Darting dogs

Hum….. This is a good question.

Looking at online advice, it strikes me that there is a lot of bad advice out there.

First, I would take any aggressive dog seriously.

Second, my biggest concern for an off leash dog that is chasing me is that I will hit it and crash. Whether I think it will attack or not, I will try to get away from that dog.

Third, there is a difference between attack dogs and guard dogs. Guard dogs alert owners. They are the barkers. They are the ones that will go crazy when the mail comes. My dogs are guard dogs ~ and frankly its not the worst thing to have – helping keep watch over the house.

Attack dogs are different. They are the ones who will bite. Guard dogs and attack dogs are not necessarily the same dog (although sometimes they are). Guard dogs are much more barky. Attack dogs are going to come straight for you with intensity. They arent trying to alert the owner – they are trying to take you down.

Most dogs in our area who chase bikes will be guard dogs. If they catch you, they are going to bark at you some more.

But if you dont know that, you dont know that.*

*And I am rereading your post and seeing you qualify it that the dog is disobedient to its owners commands – this is a HUGE red flag. I would get away from this dog fast.

So – dog is coming after me. Options:
(1) Get away
(2) Get away
(3) Get away
(4) Be the alpha – Command the dog – yell “NO” or whatever – no the dog is not going to listen to you, this is only where you cannot get away and now are going to have to confront the dog. You need to face the dog directly and assert yourself as alpha (in command)
(5) Squirt it with water
(6) Hit it with my water bottle
(7) Kick it – HARD – hit it with your pump

Finally, always contact the police and Animal Welfare. Consider taking pictures of the dog and the owner (i.e., handlebar mounted or helmet mounted camera).

One bit of advice I just read said stop, try to turn to it and be nice – says something like “good dog” – I would never ever ever do this. Watch the Dog Whisper. You must be the alpha. You must be calm and the one in control. If you turn to that dog and start being soft – you just submitted and that dog will view you as vulnerable. If it is an attack dog, it will not at this point stop.

If you are going to stop, put your bike between your body and the dog – and be prepared to use something (like your pump) as a weapon.

I carry mace (actually its this citronella repellant thing) when I hike with our dogs – because of off leash dogs. More than once an off leash dog has charged us and before you know it a dog fight is taking place. I have maced a couple of dogs, attempting to keep the off leash dog away from my on-leash dogs. If you wish, you may want to acquire this stuff. You can find it at hardware stores.

But of course, be prepared for the idiot dog owner to be more of an idiot. If it comes down to a conflict, it more than likely will get worse before it gets better.

So that returns us to option 1 – get away as fast as you can. It is always better to avoid the conflict (and call the police afterwards).

I was recently chased by a pit-bull while riding through a game preserve. I believe the dog was a “working dog” of some sort. I was surprised to find that it was able to run at 26mph for about 1/2 mile before crashing and burning. I’ve owned many dogs over the years. One thing is for sure, they love a good chase. I think the correct approach is to run! Peddle like you’ve never peddled, and then peddle even harder. Maybe you’ll get a KOM in the process. That is to say if you can do so safely, otherwise the only option is to be big and loud. Make yourself as big and lound and strong as possible and the dog will back down (hopefully).

@ewilliams0305 103468 wrote:

Maybe you’ll get a KOM in the process.

Note the alternative abbreviation – KOM = King of the Mutt

If you can’t outrun the dog, hop off and keep your bike between you and it. I’ll also +1 the water bottle squirt…

As an employee of the National Association of Letter Carriers (where “Dog Bites Man” is news), I would add that you may have trouble outpacing a dog, even on a bike. Not only are dogs fast, they are attracted to fast-moving objects and want to chase them. (In other words, dogs are ELITE.) Be prepared to dismount and get your bike between you and the dog. Also, if you use Mace, be prepared for it having no effect on a dog.

@DismalScientist 103643 wrote:

Most of my experience with dogs chasing me is that they are just trying to have fun and are generally stupid. I don’t get the impression that if they caught me that they would do anything other than run beside me. That said, the real danger is having a collision with the dog or with something else when trying to do evasive maneuvers. Previous bad experience has told me that dogs have much smaller turning radii than people on bikes. Emptying a water bottle in their face also works well.

I’ll bet you’d get bitten by John Maynard Keynine.

….

Come on, people, I found a way to make an economist joke! Doesn’t need to be funny.

@DismalScientist 103643 wrote:

Most of my experience with dogs chasing me is that they are just trying to have fun and are generally stupid. I don’t get the impression that if they caught me that they would do anything other than run beside me.

Same for me. I mean, if the dog seemed really aggressive, sure, I’d probably try to outrun it or cease its pursuit…but I probably wouldn’t be too concerned with dogs in this area. As the owner of a dog who is capable of jumping the fence and who has a tendency to want to pursue certain wheeled conveyances (mainly skateboards, razer scooters, and Elliptigos), I’d probably stop and try and get the dog under control and back to its owner before it gets hurt. I’ve had to do this several times just in the last few months (though while on foot, not riding), and getting the dogs reunited with their owners cost me a bit of time and energy, but I don’t think I could just leave a situation where a dog was out on the street with no one actively in control of it.

@TwoWheelsDC 103650 wrote:

As the owner of a dog who is capable of jumping the fence and who has a tendency to want to pursue certain wheeled conveyances (mainly skateboards, razer scooters, and Elliptigos)…

As the mother of a 2-year-old who rides a strider bike and has been bitten by a dog, you need to get a bigger fence. Or chain. Or something. It’s your responsibility to ensure your dog doesn’t get out of your control.