Dog attack.

[sittingbull]

Or keep a cat to hand for the dog to chase should the worse happen

........a bit like deploying chaff then?

.........grab my bidon open it with my teeth as usual & keep it in my hand, as soon as they are close enough a big squeeze aiming at their face does the trick.........

As DRHysted suggests, this, if effective, is probably the most practical option. Not sure it would be effective if the dog was already locked on though.

The bloke who was the hurt by the "pit bull" is a dog lover and doesn't blame the dog. He told me that with a different owner the incident would probably not have happened. The owner is apparently irresponsible (not just as a dog owner).

Someone I was out cycling with yesterday suggested the owner should be taken to Chester Zoo and thrown into the cages with the animals, I'm inclined to agree.

 

[Octet]

I always thought that a trigger released CO2 pump / canister might be quite effective. The only issue with that is that I keep that pump on my MTB, in the saddle bag and not primed with the canister screwed into the pump. Other than that, I can't see any problems with that idea.

Or keep a cat to hand for the dog to chase should the worse happen.

I saw a 'Cops with Cameras' episode (UK version) where they used a CO2 fire extinguisher to push back a dangerous dog whilst they attempting to conduct a drugs bust.
It worked really effectively against the dog, so providing you can discharge it then you shouldn't have any problems. Only down fall I can see, is how much you would need to use and if the wind is blowing etc.

 

[sittingbull]

Strange you should mention a fire extinguisher. I had been thinking about a small one I used to keep in the car.

It would fit in a bottle cage but there is no way I would consider carrying it around, it's simply too heavy.

Fortunately dog attacks of this severity are (I presume) pretty rare, but it's useful to know what you could do.

 

[Octet]

Strange you should mention a fire extinguisher. I had been thinking about a small one I used to keep in the car.

It would fit in a bottle cage but there is no way I would consider carrying it around, it's simply too heavy.

Fortunately dog attacks of this severity are (I presume) pretty rare, but it's useful to know what you could do.

Hmm, what about those air dusters you can get? It would certainly be lighter then a fire extinguisher.

 

[sittingbull]

Hmm, what about those air dusters you can get? It would certainly be lighter then a fire extinguisher.

You mean those aerosols for getting the dust out of a keyboard? - I've never tried one so don't know how "powerful" they are. I suspect they would have a very short useful range.

 

[Octet]

Not sure how powerful they are, I think you can get bigger ones for more heavy duty stuff... but as you say, distance may be an issue.

 

[Cubist]

Bite-back is extremely effective, and is harmless to humans. In fact it smells wonderful, a sort of clove and mint smell. We have bite-back issued in our division. Dogs absolutely hate it.

We used to take the halon fire-extinguishers with us when we busted anywhere where we expected a dog. One quick squirt absolutely terrifies them. I remember one particular 'orrible dog that rushed us as we put the door in. It got a quick squirt and ran behind the tv where its dickhead owner spent the rest of the time we were there swearing at it for being "f*cking useless"

 

[DRHysted]

Strange you should mention a fire extinguisher. I had been thinking about a small one I used to keep in the car.

It would fit in a bottle cage but there is no way I would consider carrying it around, it's simply too heavy.

Fortunately dog attacks of this severity are (I presume) pretty rare, but it's useful to know what you could do.

I think you'll find that the small extinguishers fitted in cars are powder types, which if I remember correctly are a one use item, also I think the powder may cause harm to the dog (ideally it's best if the animal just assosiates a bike with a bad experiance).
Of all the ideas I think I'd go with water from a bottle, cheap, (normally) effective, something most carry, and reuseable.

 

[Octet]

I think you'll find that the small extinguishers fitted in cars are powder types, which if I remember correctly are a one use item, also I think the powder may cause harm to the dog (ideally it's best if the animal just assosiates a bike with a bad experiance).
Of all the ideas I think I'd go with water from a bottle, cheap, (normally) effective, something most carry, and reuseable.

I think you might be right about the car extinguishers, CO2 usually come in 2 KG +, and cost about £70 so not exactly a cheap solution...
The water bottle idea is good though, not sure whether it would cause them to retreat or aggravate them further?

 

[sittingbull]

.........ideally it's best if the animal just assosiates a bike with a bad experiance).

The bloke I cycled with yesteday says he slows down if the dog can't keep up the chase, then speeds up and repeats this. The owner gets frantic when the dog has run up to a mile away and the dog gets a rollicking on it's return.

 

[Cubist]

I think you'll find that the small extinguishers fitted in cars are powder types, which if I remember correctly are a one use item, also I think the powder may cause harm to the dog (ideally it's best if the animal just assosiates a bike with a bad experiance).
Of all the ideas I think I'd go with water from a bottle, cheap, (normally) effective, something most carry, and reuseable.

The ones we had in the cars were the buff coloured Halon ones. Not powder, and not single use. Don't know if they're available to the public though.

Edit: No they were banned in the UK in 2003.

 

[DRHysted]

The water bottle idea is good though, not sure whether it would cause them to retreat or aggravate them further?

To date the water sprayer has not aggravated any dogs here. Over the years we have only had to put three dogs down due to their behaviour.

 

[Octet]

The ones we had in the cars were the buff coloured Halon ones. Not powder, and not single use. Don't know if they're available to the public though.

Edit: No they were banned in the UK in 2003.

I think Halon are banned almost everywhere now, except for the military but everywhere else they have either switched to CO2 or in Airports, they use High Expansion Foam (giant bubble bath).

 

[sittingbull]

Bite-back is extremely effective, and is harmless to humans. In fact it smells wonderful, a sort of clove and mint smell. We have bite-back issued in our division. Dogs absolutely hate it.

Ok you've convinced me, I would happily carry a 50 ml can - trouble is it appears from the web-site that they have to be ordered in cases of 24 units at a cost of £289.20 (plus Vat).

 

[Cubist]

I think Halon are banned almost everywhere now, you might be able to get them in some specialised places like a foundry where you need something which can starve a large area of oxygen in such a quick time but everywhere else they have either switched to CO2 or in Airports, they use High Expansion Foam (giant bubble bath).

Yep. The UK finally implemented a ban that was first proposed in Montreal in 1987, in 2003. Gotta just love those Ozones.