Vicious dogs

KStaford

Have any of you advice / tactics for dealing with vicious dogs?

On one of my favourite evening cycle routes, I travel about 5km along a tiny bog road (grass along the middle). Its beautiful and car free. last night the travellers moved in. They have a rottweiler, an alsation and 4 or 5 greyhounds. They are right on the road so if you want to pass these dogs, you have no more than a metre between you and them. I have more or less given up the route.
The problem exists all over the country with sheepdogs and what have you running out at you as you pass. This is so dangerous when there is traffic looming as I have learned to my cost a few times.

Chips Lovell

Regular dogs I just shout at and they tend to back off. Vicious dogs are another thing altogether. I've been chased twice by Rottweilers (the last time was only on Thursday). My tactic has always been to sprint like the hammers of hell.

Lumen

Dogs, how to defend yourself

I tried the squirty bottle trick on Sunday and it worked a treat, although the dog was quite small.

Caroline_ie

My Name is Mario wrote: »

My tactic has always been to sprint like the hammers of hell.

Great Training!

I am scared of all dogs that bark at me ... small or big. I think a previous thread mentioned throwing water at them, but it might make them more vicious and p!ssed off. I love cats ...

gillo_100

There are electronic Dog repellers available that emit a ultrasonic sound that you can't hear but dogs don't like and so will run away from. I've heard they work fairly effectively.

Lumen

gillo_100 wrote: »

There are electronic Dog repellers available that emit a ultrasonic sound that you can't hear but dogs don't like and so will run away from. I've heard they work fairly effectively.

Or not.

Deisetrek

gillo_100 wrote: »

There are electronic Dog repellers available that emit a ultrasonic sound that you can't hear but dogs don't like and so will run away from. I've heard they work fairly effectively.

Have one of these dog dazers myself for all my little "friends" along my routes , I have to say it's of very limited effectiveness . I have a home made type of baton made from heavy core electrical cable covered in insulating tape attached to my crossbar ....that sorts 'em out .

Chips Lovell

They should build one of those electronic dog deterrers into the next Garmin.

Raam

My Name is Mario wrote: »

They should build one of those electronic dog deterrers into the next Garmin.

The aul garmin can make some funny noises as it is. I stuck a "time alert" on the other day... it sounds like it's making a cat call to ya: "Whhheeeeeeeeeooooooohhhhhhhhhh"

Also, when you finish a work-out, it plays a little happy song.

None of this would scare a dog.

Chips Lovell

Raam wrote: »

Also, when you finish a work-out, it plays a little happy song.

Further proof that the Garmin is the ultimate Fred machine.

Raam

My Name is Mario wrote: »

Further proof that the Garmin is the ultimate Fred machine.

Just call me Sir Alan.

unionman

Struggling up Stocking Lane on Sunday and I heard (but could not see) a very loud barking dog. He could have been just over my left shoulder he was that loud. Despite the pull of gravity I started to sprint like I had borrowed somebody else's legs.

Twice I have just turned around and gone in the opposite direction when facing a dog that looked like he fancied a go. The first time I felt pathetic, the second time I found a better route than the one I had in mind, which was a nice surprise (I still felt pathetic).

I just wither in the face of an angry dog, it's horrible. But given my experience on Sunday, I suppose I'm not too bad if they are behind me...:o

Caroline_ie

l'imbécile wrote: »

Further proof that the Garmin is the ultimate Fred machine.

I'm sure you're a closet Fred ... you will come out someday ... It's ok to be a fred, you have to embrasse your Fredness ... and cycle the Fred Parade 200

Vélo

Caroline_ie wrote: »

Great Training!

I am scared of all dogs that bark at me ... small or big. I think a previous thread mentioned throwing water at them, but it might make them more vicious and p!ssed off. I love cats ...

Grrrr..woof woof

xz

I was on a club spin a few months back and we were going up the Laragh side of Glenmalure (Shay Elliott), near the top, we passed a driveway and 2 Big Black Labradors came bounding up the driveway towards us, there were just 2 of us btw, at the very back of the bunch.......way back.lol.
Well at the sight of these 2 dogs moving rather rapidly towards us, i was out of the saddle and gone, when my partner finally caugt up with me, he was nearlly wetting himself,and his words of wisdom to me were, "See, you can climb, all you needed was a little motivation."

donlerz

i have a golden labrador and it is just realy plaset and never barks but the black labs can be more aggrasive!:mad:

Mint Sauce

was out last week, and could hear the dog long before i could see it, by the time to dog came into site i was already past the driveway, dog kept running through the garden on his side of the fence through the second drive way, damn second drive way was not there last time

doozerie

A squirt of the water bottle has always worked for me so far. Many years ago I managed to kick a dog that chased me, making him angry and it was the one time I got bitten (to be honest, I think it was fair enough - I hurt him, he hurt me back). I found that shouting at them often escalates the tension, and their anger, too. Water in the face tends to surprise them more than anger them and typically it makes them stop in their tracks from the brief shock of it.

doozerie

Also, kicking out at a dog more often than not affects your handling of the bike and slows you down, neither of which are good things if you are trying to avoid the dog getting to you in the first place.