Dogs, how to defend yourself

RedPlanet

Was cycling out to Wicklow on the... um Edmonstown Road(?), and this dog really had a go at me while i was climbing.
Couldn't get away from him due to the incline.
He was really trying to bite me too.
I was quite rattled after it, and fuming.
I want to have some manner of self-defense on me for any future encounters.
Can anybody recommend anything?
I could carry pepper spray in one of my bottle cages, but can you buy that stuff here?

Morgan

RedPlanet wrote: »

I could carry pepper spray in one of my bottle cages, but can you buy that stuff here?

It's not available (legally) in this country. Did you have bacon or sausages in your jersey pocket? A lot of people make that mistake.

Chips Lovell

Edmondstown road? Was that the black and white sheepdog? If so, shouting at him makes him run off. He's gone after me a few times.

steinone

Personally I carry chew toys, they come in very handy sometimes.

Funkyzeit

Best training you'll ever get....
Remember this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gfv2diohUXE

Chips Lovell

Oh yeah, being chased by a dog = redneck intervals

RedPlanet

el tonto wrote: »

Edmondstown road? Was that the black and white sheepdog? If so, shouting at him makes him run off. He's gone after me a few times.

there was 2, but only one was going for me.
No, shouting at him didn't work.

zzzzzzzz

If you have the time to get your bottle out before you pass the dog - a bit of water in the face usually gives you enough of a headstart to get passed them

el tonto

el tonto wrote: »

Edmondstown road? Was that the black and white sheepdog? If so, shouting at him makes him run off. He's gone after me a few times.

Hah, saw that fecker on Saturday alright.

Chips Lovell

Hmmm, it's usually only that sheep dog that is out on that road. You may have just been unlucky and he was just loose on the day.

The water trick apparently is effective, but I've never tried it myself.

Failing that, I'd call in to the owners and tell them that their dog is out on the road trying to bite people. Tell them you don't want to report it but if it happened again you'd start being concerned for safety. If they've any sense, they'll get the message

Tackleberry

Hold on a sec - where exactly did this happen?!

I was climbing one day in total silence about 10 years ago with my snazzy new spinergy's when a sheepdog jumped over the wall of a cottage and scared the brown outta me, I was climbing so when I pulled my foot out I awkwardly clicked it out and kicked the front wheel!

Needless to say that was the end of the front spinergy, one of the blades was snapped off, I was fuming and went back to the house to give them a bollocking but they weren't home, I went into the neighbours to ask for a phone call and told them what happened - they weren't surprised, said it's happened a few times with passing cyclists and that dog is a pain in the hole. We got hold of the owners and had to chase them again and again for weeks to get the money for a replacement wheel.

I know its prob not the same dog but bit of a coincidence! It'd be shocking to think the dogs been pissing cyclists off for 10 years!! It was on edmondstown road about 1km from the viewing point / car park before you turn right up towards the Sally Gap and about 500m after the junction between the road down to Marley Park and the one to Johnny Foxes. It's just past the forest car park, a row of 3 or 4 cottages - tell me it was there? If so, the owners should be shot! If I see that dog again I'm gonna murder it!!

xz

climbing The Shay Elliot from the Laragh side a a month or 2 back on a club spin, I was at the back way behind, with one of the good climbers keeping me company, when about 3/4 of the way up, passing a driveway, 2 Black Labradors came thundering up the driveway of a house and the gate was open, I just hit the flight in my fight or flight mode, got out of the saddle and sprinted.
My companion caught up with me a while later, laughing his head off and the immortal words, "see, you can climb, you just needed a bit of motivation"

NeilMcEoigheann

pump, (not your good carbon fibre one)
i had a dog run at me out of the darkness while walking on some playing pitches a good swift kick in the soft bits makes it piss off enough for you to shout at the owners to control their dog,

RedPlanet

Tackleberry wrote: »

I know its prob not the same dog but bit of a coincidence! It'd be shocking to think the dogs been pissing cyclists off for 10 years!! It was on edmondstown road about 1km from the viewing point / car park before you turn right up towards the Sally Gap and about 500m after the junction between the road down to Marley Park and the one to Johnny Foxes. It's just past the forest car park, a row of 3 or 4 cottages - tell me it was there? If so, the owners should be shot! If I see that dog again I'm gonna murder it!!

Yes, that is it.
On edit: No, it's about 500m before the road that goes to Johnny Foxes.

Raam

el tonto wrote: »

The water trick apparently is effective, but I've never tried it myself.

On our Sat spin a couple of dogs ran out of a house at us. Some ribena in the face (the dogs, not mine) made them think twice. NiceOneTom thought it was a bit harsh though. Bloody dog lovers.

King Kelly

A squeeze of your energy drink bottle aimed between the eyes never fails.

Húrin

I normally just kick dogs in the face if they try to attack me.

LDB

Dogs really freak me out. I usually end up screaming profanities at them ... it doesn't work though!
I keep meaning to try the water bottle trick but I'd be a little afraid they'd bite for doing it.

victorcarrera

Depends on the breed of dog. Sheepdogs tend to chase you because it is instinctual for them to herd animals they rarely bite. Soft breeds like spaniels and labradors rarely bite but all dogs tend to be terratorial and will bark and chase you away from their patch. This is why dogs never run towards you but always chase you after you pass by. If you see the dog up ahead of you ride straight at it they invariably give you space and retreat. Don't shout or antagonise them. However if you get trapped or stuck on a steep hill and the water treatment doesnt work it is best to stop and keep your bike between you and the dog. Dogs percieve anything you are holding as an extension of yourself and the red zone dog will bite it instead of you. Then move the bike towards the dog to back him up. They percieve this as strong assertive energy and invariably give way. Remember your rights. All dogs must be licenced and they should be kept under "effective control at all times".

Eoin D

victorcarrera wrote: »

Depends on the breed of dog. Sheepdogs tend to chase you because it is instinctual for them to herd animals they rarely bite. Soft breeds like spaniels and labradors rarely bite but all dogs tend to be terratorial and will bark and chase you away from their patch. This is why dogs never run towards you but always chase you after you pass by. If you see the dog up ahead of you ride straight at it they invariably give you space and retreat. Don't shout or antagonise them. However if you get trapped or stuck on a steep hill and the water treatment doesnt work it is best to stop and keep your bike between you and the dog. Dogs percieve anything you are holding as an extension of yourself and the red zone dog will bite it instead of you. Then move the bike towards the dog to back him up. They percieve this as strong assertive energy and invariably give way. Remember your rights. All dogs must be licenced and they should be kept under "effective control at all times".

Tackleberry

RedPlanet wrote: »

Yes, that is it.
On edit: No, it's about 500m before the road that goes to Johnny Foxes.

Ah right - actually know those dogs too, me n a mate were WALKING past about 2 weeks ago...two of them ran out at us after we'd past by, followed us for about 100m down the hill, if its any comfort to you they were def all bark and no bite!!

You have to presume most domestic dogs are all fairly harmless, otherwise they wouldn't last very long, easier said than done when they jumped out at you teeth first!!

WicklowRacer

Pepper spray. Buy it on eBay.

Stop, get off the bike, putting it between you and the dog. Squirt the dog a couple of times, results are spectacular. I've only done it a couple of times and don't feel too good about it tbh, but it beats a hard fall from trying to fight off a persistent dog. Of course, the stupid owners who don't secure their dog in the first place also deserve a squirt too... but that'd get me arrested.

Húrin

yaaar, perhaps I shall buy a cutlass. I can strap it to the down bar and brandish it against any vile canine monsters if needs be.

Tawfee

give them your best Sean "1984 Paris-Roubaix" Kelly look, that should scare any mad dog off!

http://www.sdbc.org/photos/albums/userpics/10002/kelly_pr.jpg

Tawfee

...or alternatively, develop a pair of legs like the great man, no mutt'll dare mess with you then.

http://www.bobkestrut.com/images/1984Kelly_Liege.jpg

luckat

steinone wrote: »

Personally I carry chew toys, they come in very handy sometimes.

What a great solution!

My only offer: get off the bike, and walk along, with the bike between you and the dog, gazing into the distance. There Is No Dog There.

Generally what scares a dog is a big huge tall whizzing thing. If it turns into a person - and a person who is behaving in a high-status manner (ignoring said dog) - the dog will usually go about its business after some token raging.

RobFowl

NeilMcEoigheann wrote: »

pump, (not your good carbon fibre one)
i had a dog run at me out of the darkness while walking on some playing pitches a good swift kick in the soft bits makes it piss off enough for you to shout at the owners to control their dog,

The old long down or top tube pumps were brilliant for thnat especially the alloy ones

The tax man

RobFowl wrote: »

The old long down or top tube pumps were brilliant for thnat especially the alloy ones

Like I mentioned in a previous thread,the Zefal pump. Kept me out of harms way many a time from dogs.



*great pump many functions*

Aquos76

Funkyzeit wrote: »

Best training you'll ever get....
Remember this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gfv2diohUXE

Love that film

jim o doom

I read the thread title and was expecting canine karate classes!

But as another poster has suggested, i'd just stick the foot out and give the dog a tap in the head.. works on both bicycles and motorised two wheelers too! (sure does the flippin dog want to end up under said vehicles?)

blorg

jim o doom wrote: »

sure does the flippin dog want to end up under said vehicles?)

The problem is that most dogs haven't thought that one through fully, I have had more incidents where one has almost gone under my wheel or even into my spokes than I've had with ones where I'd actually feel threatened from a bite. These tend to be the small yappy ones that come tearing out at you.

There was one up in Glencullen that used to do it almost daily. One day it came tearing out, I jammed on the brakes, turned the bike around and headed straight for it. It stopped in its tracks, whipped around and started legging it back up the road. With me in hot pursuit the poor thing bounced off the hedge a few times before it finally found a gap it could get through. The next day it popped it's head out of the driveway, saw me, and scuttled back up the drive as quickly as possible. Haven't seen it since*

Note with a large dog kicking it in the head might not be such a very good idea, if it gets a good grip on your foot/ankle/clothes things would not be pretty. Pump/fluids/spray/cycling faster/stopping and putting bike between is a better bet.

*Note this was for the dog's own benefit, sooner or later it was going to cause a crash, we had dogs ourselves but KEPT THE GATE SHUT as much to stop them getting killed as anything else, other neighbours use the electronic collar systems.

ROK ON

There are two dogs that always go nuts as I cycle up Long Hill on the way to Ballinastoe/DJouce. They havent got out of their garden (yet!!). But it always happens when I am half way up the climb and completely out of breath. If it wasn't for those dogs, I would stop to catch breath, so I usually use them as an incentive to get out of the saddle for one last push.
In a way, they benefit me.

The reality is, all but the most evil/stupid dogs, are probably more afraid of you if confronted than vis versa. If there is a serial offender on your route, then dismount and confront, it will usually never happen again.

This does not work on certain dogs, usually the type of dogs that are bread to be aggressive (pit bulls, alsatian cross breads etc.)

sy

Every dog should be fitted with one of these. Might get some respect

rflynnr

Heading down the south face of Howth Head about a decade ago a dog of indeterminate ancestry popped out from a driveway and made for my ankle. I bolted off down the road in high cadence for about 60 seconds and relaxed. Imagine my surprise when a second later I felt hot breath on my ankle again: little b*stard had matched an average speed of about 30mph for half a mile or more. More bolting ensued...

I have a copy of one of the old-school bike books by Richard Ballantine from 1975. He includes three pages on the subject of dogs, solutions to the problem of which grow progessively more medieval as the dogs he describes get bigger and more aggressive. This is where the section ends:

"If worst comes to worst, ram your entire entire arm down his throat. He will choke and die. Better your arm than your throat."

Tackleberry

Well, there'll be one less dog to worry about on the roads....

Half way up Edmondstown Road this afternoon I rounded a corner and sure enuff the young sheepdog I've encountered many times was lying down on the other side of the road at the entrance to it's house, as I came closer it looked up and I was bracing myself for some water bottle defence.

As I drew level with it I actually started to feel a bit relieved it didn't seem interested, and as a car coming towards me rounded the corner ahead I remember thinking its a good thing it didnt have a go coz it would've been seriously dodgy...

By the time I was exactly level with the dog, the car was maybe 2 metres from passing me and the dog, when sure enuff, the fuppin' eejit makes a bolt towards me, completely oblivious to the car passing him at that very moment, and instantly went under the nearside front wheel, let out a yelp and bailed over the ditch.

Going on the speed of the car and the way it went under the wheel I can't see it surviving that, horrible sight to see and it seemed a very healthy dog, but I'm furious at the owners for being so bloody ignorant for so long, such a waste and I'm sure it'll happen again and again - evidence of which was the golden labrador sitting at the ditch around the next corner - bloody pathetic people :mad:

Home:Ballyhoura

I tried roaring at the top of my voice today and it actually seemed to work! I sounded more like a gorrilla or caveman but after 3 goes the dog decided to back off. It was on an extremely steep incline and it was a huge angry looking dog, like the ones the police use in America! Wow

Signal_ rabbit

Black Labgot me as I was going uphill, was a steep climb and going slowly, so couldn't unclip in time!

Raam

Signal_ rabbit wrote: »

Black Labgot me as I was going uphill, was a steep climb and going slowly, so couldn't unclip in time!

Ouch! Did you talk to the owners?

ROK ON

Signal_ rabbit wrote: »

Black Labgot me as I was going uphill, was a steep climb and going slowly, so couldn't unclip in time!

You really need to report the dog and owner to the Gardai. I hate to say this, but that dog needs to be put down. It is not the dogs fault but the owners for (1) not controlling the dog and (2) not training the dog appropriately. This dog is clearly too dangerous, and unfortunately the dog must pay.

My dad has owned and trained dogs all his life, and we would not allow a situation like this to happen. When it gets to the stage that a dog is indiscriminately attacking folks, then the dog has to go.

Get the cut seen to, and if necessary get a tetanus shot. But please, report this owner and dog to the gardai.

Hermy

ROK ON wrote: »

You really need to report the dog and owner to the Gardai. I hate to say this, but that dog needs to be put down. It is not the dogs fault but the owners for (1) not controlling the dog and (2) not training the dog appropriately. This dog is clearly too dangerous, and unfortunately the dog must pay.

My dad has owned and trained dogs all his life, and we would not allow a situation like this to happen. When it gets to the stage that a dog is indiscriminately attacking folks, then the dog has to go.

Get the cut seen to, and if necessary get a tetanus shot. But please, report this owner and dog to the gardai.

+1

ednwireland

ROK ON wrote: »

You really need to report the dog and owner to the Gardai. I hate to say this, but that dog needs to be put down. It is not the dogs fault but the owners for (1) not controlling the dog and (2) not training the dog appropriately. This dog is clearly too dangerous, and unfortunately the dog must pay.

My dad has owned and trained dogs all his life, and we would not allow a situation like this to happen. When it gets to the stage that a dog is indiscriminately attacking folks, then the dog has to go.

Get the cut seen to, and if necessary get a tetanus shot. But please, report this owner and dog to the gardai.

+1 got bitten by a sheepdog a few years ago told a garda i know and dog was gone the next week expensive day for the owners but i really dont understand the owners mentality theres one at the next house from me about 100yards away and the owners leave it out untied all day goes for me evey time got a thwack off my pump today next time i'll report it

Signal_ rabbit

ROK ON wrote: »

You really need to report the dog and owner to the Gardai. I hate to say this, but that dog needs to be put down. It is not the dogs fault but the owners for (1) not controlling the dog and (2) not training the dog appropriately. This dog is clearly too dangerous, and unfortunately the dog must pay.

My dad has owned and trained dogs all his life, and we would not allow a situation like this to happen. When it gets to the stage that a dog is indiscriminately attacking folks, then the dog has to go.

Get the cut seen to, and if necessary get a tetanus shot. But please, report this owner and dog to the gardai.

Spoke to owners, garda, dog warden and they all did nothing!

luckat

ROK ON wrote: »

You really need to report the dog and owner to the Gardai.

Pfft, no, sue them for medical costs. More effective, and gives work to a needy lawyer or two. Their house insurance may cover it...

Hermy

Signal_ rabbit wrote: »

Spoke to owners, garda, dog warden and they all did nothing!

That's not good enough.
Maybe talk to a solicitor.

victorcarrera

Remember your rights. All dogs must be licenced and they should be kept under "effective control at all times". This is the law

Ive had to invoke the dog warden on two occasions regarding neighbours dogs barking at night and it was effective. Another advantage of employing the dog warden is that it is anonomous. After all it is their job. If you think it is not being dealt with then escalate it.

Húrin

I was reading one of the journals of a Trans America cyclist and found this tip:

# Dogs

Dog attacks were an everyday occurrence in the east part of the trip. I suspect that most dogs would not cause you any harm, you were just good sport. However they proposed a serious collision threat, in which case hitting the tarmac at speed would not be good. I carried an ultrasonic device that was almost silent but would stop them in their tracks. I did carry pepper spray for deaf dogs.

Interesting!

Lumen

Húrin wrote: »

Interesting!

Disappointing.

beans

I got a ultrasonic dog-zapper device as a present last week, yet to be tested in anger. I'll post my experiences just as soon as I get a chance to try her out

RobFowl

Came across one on sat , was burning off some frustrations on the spin anyway but found a quick kick on the nose (carbon fiber soles) did the biz

T-Square

ROK ON wrote: »

You really need to report the dog and owner to the Gardai. I hate to say this, but that dog needs to be put down. It is not the dogs fault but the owners for (1) not controlling the dog and (2) not training the dog appropriately. This dog is clearly too dangerous, and unfortunately the dog must pay.

My dad has owned and trained dogs all his life, and we would not allow a situation like this to happen. When it gets to the stage that a dog is indiscriminately attacking folks, then the dog has to go.

Get the cut seen to, and if necessary get a tetanus shot. But please, report this owner and dog to the gardai.

Am I mad in saying this, would you not, get something to hand, and go back to take care of the dog yourself? kitchen knife anything?
It's only a matter of time before that animal kills a child.

ROK ON

T-Square wrote: »

Am I mad in saying this, would you not, get something to hand, and go back to take care of the dog yourself? kitchen knife anything?
It's only a matter of time before that animal kills a child.

Of course you are not mad. Cyclists carry knives everywhere, all of the time. Most cyclists would rather than spend time looking for dogs to pounce upon and slit their throats, rather than doing something else (like cycling for example).:rolleyes: