What do you recommend for scaring off dogs when (like my wife) you are terrified ( like paralysingly so - courtesy of a few nasty bites) and can't peddle fast enough to get away. Is there anything anyone would recommend to deter them / scare them off?
PS Any idea whether the problem is worse is Denmark (cos we're going there next) ? - no jokes about Great Danes please.
Dogs -snappy/chasy/scary ones
Pick up a stick near the dog and throw it somewhere. The dog will chase the stick instead. I tried this approach in temper the other day after a bad day's work, when someone had tied their dog up next to the bike and it was yapping at me. It worked. Initially, I was surprised as I'd reacted in annoyance, but the dog shut up.
ok my advice would be as follows,
if still on the bike i concur with si squirt of water excellent method works well, and pedal like mad!! distraction techniques work well with dogs,
now the serious bit,
if you are off the bike and the dog is close quarters ie at your ankles, id be loathed to bend down to pick up a stick as there is a risk of your face being chomped, a dogs reactions are 10 times quicker than ours. if you have time to get a stick fine get is use it to effect.
however in this instance if i was unable to get to a place of safety higher than the dog and innaccesable to the dog, and it was at my feet then stand still DO NOT RUN!! and look up at the sky and cross your arms, ignore the dog when it gets no response it will back off, then walk calmly and quiteley to a place of safety. TRUST ME it works.
if you can make it to place of safety do this but if you doubt you can outrun the dog do the above instead.
if you are bitten already and the dog is attatched to you, get an overhand grasp of the collar if it has one and twist the collar away from your body thus choking the dog off, if it does not leave then with the other hand grasp the dogs adams apple and squeeze as hard as you can, its jaw will anturally open, once it is detatched keep the collar twisted away from you,
above all remember the dog is only protecting its territory youve just invaded it, so its only doing what it would do in the wild, most dogs only bite out of fear or protection of the pack, fight or flight, not PURE aggresion these are few and far between and are normally animals trained by us that are like this.
Do NOT Stare at the dog eye contact is a threat to a dog, look just above its head between the ears or to the side of the dog.
hope this helps. any other questions on dogs please feel free to ask, i used to be a police dog handler and trainer, and we used to deal daily with aggresive strays etc, these are just some of the tricks of the trade.
there are many variations on themes and good ideas that other tricks that others will be able to give you, try what suits you, but overall if you get aggresive with a dog it may well get more aggresive with you!! be very carefull but overall stay safe.
regards
justin
if still on the bike i concur with si squirt of water excellent method works well, and pedal like mad!! distraction techniques work well with dogs,
now the serious bit,
if you are off the bike and the dog is close quarters ie at your ankles, id be loathed to bend down to pick up a stick as there is a risk of your face being chomped, a dogs reactions are 10 times quicker than ours. if you have time to get a stick fine get is use it to effect.
however in this instance if i was unable to get to a place of safety higher than the dog and innaccesable to the dog, and it was at my feet then stand still DO NOT RUN!! and look up at the sky and cross your arms, ignore the dog when it gets no response it will back off, then walk calmly and quiteley to a place of safety. TRUST ME it works.
if you can make it to place of safety do this but if you doubt you can outrun the dog do the above instead.
if you are bitten already and the dog is attatched to you, get an overhand grasp of the collar if it has one and twist the collar away from your body thus choking the dog off, if it does not leave then with the other hand grasp the dogs adams apple and squeeze as hard as you can, its jaw will anturally open, once it is detatched keep the collar twisted away from you,
above all remember the dog is only protecting its territory youve just invaded it, so its only doing what it would do in the wild, most dogs only bite out of fear or protection of the pack, fight or flight, not PURE aggresion these are few and far between and are normally animals trained by us that are like this.
Do NOT Stare at the dog eye contact is a threat to a dog, look just above its head between the ears or to the side of the dog.
hope this helps. any other questions on dogs please feel free to ask, i used to be a police dog handler and trainer, and we used to deal daily with aggresive strays etc, these are just some of the tricks of the trade.
there are many variations on themes and good ideas that other tricks that others will be able to give you, try what suits you, but overall if you get aggresive with a dog it may well get more aggresive with you!! be very carefull but overall stay safe.
regards
justin
Last edited by nabre on 1 Aug 2007, 1:09pm, edited 1 time in total.
dogs
Dogs are very stupid and chase moving objects as a kind of reflex. Through long experience I can tell you that the best thing to do, though it is against one's instincts when being chased by crazed dogs, is stop the bike, get off and face the offending mongrel. They instantly lose interest and go back to licking their testicles.
Since I started riding again six weeks ago I've twice had dogs come at me.
Both times were out in the sticks.
The first was a Jack Russell guarding a cross roads. It saw me coming and headed for me like a rocket. As it got close I shouted a vile imprecation and tried to kick it. It swerved to avoid my foot and gave up.
The second was a Collie that came running out of a farm gate determined to round me up into the fold. I stopped and yelled, in my ex corporal's voice of 30 years ago, "Get Down" and it stopped dead. I carried on feeling very pleased with myself.
My feeling is that if it is a small dog it is going to respond to pain and, as a dog owner, small dogs are less intelligent and less likely to be well trained than a larger dog. With a bigger dog, a word of command may well work especially if you are off the bike and standing up like a human being. Very few dogs consider themselves superior to humans, in my experience. Although, to be fair, I've met many dogs that are superior to many humans it is just best that they don't know that :0)
Both times were out in the sticks.
The first was a Jack Russell guarding a cross roads. It saw me coming and headed for me like a rocket. As it got close I shouted a vile imprecation and tried to kick it. It swerved to avoid my foot and gave up.
The second was a Collie that came running out of a farm gate determined to round me up into the fold. I stopped and yelled, in my ex corporal's voice of 30 years ago, "Get Down" and it stopped dead. I carried on feeling very pleased with myself.
My feeling is that if it is a small dog it is going to respond to pain and, as a dog owner, small dogs are less intelligent and less likely to be well trained than a larger dog. With a bigger dog, a word of command may well work especially if you are off the bike and standing up like a human being. Very few dogs consider themselves superior to humans, in my experience. Although, to be fair, I've met many dogs that are superior to many humans it is just best that they don't know that :0)
dog
On the issue of being chased by dogs. I was chased by a Jack Russell recently. Never seen a dog run so fast for so far. It kept with me for a good 1/2 ml with me peddalling like crazy. Hopefully it had a heart attack.
I find the best way to deal with a dog when your off the bike is to keep the bike between you and dog. With a bit off luck you'll get the chance to clout it with the back wheel.
I find the best way to deal with a dog when your off the bike is to keep the bike between you and dog. With a bit off luck you'll get the chance to clout it with the back wheel.
Your never to old to become younger
