

[just jim]

"An old fella walks his German Shepherd around that time. The dog is always off the lead and thankfully the owner has always seen me first as when he sees me, he gets into a bit of a flap shouts for me to stop cycling and then goes and gets the dog on the lead and ushers me past."

Plax, I wouldn't stand for that!

 

[Plax]

"An old fella walks his German Shepherd around that time. The dog is always off the lead and thankfully the owner has always seen me first as when he sees me, he gets into a bit of a flap shouts for me to stop cycling and then goes and gets the dog on the lead and ushers me past."

Plax, I wouldn't stand for that!

I avoid that route now at that time. I confess to not being very assertive in such situations. The most aggressive thing I've done on the bike is stick a finger up at a car whose passenger shouted something out the window at me and then I felt bad about it!

 

[Bibendum]

The water idea is excellent. Speaking as someone who was mauled by a dog while running in the US a few years ago I do think that a blast of water in it's face could very well have saved me 25 stiches and a trip to hospital.
Dogs just get overexcited and on the whole, aren't well trained - in that they just don't do what their owner tells them to when their tails are up.
I am a dog lover and the attack didn't change that but I don't see anything wrong with hoofing one if it's making a menace of itself.... but with water, you'll avoid this and the following confrontation with a daft, miffed owner .