Bloody dog bit my ankle

[Accy cyclist]

Yesterday while doing laps around my local park i had a dog come running at me. I felt it nip my Achilles tendon. When i'd managed to out cycle the bloody thing i stopped to find it'd ripped the back of my sock. When i peeled the sock down i saw a small bloodied hole in my Achilles tendon area. I went ape as they say and flew (as fast as i could)back up the hill to have a do with this things owner. I then saw them hurry the dog and themselves into a grey estate car and drive off. They would've sussed i wasn't too happy and so decided to get make their escape. This is the second time in a few days that this dog has attacked me. Last Tuesday it flew at me and started to run and stalk me as i was climbing at about 9mph. It circled my bike growling and stuff while the owner shouted its name trying to call it back. I looked at him and said sorry in a sarcastic way,meaning he was supposed to apologise not me. He didn't. It came at me again so i unclipped and managed to kind of stomp on it's head but with only enough pressure to push it away rather than crack its skull(unfortunately). Anyway,yesterday it came at me on my blind side(i'm blind in the right eye),shaking me up, as i heard it before seeing it, then there it was right in front of my bike. I don't think this dog is being particularly aggressive,more stupid,but it wants sorting before it either knocks me or another cyclist of our bikes. Not to mention the biting aspect. When i got home i cleaned up the bite mark with alcohol hand wash. I had a tetanus jab 3 years ago so i'm still covered,i think. The dog is one of those 'labradoodle' or 'cockapoo' types,not a 'Staffie' or any other breed associated with 'devil dog' status. Any ideas or thoughts about what to do the next time it confronts me would be welcome!

 

[Rooster1]

I had total sympathy to your horrible attack until I got to the bit "rather than crack its skull(unfortunately)" at which point my sympathy vanished.

 

[Globalti]

Have you got a CO2 cylinder trigger thingy? Load a fresh cartridge and give the dog a blast, I bet it won't come near you again.

 

[rualexander]

They don't give tetanus injections for dog bites these days anyway, at least not in this area.
They do however give a course of antibiotics.
I was bitten earlier this year.

 

[AndyRM]

I'm with @Rooster1 here. And I'm surprised at your attitude as a fellow dog owner, which should at least mean you'd know to be a little wary pedalling near them.

 

[Accy cyclist]

I had total sympathy to your horrible attack until I got to the bit "rather than crack its skull(unfortunately)" at which point my sympathy vanished.

They don't give tetanus injections for dog bites these days anyway, at least not in this area.
They do however give a course of antibiotics.
I was bitten ealier this year.

The tetanus jab was for cuts and grazes i got when i was knocked off my bike. The bite mark doesn't seem too deep,probably just broke the skin's surface,but it aches a bit now. I think it's more a bruise than a puncture.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

You live such an exciting life, how do you cope? i'm sure I've said it before, you have more 'incidents' in a week than I have in a year

 

[Accy cyclist]

I'm with @Rooster1 here. And I'm surprised at your attitude as a fellow dog owner, which should at least mean you'd know to be a little wary pedalling near them.

When i said cracked its skull i meant as in when your mother said she'd bang your heads together type of way. As for 'pedalling near them',i was doing laps of the park. It's not like i can avoid dogs as they're on the football pitches which i'm circling.

 

[Kajjal]

Unless you are used to dogs they are quite difficult to read or understand.

Be careful but a general rule is unless they are growling continually and showing teeth then it is more of a question from the dog than aggression. When cycling near dogs slow down and if they come over normally if you stop so do they and the owners rapidly take over if needed. If I see dogs I just slow down until the owners see me and once they seem happy carry on as normal. Most owners will call their dogs to one side if needed.

To give you a couple of examples, I was out at the weekend mountain biking and a large dog bounded over barking at me. I calmly and firmly told it no and it trotted off. Another dog came over to me but while it was barking was more hesitant. For the second dog I just said hello to it and it was happy enough then.

For a non dog owner this is very difficult to tell apart until you understand and it is the responsibility of the dog owner to train, socialise and not let their dog get into circumstances they cannot control properly. A dog should definitely not be biting you unless provoked.

 

[Glow worm]

You have my sympathies Accy. I was chased by a ghastly yappy thing just the other day while cycling, but managed to out-pace it before it had a chance to bite - which I'm pretty sure it would have done. I should have had words with the half-wit dog owners, but it was a lovely day, the sun was out and I didn't want to let idiots spoil my mood.

I really loathe dogs, not that I'd wish any harm on them, I just wish there weren't so many idiotic dog owners about, (especially nowadays when it seems to be the law in the UK that you have to own at least one of the damn things).

 

[Drago]

A large frame pump filled with sand makes an excellent yet totally inconspicuous, anti dog weapon.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Sorry Accy but I'm struggling to sympathise with you here. You don't think there could be a correlation between having kicked the dog in the head a few days ago and it biting you yesterday do you?

For what it's worth I got bitten a few weeks ago for the first time ever on a ride as mentioned here: link

I suppose I'm too big a softy when it comes to dogs as I didn't feel the need to lash out at him and the owner showed me the broken collar so I know it was just one of those things.

 

[andrew_s]

The dog owner should know whether their dog chases thing (like cyclists) or not. If it does, it should be on a short lead or unable to run out of the property.

The only time I got chomped, I was on fixed, and the dog bit across the sole of my shoe and the plastic plate the ratchet buckle fits to, so it didn't do any damage and the dog got its head given a violent shaking. I was inclined to go back with some diluted tabasco in a water bottle and give it a squirt but never got round to it.

I've known someone who held out his foot (in a suitable stout shoe), and when the dog chomped on it, trod down full weight (at 15 mph or so) and gave the dog's lower jaw a scrape along the road.

 

[Accy cyclist]

it seems to be the law in the UK that you have to own at least one of the damn things).

The park i'm on about has owners/dog walkers sometimes walking 5, 6 even 7 dogs. They adopt the pack mentality and are quite intimidating.

 

[Rooster1]

When i said cracked its skull i meant as in when your mother said she'd bang your heads together type of way. As for 'pedalling near them',i was doing laps of the park. It's not like i can avoid dogs as they're on the football pitches which i'm circling.

I know, it just reads harshly.