How to Avoid Dog Attacks On a Bike Tour
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- Опубликовано: 5 авг 2024
- "How do you handle aggressive dog encounters on a bike?" is one of the most common questions we get asked by beginners. Learn how you can avoid getting bitten by a dog while bikepacking, bike touring, or cycling, and what you should almost NEVER do when encountering an aggressive dog.
Where you're out for a day of cycling, gravel biking, or traveling to a place known for dog attacks for a longer bike trip, these tips will help keep you safe. We include information about how to prevent rabies.
No dogs were harmed in the making of this video. Even when we pretended to be about to hit Leo with a rock, he didn't care... he just thought we were going to throw a stick. :)
0:00 Dogs are Cute and Scary
0:30 How to Avoid Dog Attacks In the First Place
1:05 Step-by-Step Process When Dog Charges
3:20 Don't Do This!
4:11 What about Rabies?
▶ Links from this video:
• Safeway Travel Health: www.safeway.com/pharmacy/care...
• CDC Rabies Vaccine Fact Sheet: www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/vis/...
• Fastest Dogs: www.rd.com/article/fastest-do...
• Wikipedia: Pepper Spray Legality: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepper_...
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I don't do a lot of touring but there was a Rottweiler on a rural road I often used for road cycling training. He was clearly a watch dog for the surrounding area. Having been chased twice and seeing someone strike the dog with a tire pump I thought that this was only increasing the dogs animosity for cyclists. So I tried a different approach. I started carrying a few dog biscuits in my jersey pocket. When the dog started to chase I would toss a few biscuits from my pockets...like a fighter jet setting off chafe to throw off weapons tracking. A couple days later I slowed as I went by and sure enough pursuit mode happened and again I dispensed biscuits. But he didn't seem as serious about his bicycle chasing duties. The fifth day the dog came out at a trot so I slowed and stopped keeping my bike between the dog and myself and talked to him quietly,,,,, the difference was his stub tail was wagging and he was more asking or begging for a biscuit so I fed him a couple and walked with him back to his driveway. I then said "good boy, stay" and gave him another biscuit. The next encounters were much different with the dog happily greeting me at the driveway with a wagging tail. A couple cyclists came by as I was giving him his biscuits and said "so thats whats happened?! He used to chase us all the time and now he stands there wags his tail talking to us as we ride by".
Now clearly this wouldn't work on a tour, but the pitching out some biscuits may distract the dog sufficiently to change its original intentions and allow a get away unscathed! Just one more option that may achieve a favorable outcome rather than striking or pepper spraying etc. Worth a try!
Turn the dog into a fat dog so he can't chase ..........
Much better approach for regular interactions
Hope it doesn't happen, but what if the owner sues you for feeding? Is that possible though?
@@jeanjeudi1111 As I mentioned in my final paragraph I acknowledge that making friends with a dog while on tour wouldn't work but possible pitching some dog biscuits may give you some additional getaway time.
Thanks for the info on dogs geographically and their behavior with your experience.
Actually I've ridden all over CA (used to live in the Bay Area) and never had a serious issue with dog encounters...some chases but nothing serious. And the biscuit trick seemed to deflect their interest.
@@veryboliao Actually the owner of this dog was thrilled. He didn't want to tie the dog up but worried he might chase out into the road and get hit. And when you think about it the owner would more likely get sued if the dog bit someone or caused an accident than sue a person for giving them a biscuit. Of course we are a litigious society so I guess you never know.
I've bike toured across the U.S. three times. First trip across Midwest I used my bike pump to swing at two different dogs, beaning one on the nose. Second trip across, Northern Tier, while swinging my pump at a dog snapping at my leg, I swerved and almost got hit by a car. At the next town I stopped and bought a small pepper spray which I never used. Third trip across the SOUTH of U.S. I started out with pepper spray and from Texas heading east, I used two pepper spray units. The score: Mike 6, Dogs 0. Safe use is to keep it ready, easy to reach. Usually you'll see or hear dogs headed across their yard. Once they get to the road and within 8 to 10 feet you spray downward and out from your rear wheel. Point low at the pavement. The dog will stop immediately and run back to the yard. Guaranteed if you tour across the southern U.S, east TX, LA, MS, AL, FL you will encounter aggressive dogs. Especially in poor rural areas where the residents sometimes think it is funny. The same areas where a driver might buzz within six inches of you, or slow down and try to force you off the road with the front fender. Yep, true stuff. Praise the lord on Sunday, and hate a cyclist on Monday.
Go back and pepper spray into their screen door too.
Once I was cycling on a main road uphill so I was rather slow and breathing heavily. A monkey in a Land Rover drives up from behind me, overtakes me then slows down to my speed in front of me. Then he guns the engine in low gear and being a diesel engine, a thick plume of black smoke came out of the exhaust pipe for me to enjoy. Yep, he did it on purpose and just for fun. All I could do was wish that in the next mile or two he ended up having an accident, went off the road, flipped over and that he burned alive in his fu¢king car. It never happened. I guess what they call Karma only happens when it is mathematically it's turn to happen, because Karma is random and it is in no way connected to justice, bearing in mind all the times it doesn't happen. Peace ✌️
Truth. I live and ride extensively in TX…
If the dog is snapping at me, I kick it in the head. Usually works well.
small dogs get scooped up by my foot and thrown as far as I can kick it. Bigger dogs get kicked on the head. Real asshole dogs that keep coming, I pull out the slingshot and open fire. Cheaper than pepper spray.
I've ridden regularly since the 80's and I've been chased by a lot of dogs. If I have time to reach down, grab it, aim it and squeeze it, usually a shot of water from a bottle at least scares dogs, and causes them to slow or stop for at least a second or two which gives me time to ride away. About two years ago as I rode down a dedicated multiuse pathway in the Denver area, I anounced that I was going past a dog walker on her left. As I did it, despite the fact that I had ridden off of the pathway to get away from her dog, her dog closed the distance between me and it before I could ride away. As the dog wrapped its mouth around my leg to bite me (I could feel its teeth sinking in), I fell on the dog during the crash and the dog's collar ended up caught on part of my bike during the chaos. While trying to get up, the dog lunged and snapped at my face and I have no doubt that I would have bitten me on the face had it not been hung up on my bike by the collar. The idiot walking the dog was walking it with one of those retractable leashes which people use because they believe they are actually in control of their dog while still letting it run free. I used to be one of the idiots who used those things and I learned the hard way that I had no control over my dogs while using them and my research verified that a huge number of other people had bad experiences with them too. People have no control over their dog until the dog hits the end of the full length of the leash. If you're riding a distance from the human supposed to be in control of the dog within the full length of one of those leashes like most people do as they ride past dog walkers on pathways and many roads, you are vulnerable. I now cary pepper spray on my body in an easy to deploy place.
Lately I've had people let agressive dogs go on me for sport because it is apparently, "funny." One of the last people who did it, let his weenie dog go on me several times while watching from his yard as I rode by his home. I would politely give him a neighborly waive as I rode by, and, with a sardonic grin on his face, he would encourage his weenie dog to chase me. After the second time, I decided I didn't like sardonic weenie dog guy's attitude, so I developed a plan. The weenie didn't really have the speed to catch or keep up with me, if I rode at a regular pace. So, the last time weenie dog guy let his dog go on me, I slowed to allow it to keep pace as it literally snapped and barked at me as it chased me. I was clearly an enticing piece of bait, and, since weenie dog guy was motivated to let his dog go on me, I didn't want it to give up. Weenie dog guy has his sport and I have mine. After the dog ran about 75 to 100 yards from weenie man's house, I could hear shouts from what appeared to be an angry paniced man trying to recall his dog. Initially the dog showed no interest in stopping to turn around, and the shouts increased in frequency and intensity as the dog ran farther and farther away. Eventually it broke off from the chase and returned home for whatever reason it wanted to. That's good for weenie dog guy because I was going to get it home and call animal control to collect it, if it made it that far. By law in the state where I live, there is no leash law, but dog owners are required to maintain control over thier dogs. If an owner doesn't and something bad happens, they are ressponsible for the consequences, and that includes fines and fees it costs to collect a dog from the local rescue where the dog catcher takes the dogs they find running loose. I don't think I've seen the guy since.
As I said before, after the incident where dog that snapped at my face, I now carry pepper spray. I'd rather deal with the pain associated with accidently getting pepper spray on me than have to deal with dog bites which can be lethal for a variety of reasons. I've had pepper spray in my eyes after I touched them without realizing that the canister I had was leaking and I touched the canister. I can clean pepper spray off with soap and water and I'll be fine in a couple of hours. It takes a lot longer to get over injuries suffered from serious dog bites. I also use an action camera on my bicycle rides the same way drivers use dash cams. That way, if it ever goes to court, I have evidence of what exactly happened.
or wear spiked shin covers, that way any biting dog gets a mouthful of sharp spikes!
The worst incident I had was about 10 dogs taking issue with me passing their property in rural Spain. They all jumped on an outhouse and then lept over an adjacent fence to chase me up the road. I was climbing a mountain about 1/3 the way up of 2,000m. I got off and put my bike between them and me. Then two of them started circling around me growling and snarling whilst the others stood back and barked viciously. I was genuinely terrified. One of them came at me and I used my bike to strike it away. Then another dog, a large brute of a dog, a mean looking thing, came charging out from a neighbouring property barking and snarling going mental and all the other dogs that had been pursuing me immediately fled. This dog then continued to bark and snarl at me, but finally let me go after a few minutes of scaring me shitless. I was shaking like a leaf after. There is no way you can out run a reasonably fit and healthy dog especially on a loaded touring bike ridiing up a mountain.
I have been chased by dogs before but nothing like this. No one from any of the properties came out to control their dogs. There was no sign of anyone despite there being numerous cars.
This happened on my tour last year and I think from now on I shall 1) carry bear spray and 2) A loud air horn. I have previously thought of carrying an old but clean bicycle chain to keep to hand, say in my bar bag, to defend myself in such situations, but much of your advice to de-escalate the situation seems good advice. Dogs definitely have a chase instinct which if you can avoid activating in the first place is the best course of action. However a few dogs are just plain mean so you are going to be pretty vulnerable if no one comes to help. I have heard some shocking stories of dog attacks in Greece as there are a lot of vicious wild dogs in rural areas. Then there are breeds bred for fighting such as Pit Bulls or Milanois where you would essentially be f**ked unless an owner could get them away from you and under control.
Where in spain was that exactly?
I was in Greece just a week ago and rode through the country from west to east. I can tell you that there are many dogs but for the most part they don’t care about cyclists. Most stray dogs look tired and hungry and don’t have the energy to chase. Many have broken legs. Some dogs will bark from the side of the road to tell you clearly not to get close the the sheep, but those never chase. Some do chase and bark but that’s a very small minority. It may be different in other parts of Greece but that’s my experience.
Another possibility is pepper gel. You can spray it into the wind without it blowing back on you like pepper spray or bear spray. I also carry a battery powered ultrasonic dog trainer with 2 ultrasonic emitters. It basically screams at the dog at a frequency we can’t hear. The dog hears you ‘barking’ much louder than it can and even aggressive dogs usually stop in place or back up. Minor downside is that you need to check the battery power before going out.
Oh my that sounds horrible!
It also sounds like to me that last dog saved you. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if it specifically got involved to save you .. and then read you the riot act for disturbing it and the other dogs, told you to be more careful etc etc etc.
Animals have much more self awareness then most humans give them credit for and also communicate A LOT more then we think. I've had dogs outright lie about being injured before to get attention. ...and then give me that puppy eyed, "I'd never do anything wrong" look when I catch them and tell them I know what they did.
A chain is definitely NOT what you should use to fight a dog. Never read White Fang?
If the threat of throwing rocks is not enough, a stick works best. A bicycle pump or just a plain longer stick picked up from the side of the road would allow you to keep the dogs far enough.
I was chased by an aggressive dog on my road bike. I picked up speed and the dog ran into the other lane and was hit by a car.
And nothing of value was lost.
@@skaldlouiscyphre2453 not the dog's fault. The owner should have been hit by the car.
Yay!
And that is another way of getting safely through them?😂.
karma 😅
As someone who loves to cycle but sadly lives in a country that's full of stray dogs and has been chased a few times by them, there aren't many positive things I can say about these mutts.
I agree with your methods because I've found out myself that getting off your bike is the best way to stop the dog from chasing you. However, sometimes when one barks, 4-5 stray dogs pop out of nowhere and they gang up on you. So in this situation getting off your bike isn't an easy decision to make.
This may offend some people, but the only conclusion I've arrived to after years of cycling and dealing with stray dogs is that they are pests and should be allowed to exist in human societies only as pets. All strays should be neutered.
Seriously, what benefit does a town or village have from a stray dog? None.
I agree with you. Often stray dogs are a threat to human beings, and especially elderly and small children can be injured badly, and of course other people.
Although I love dogs, I think people safety is more important. I would be fot picking up all dogs that are stray and allowing them to be adopted if they’re friendly enough to be adopted and neutered in the adoption place and if after a certain amount of time, there’s too many or there’s ones that are not friendly enough to be adopted and your owner has not arrived to pick them up then they need to be put down.
All should be neutered, although I love dogs, many dogs can have at least one or two litters of puppies a year, and if they aren’t adoptable, those are stray dogs that often have horrible lives being hit by cars, starved, diseases, and a threat to people .
Why should there be stray dogs? When or if people get bitten and they have to go through the expense to pay for rabies shots plus the pain !!
I’m guessing that some people for dogs would be against all these regulations, but I don’t understand why, because although dogs are cute animals, people being safe are more important and also if you really care about dogs when they are strays that is not a good life for dogs always fighting with other dogs if they’re male, being hit by cars possible, having all kinds of disease or ticks or fleas possible on them, and many other happenings
Totally agree mate
I use a small but extremely loud compressed air horn. The "Dog Horn" is the one I use. It hurts my ears also! I have found it to be about 80% effective on the first blast. Sometimes it takes more than one blast. Dogs usually freeze for a few critical seconds, give up the chase, or shift to a half-hearted effort (but keep barking). On several occasions they have actually turned around and ran back to the house. Seriously. It also alerts the owner, though you will be gone by the time they come out. The manufacturer would have a gold mine on their hands if they included a handlebar attachment, but you will have to make your own. I used a spare stretchy rubber headlight mount with some zip ties. I only need one hand to sound the horn. It is always at the ready. And I have pepper spray mounted with zip ties also, but have yet to use it because the horn works well. I agree that overcoming their chase instinct is important, so unless you are very sure of yourself, trying to outrun them can backfire. I also agree that you have to work hard not to be surprised - assume a loose dog can be at every house you pass.
Here are two of my experiences: first, I've been chased by aggressive dogs where people have neglected to keep their pets in pinned yards or on leashes as directed by local ordinance authorities, which is a major part of the encounters in my area, especially rurally where I like to ride. Most roadies where I live prefer the same farm roads and so these occurrences are not mine alone. I've been chased by pit bulls, terriers, mutts, all kinds of aggressive dogs. One time in particular this pit bull came rushing after me after I had already gone a bit past the house where it was kept. I was doing about 20 mph and when I heard it coming, it was too awkward to slow down so I sprinted away in full flight maybe passing 30 mph or faster. Fortunately the dog gave up chasing me before I tired, but it got close enough that I could hear it breathing and paws on the road not far behind me, so thankfully it tired before I did. The other encounter didn't go so well. A similar situation where I was riding past a house and didn't notice the dog coming across the yard after me until it had jumped the ditch less the 10 feet from me. I attempted to avoid it as it charged at me but it this case I swerved to miss it and it cut back beneath my bike when my back wheel rolled over it and I fell hard in a split moment. I hit the road so hard that I barely had any road rash but after the moment passed and the dog ran back towards the house I realized I was injured pretty bad from the impact. The crash had broken my left collarbone, split clean in two, and fractured 2 ribs as well. The dog was put down by Animal Control. The homeowner claimed it was not his dog. My wedding ring had to be cut off my finger to prevent dangerous swelling as well. Since then I ride with a telescoping metal rod in my jersey right pocket. My challenge is that I'm usually riding a pretty fast pace where its not easy to slow down as I could on a touring bike, so I have to be vigilant in scanning the yards from where dogs may come after me. I do also carry a small pepper spray but have not had to use it yet. To be candid, I am nervous about riding rural roads due to my bad encounters so I'm hyper vigilant in looking out for dogs these days. I am more sensitive to dog aggression that I am to concerns about vehicles out on highways. Thanks for your video.
I know the feeling. You think you're in the clear and then bam. I have learned to listen for the bark and I just assume I'm going to have an encounter and prepare for it.
get a mini boat horn. It stops them in their tracks.
Dog owners suck.
That really sucks!!! "Scanning" and "Vigillant", two key words! Just a shame you can't enjoy the ride and let your mind wander.
this is sad. I just hate it when people who cant raise anything / dont have time get a dog to guard... the results are then catastrophic and the dog is weapon.
I was touring and a guy was working on a car in his front yard when his dog gave chase so he started laughing. I don't use pepper spray, I use starting fluid. It has high pressure, long range and isn't illegal.
When i used to commute to college on my bike, I'd get chased by a roaming pack of feral dogs every so often. I learned to swing my bike around and go straight at them yelling and screaming like a wild man. Worked every time and they eventually left me alone after a few episodes.
Nothing beats the old oonga boonga
I'm glad it worked for you, but it's a terrible idea for any set of dogs you encounter where it doesn't work. If you survive, imagine explaining that to your friends.... "so I decided to bike toward the dogs and get chewed out."
Wow! A biker was leader of a pack of feral angry dogs... and never even got a flat tire or broken spoke! Dog's would still be chewing on 'me' parts if I'd been there instead of you. My bike might have survived, I just don't know.
Thanks for allowing me to "Bee Fun Knee".
@@gtd9536 If you understand feral dogs, it's a good idea that just should work. You have to focus only on that single leading dog though. That's their leader, the whole packs leader. Win that one over with fear and the rest will scatter as soon s it does. At age 5, my grandmother gave me sack lunches for my outdoor daily ventures. That's when I encountered rushing pack of feral dogs that came running and barking at me. I froze. When that first dog got close I kicked it right in the none. It went yelping away across the street, then sat and angrily watched me. I took out my baloney sandwich and walked right over to him. I fed it and started calling 'my' new dog "Free toes" after the corn chips... I know, I know they're really "Fritos". I was just 5 is all, I'm a big kid now! Sixty and that 5 matter of fact!
Moral of the story is that if a scared child can scare off very angry dogs known to bite children on Galveston Island then any adult on a bike can. Show any fear and you're toast. Angry dogs like toast... buttered with blood!
Is your name John Rambo?
I live in Brazil and here we have a lot of loose dogs. I've had rabies vaccine twice for bites in the past. I started following a "plan" I was never bitten again. I usually do the following when a dog (or group of dogs) starts following me:
1 - If the dog is slow and I have gas, I simply accelerate. Generally this solve the problem with all the small dogs, they cant run too fast.
2 - If I see that running away is not an option, I turn to where the dog is and yell "NO, GET OUT OF HERE" a few times. 90% of the time it works, they feel you are trouble.
3 - If the dog starts to approach my leg to bite, I keep screaming and put my sole towards his muzzle, I don't kick, I just prevent him from approaching my leg. If he tries to bite I end up giving him a light kick in the muzzle. I've done that a few times and they stop right away, but they don't get hurt, they just get scared, they don't wait for you to react.
4 - If a group of dogs happens to surround me, with 2 or more dogs actively chasing me, I finally get off the bike, and pretend to pick up stones on the ground, most dogs react instinctively and move away, because they know that a stone will be thrown at them. But some more aggressive dogs don't react to this, so you really have to pick up a rock and throw it at them. (Not directly, but close). Basically out of the hundreds of encounters I've had to date, that's the limit I've reached.
- PS: On hills, you usually have to skip straight to step 4 if yelling doesn't work, even for a lone dog, because it's very easy for him to bite you due to the low speed, also you cant kick because you dont have inertia enough to keep the bike rolling without pedalling.
I fully agree with the way you did this and the process of trying to de-escalate the situation. I rode my bike 4,000 miles across the US last year from SF to Maine, I encountered a few chasing dogs out west and also learned to just slow down, reducing the chase instinct. If they responded with calming down, I would often bend down to let them get a sniff of my hand, and that changed the dynamic entirely. Not every dog will want to be pet, but most are just curious and would be happy to sniff and let you be on your way.
My experience too! First off, if barking, the dog wants you to know they're noticed. If they really mean you harm, they will just attack without barking.
Secondly: They immediately read your body language. Don't show fear, don't show aggression. The tone of your voice (as it is with humans...duh) is a massive cue to dogs, even ones that want you to leave.
Just offer the back of your hand, not fingers!
True story. There was one road where I was consistently charged by a rather vicious dog. Couldn’t outrun it. I learned to shift to a lower gear, so my cadence was much faster. I got nipped twice on my heel, but each time the dog got kicked in the chops badly enough that he quit chasing me. No more problems on that road. I know it sounds mean. Sorry to those who found it offensive. I really do love dogs.
I don’t find it offensive. You did what you had to protect yourself and keep yourself safe. I love dogs also but some owners do not control their dogs or train them properly or some abandon their dogs
its not mean, its defending yourself! once while riding his mc my hubby had a loose dog run out at him from a driveway and attempt to bite him. he left me at the top of the hill, rode back down, turned around, then rode past the same driveway again, the dog ran out again, but once it got close enough, my bf (now hubby) kicked the dog square in the face and it was propelled aot into the ditch quickly! never had that problem there again!
I am a Turkish bicyclist and had most of my dog encounters in the US. Most of everything you shared is spot on with my experiences. I like the idea of small rocks. Thank you for all of the tips.
I often say hello to every dog I pass by. Whenever a dog is being aggressive, I always slow down; and if it really gets too close for comfort, I just walk slowly with the bike in between me and the dog. I've never gotten used to being barked at, and it still gets me nervous every time.
On a pre dawn training route I'd frequently be chased by a ranchers dogs. After a few time of being totally surprised I took my headlight off and used it as a flashlight to see the dogs and used water bottles to spray them as they came up on side. Ultimately, I had to go to the rancher and explain how much risk he was in if a cyclist was injured by his dog. I had to lie a bit, telling him my light also was a video camera.
It worked. Gates were closed and dogs just chased from inside the fence.
@@slow_spokes It is called selfishness at its best. Many people are very egoistic, so much so that they stink of egoism.
Here in rural Tennessee the prevalence of loose dogs has abated over the 30 years I have been riding. There is still an occasional "chaser." Note that this is NOT a dog problem; it is an OWNER problem! My approach is two-fold: If a dog leaves its property while chasing me, I always report it to the appropriate Animal Control authority. In our county, a sheriff's deputy serves in that role. Getting a visit from a uniform-wearing deputy usually gets the owner's attention. But that takes a day or two. In the heat of the chase, I deter the dog from chasing by throwing down what is known as an Adult Snap-N-Pop. It's about the size of a firecracker, and it makes a very loud report as it hits the pavement. Mostly the dogs are so surprised that they immediately lose interest in chasing me, and often they head home with tail between legs. (I got the idea for this during an internet search. If you can get the Adult Snap-N-Pops, they are quite effective. Very few "repeat customers.")
I’m a veterinarian and I just instinctively slow down when I see a dog and go pass them. I always keep an eye on them.
Thanks for discussing rabies. Bats are the number one transmitter of rabies in the US, but dogs are number one in the majority of countries. The best thing to do is to leave any strange dog or puppy alone- even if they are friendly- especially when visiting other countries.
So, I had a scary dog encounter that went a little something like this:
I was biking up this really steep rural road through some hills in northern California (grade was like an average of 13%). I come across these two dogs that are lying down in the middle of the road. I'm climbing up this road, so I'm automatically going slow. The first dog notices me, I say "Hi there" in a calm voice, but then the second one starts barking at me. They both begin barking at me aggressively as I'm trying to bike past them. The second one charges me and lunges on my right side and bites my right calf. I was wearing pants so the dog didn't actually get my skin (it still hurt). My fight-or-flight kicks in and I scream at the dog and try to get away as quickly as possible. Luckily the two dogs didn't chase me or I would've been in big trouble.
On my way down that same road, the dogs are still there. I go slow this time and I try to keep my distance as much as possible. Once again, I say "hi there" in a calm voice, but the same thing happens. The two dogs bark at me and the second one charges me. I wasn't having any of it at that point and I let out the most gutteral scream I could muster. The dog thankfully didn't lunge at me and I was able to get away.
Honestly, it was one of the scariest moments in my life.
The worst is when you don't hear or see them before they are on you. I was riding near my home after dark and a big hound dog came out of a field silently and was suddenly there trying to bite my leg. He did end up getting me on another ride and he's the one that truly scared me. He wanted me. The next time he got a full-force spray of mace right in the face.
I've decided to stop and greet the dogs in a friendly way for the most part. I did have a large dog bite my panniers and tried to shake me off the bike while trying to flee it. My favorite is the time a dachshund, (wiener dog) came at me and a girlfriend. It had to run up a steep hill to approach us. I gave a shot of water from my water bottle and the dog was so startled, it rolled all the back down the hill. Almost fell off the bike from laughing. In Missouri, I had two dogs chase me about five miles. They would tag team me with one or the other in the lead at various times. I lost them when I went down a big hill and around a corner in the road. They lost sight of me and gave up.
Exactly! One last tip if none of what you said has worked and the dog is about to bite you: point towards him a bag, or a coat, or anything similar, so that the dog bites this object instead of you.
Y’all are super nice…my move is starting with a nice authoritative “No!”
Followed by a strong “Sit…”
Most dogs are confused as hell by a stranger knowing those basic commands and usually I’m a block up the road by the time they realize what’s happened.
I also like drawing the attention of any bystanders (dog owners who aren’t keeping their dogs on a leash and like to chase bikes).
When I'm on the road I'm not in their territory. I've had them come off the porch, off the lawn for me. I'm not interested in stopping. You keep your pace, and if the dog wants to run on a 50mph country road and dodge cars that's for the owner to manage.
In my experience, it is worth trying to outrun a dog if you are passing their territory and you have time to exit the territory before they catch you. Because as soon as you leave the territory, they stop chasing you. However, if you stay within it, they have a reason to attack you. Usually, countryside houses are 50-100 meters away from the road and dogs notice you a bit late, so you have good chances. Of course, when you see or hear that you won't outrun it, stop, get off, and use your bike as a shield.
That works fine on a road bike. On a touring bike, ultralight gear, but still all you need for a tour. I remember the first time I poured on the speed, and realized that was not going to work. As a very general rule, a sturdy touring bike loaded, but with a lot of concern about not getting it too heavy, costs me a chainring. When I ride the same bike unloaded I am in the mid and large ring, loaded I am in the mid ring, or granny ring. So even if the are a fair distance away when they start their charge, I find they can catch a loaded cyclist. The twenty years that went by between young gun, and rich enough to buy all the ultralight fear, but touring, might have had something to do with it, but not much from what the speedo reading were.
I'm always surprised that other bikepackers haven't discovered the same solution I have -- a loud whistle. Go to REI and get an emergency whistle and attach it to your cockpit somehow. It's never failed me.
In southern spain I used to rush away from the dogs which made me almost crash at least once. Good to know that I don't have to do this anymore.
I used to ride with a friend and when we encountered the chasing dog, he would slow down, turn around and start going at the dog on his bike! It was a ballsy move if you ask me, but it worked every time. You just can’t chicken out.
I have encountered surprisingly few aggressive dogs in my new location, I feel like a lot of them are accustomed to cyclists riding by on the road. I have a high-frequency dog trainer device that I haven’t used yet, but have read that it works to get dogs to stop chasing you. I had a pack of 5 dogs surprise me on the road some time ago that I wasn’t too keen on stopping for I just yelled at them and they kept their distance. I don’t always take chances to stop for a dog in questionable areas, sometimes the owners aren’t any nicer.
During my racing days I frequently encountered dogs in rural areas. In one particular instance a dog approached on a diagonal path to intercept me. I pulled out my tire pump (the typical racer's dog defense device) and prepared to swing. The dog must have seen a pump close up before, if you know what I mean. He was still fifty feet away when he turned sharply to the right and headed for the barn. I smiled. All of us old racers tell our dog stories.
Gravel was always my preferred deterrent. I used to ride in farm country a lot and sometimes have multiple dogs aggressively come after me from both sides. Gravel is not enough to hurt but in a dogs face will likely sting enough to stop them immediately. And it's easy to have a good spray with gravel as well. Also it's easy to get a resupply if you use it up.
Having suffered a pretty severe attack early on in my riding experience, five dogs which knocked me down and mauled me, I take aggressive dogs pretty seriously. So despite the weight penalty, I also carry a 19" stick that can fend off most dogs. I also carry a knife that if ever I was to be knocked down again, I would use without a second thought or regret.
Also good idea to pepper spray their owner after, who allows his dogs freely walk outside
Pack mentality is scary, totally changes an individual dog's mentality!
I agree, I was attacked by a pack of dogs, and I did nothing to them. I was amazed that I survived. I was only a young teenager.
I'm used to dog encounter commuting to work here in Philippines I always carry slingshot whenever a dog chase me works everytime just make sure no people or properties around that may get damage by slingshot ammos
Good advice. Two points I'd add: First, I'm not worried too much about dogs that bark but rather those that don't. Second, pedalling seems to attach the dog to you foot or pant leg so stop pedalling if the dog is very close to you as if they grab you there they'll probably cause you to crash.
Hello my thinking was that if I speed up (and acelerate cadence) why would a dog bite me, he would fall; It had work for me for over two years but lately there is a dog that has actually "touched" my foot, it has really scared me and make me think over my strategy, if he bites me he falls but so woud I....If I speeded up and I fall it would be tragic !!! :(
I live in Thailand and often bike at night because of the daytime heat. So the first time I'm aware of an agressive dog is when he is snapping at my heels. Reaching for a pepper spray is too dangerous in traffic. For many years I've used a loud toy gun on the back of the bike fired by an extra brake lever on the handle bars, connected with a shift cable. Works every time. I would also like to point out that as a dog lover, I want to get these animals off the road for their own safety.
That’s ingenious. If I were behind you in traffic would it look like a gun was pointing at me?
@@vitamaltz No, it's wrapped in a cloth.
Amazing how many comment there are regarding this topic! I was cycling near my house is Crested Butte, Colorado and saw a woman in a wheelchair, and trotting along side her was the largest Doberman I've ever seen. It was off-leash, and I clearly remember thinking, "Oh, it must be well trained." It wasn't. I went all the way over to the left side of the road and he nano-second "Panzer" saw me, he charged. It happened so quickly and he nailed my right calf; hospital visit, a shot, and a $500.00 bill. I called the police and long story short, as soon as I said "woman in a wheelchair"... the dispatcher interrupted me and ask if her name was Beth. So this dog had bitten many people including a child just a few days before. So the DA in Gunnison County filed charges on my behalf and I won the 500.00 settlement. The judge made her write a check on the spot in the courtroom. I found out later that she had to give a statement to the Deputy DA in person. She of course brought Panzer and Panzer bit the Deputy DA in the office! The judge was not amused and said if it ever attacked anyone again, it would be put down. To this day when I pass an unleashed dog, my anxiety level goes up. I'm going to try the loud whistle...inexpensive solution, although in that situation, I would not have had the time to use it.
I am wondering, just how many people does that dog need to bite or injure to be put down?
So far, you said this Doberman pincher bit a child, you, and then the DA in the court room. The woman could not even control the dog in the court room. Why does the judge think she could control it with one more warning ?
I love dogs and many animals but if a person is not able control their dog then people’s safety is more important ! Woman in a wheelchair could have a well trained golden retriever or labrador, for example
I know a relative who a long time ago had a small friendly dog that have been teased by some neighbor children and ended up because it was afraid of getting teased again it, biting the owner’s child on the face.
I guess they thought it wouldn’t be easy to train it to lose the dog,s fear again so they ended up taking it out the countryside and shooting it. That is sad but the main thing is it was around children that were not taught not to treat dogs well and this used to be a friendly dog.
So I find it good that they were not going to take their chances of their child being bitten again for example in the face and injured badly so put their child safety first rather than the dog’s I love dogs, but childrens safety comes first.
@@enjoyslearningandtravel7957 She had been in a serious rock climbing accident several years prior and in addition to being paralyzed, she also suffered brain damage. She actually rescued Dobermans... probably one of the worst breeds to rescue. I later learned (Crested Butte is a small town) that her parents enabled all of this, paid for everything, etc. I agree... a lab / some type of hunting dog would have been a better choice. I never saw the dog again, so I'm guessing she took the Judge at his word. If it had been me, the dog would have been taken right there and then. I've done a lot of long distance touring and bike packing as well, and in all those miles, I've never been chased. But just out training / riding in groups, I've been chased and charged a number of times. But this one was the only actual bite.
@@agmartin2127why are dobermans the worst breed to rescue? Just genuinely curious. We have one but its mostly my husbands dog.
Pepper spray worked for me 3 out of 3 times. Enjoyed your video, but I'm not interested in stopping or slowing down to see what they are going to do. I was bitten by a very aggressive dog in my teens many decades ago, not taking any chances whatsoever!
Very interesting.. I had two fairly dangerous "races" with groups of dogs and I escaped. I can not imagine, that I would dare to stop and talk with the dogs.
Shouting at the dog has worked for me once, but I think you need to be louder than the dog for it to work. There aren't many homeless dogs here, usually a totally useless owner is nearby and at some point tries to call the dog back.
Wow, this is really helpful and cleraly well thought out. I hope many people see this so they can act responsibly toward dogs rather than flipping out and endangering both themselves and the animal.
I have found the same is true for running- the dog is protecting its territory and startled by your speed. But you will never outrun a dog. Never. So stop, stand, remain calm. The dog will see you are not a threat and you can slowly walk away.
I've always been able to out cycle them. It's interesting to know that was the wrong course of action.
Good general advice. Where I live and cycle often I encounter many loose and aggressive dogs. It also very windy here all the time (pepper spray is useless, some of my friends use wasp spray) Just in last five years I've had 7 dog bites (number 7 just last week), local communities and counties don't have the resources to deal with the issue and rarely do anything. Owners don't even know what a leash is... I lost count of the times I have been attacked without being bitten....it's easily in the hundreds, I've turned in dozens of reports. I've tried horns, dog whistles, pepper spray, water bottles, etc. My current go to is a tazer (does not shoot out), it works "most" of the time but not always. The loud popping sound of the tazer will usually make the dog back off, but it's not foolproof by any means. My worst attack was from a pack of eight dogs (2018), I got off my bike before they surrounded me. They would not back off so I reached for my water bottle (did not have a tazer yet) and two blue healers bit me on the back of my legs (ended up with 20 small puncture wounds). At my insistence I got animal control out there two days later...it took them that long, they said they could not find any dogs. I met animal control at the location (a small business in a rural area). I demanded animal control drive back into the business. They picked up twelve dogs, (they were also attacked). I verified that the two who bit me were picked up. All dogs were stray according to the business owner, they were placed into quarantine (passed without rabies). None of the dogs were ever claimed by the owner of the business. I live at the southern tip of Texas and have cycled in many other areas in the US, this area is the worst I've encountered. When I went to the clinic I got some prescription antibiotic creme, and another tetanus booster. A police report was filed never got an update.
your "friends" with wasp spray are morons and delight in cruel and dangerous techniques .
*A* read the gawddamm label, it is a *FEDERAL* offense to use insecticide in that manner!
*B* if you practice with pepper spray and get a high quality canister one can use it effectively in the wind, but your "friend" is too stupid to realize this.
Would it be legal to carry and use a gun? With a GoPro-like stuff for evidence?
Consider buying pepper gel, you can shoot it into the wind without blowback. But it does require actual aiming, unlike the broad cone of pepper spray.
@@PrzemyslawSliwinski hmm not sure but I do have a couple friends that carry but they don't ride nearly as much as I do. I'd really hate to shoot a dog.
@@broddr did not realize there was gel but our winds are routinely gusting in the 30s and 40s..even higher. Just normal here, very few trees and mostly flat open land. Thanks
As a guide dog volunteer for 18 years ... few dogs are truly aggressive. Even a lot of guide dogs (who are used to strange humans of all sorts of persuasions poking and prodding them everywhere and bumping into them with zero warning) will play doorbell by barking and enthusiastically rush out to welcome people. So don't assume that a dog that runs towards you is necessarily aggressive - much of the time they're just excited that boredom is over, especially if the tail is wagging - that's positive excitement. If they chase, it's often just play - if you keep cycling and they aren't used to bikes, there's a risk of them jumping into your spokes and dog/bike/you getting injured. So getting off and pushing is a good idea. Talking to the dog in a slow, high pitched positive voice is also a good strategy, or just ignore them. Low, growling tones are not a good recipe for a first encounter. If they come up to you to check you out, DO NOT PUT YOUR HAND OVER THEIR HEAD OR BACK. Many dogs have been hit and that's an area they cannot control. Better: stretch out your arm so your hand is under their nose. That allows them to smell you in an area they can survey and control. If they accept that, scratch them on the chest (they can't do this themselves, so they generally love it if you do). If they jump up on you with tail wagging, use your knee to push them away and ignore them for a while (turn away) - they're just happy to see you but are overdoing it. Finally: Small puppies explore by mouth, so even if they are friendly, they may "play bite", which can scratch your hand or ankles. This isn't aggression - a quick "Ouch!" at your end and withdrawal of attention (and yes a growl if they ignore that) will sort this out.
Gotta be careful with some of that advice. Highly rhythmic, upright ("perked up") tail wagging, along with a squared posture (puffed up chest and stretched back) while barking does NOT mean they are happy to see you. It's a defensive stand position that means they are ready to stand their ground and defend their territory. Dogs that are very territorial and are not properly socialized (i.e. remote rural areas, which usually have shepherding breeds that also happen to have a very strong chase drive) should be taken seriously. Best move is to get off the bike and slowly walk past them avoiding direct eye contact without interacting with them and moving out of their territory ASAP. If they charge, then loud noises and/or projectiles (stones, sticks, etc.) Is the next best move
I gravel bike in the rural areas of Kansas almost daily and there are A Lot of aggressive dogs! Spraying a bottle of water works mostly for the typical semi-aggressive dog, but now I always carry a specific dog horn (can order online) to deter more aggressive dogs, and in my experience it works every time! Just have it ready to go when entering sketchy areas.
This sounds ideal. Can you point to one you'd recommend?
Is it different from the boat horn many hikers carry?
KS is pretty bad for aggressive dogs. I've been lucky, but I know of many that have been bitten. It definitely takes away some of the allure of rural gravel riding.
forget water. get a spray bottle that you can add in pressure. and ad in a product called apple bitters. safe, non toxic, wont even stain your carpet. spray it in the dogs mouth/snout. dog will go anywhere else. but set on squirt not fan spray.
@@jazzfan7491 Probably pretty similar...
Dog owner lost control of their Pitt-Sheppard mix. I was 100 yards from the dog. Its saw me headed directly toward me. I continued peddling. No where to go. The dog did not stop. We hit head on. The dog got up before I did. Owner said she just got the rescue dog. Gave her some ideas about control her dog on the trail. It’s been 3 weeks , still have a sore shoulder . Got new pepper spray with 12 foot range. Hope I never have to use it. I have seen mail carriers use pepper spray. It works.
I live in a very rural area with many, many dirt roads to ride and unfortunately many, many loose and aggressive dogs. About 50 percent are pit bulls or pit bull crosses. After being bitten twice and having many close calls, I started carrying bear spray. Dogs are roaming in packs and can come on you very fast. I'm experimenting with an air horn and a cap pistol as most have been shot at and are terrified of the pop of a gun. Plus, I don't like causing them pain. They are just following their instincts. It's the owners who are in the wrong.
If I do use pepper spray, I don't spray the dog directly but spray a cloud and let them run into it. That's why I use bear spray instead of mace which comes out in a thin stream. This has been 99% effective. Usually, the dogs run the next time they see me. Only one came back for more but he's dead now so I don't worry about him anymore. I'm on my fourth can of bear spray. If an owner gets upset with me for causing them the pain I just say that if it happens they get under my wheel or get their legs through my spokes while I'm moving, do you think they might feel some pain? The answer is they will most likely be seriously injured or killed and I will probably get injured as well.
Your advice to slow down and stop is excellent. If you aren't moving then they can't wreck you. But most of the time they are coming so fast and aggressively that I don't have time to stop but I at least slow down and I've gotten really quick on the draw. In the end, my safety is paramount and usually, they don't chase me the next time. They see me coming and run as fast as they can in the other direction. Maybe I'm saving some other cyclist from a serious injury by training them. I've seen firsthand what a dog can do to a cyclist and that ain't going to be me.
The best advice against chasing dogs! This really shows that you are dog lovers and know how dogs operate. I follow the same rules, and never got hurt, but honestly I had just few incidents. I always tell fellow cyclists that never speed up but they keep following their own instincts.
I was told by a friend that is a dog trainer and cyclist to point at the dog and yell at the dog, "bad dog, go home"! I have tried it and it worked once.
I've been racing training and touring for about 50 years, love your video mostly. A little naive. I used to have dog encounters nearly every ride, at a time when most people thought it was OK for a dog to roam free, especially in the country. Never, ever have I seen an owner present. I'm not a dog lover, having been mauled badly by a roaming dog as a child I know what they can do to you if they get to you and get you down. Under the right circumstances, every dog is a killer, including your beloved fido. Your first question is: Is this dog trying to kill me. The answer is sometimes yes. Keep your bike between you and the dog. If it's a big dog and has the jump on you, your best hope then to avoid injury maybe serious is violence and it should inflict maximum pain and target the dog's nose and eyes. A frame pump, heavy stick or pepper spray will do. A rock simply isn't accurate enough. Any non-murderous dog (apparently the only kind you've encountered) be wary of but leave alone, ie one that's just curious, defensive -- on one group ride we were even herded by a border collie. Yell at them to go home in command voice, or maybe a squirt from the water bottle. Don't waste your gatorade. Don't slow down, don't speed up unless you think you have a shot at winning the sprint, but I doubt it. The thing about any dog interaction is you want to end it as soon as you can.
Fortunately the past couple decades I see fewer and fewer loose dogs and get chased by them less and less. It was way worse in the 1970's. Often now rural dogs are electronically fenced and will stop dead at the edge of their property and just bark. I've stuck more to well-traveled cycling routes since moving to the South (rural Texas and Louisiana). The regulars say they train the dogs on their routes to expect nothing but an immediate snootful of pepper spray from a cyclist. Apparently this works after a couple of encounters and they get left alone. I've never done this but I approve.
I have nothing but extremely bad words for owners who allow dogs to roam.
I live in a semi-rural area. One of my concerns is of being hit by a motorist, that is surprised by a dog that is entering the road. The dog doesn't have to have aggressive intentions to do serious harm.
As mentioned, the dogs can be trained, over time, with chemical sprays. It takes patience and planning. Also, be wary of dog owners who won't be bothered to tend to their dogs, but will move heaven and earth to come after you, when you use any form of force in defending yourself from their dog(s).
I agree with you 100%, especially with pit bulls and large dogs. I don't give them a chance to get close to me if I can help it. Any pain the dog suffers is entirely the owners' fault. You would be entirely within your rights to shoot the dog. I don't like causing them pain but I ain't going to be the one laid up for months with an injury. Be careful though, I've had owners chase me down in their pickups and try to run me over. One guy came very close to rolling his truck swerving at me because I threatened his dog with bear spray. But bear spray works on humans as well.
@@blueskies7035 There's a comment above about a person who trained an aggressive dog with dog biscuits. It didn't take long at all.
a good idea is learn to read the body language of animals, dogs are close enough to us that we can "learn" from daily observations. That greatly reduces the risk in an encounter (and there's no need to mistreat an animal "just in case." "Shoot and ask later" is a bad philosophy).
A large and aggressive dog can be a real threat, but it isn't a reason to mistreat all of them a priori
@@Korina42 Go ahead. You are welcome to live in a lulu land.
Great video guys! Thanks for sporting our sticker too! Congrats on the success of this video ! Keep up the good work!
@Slow Spokes great tips. Thanks 😊 I,ve been chased by many aggressive dogs when biking in rural areas and I learned that I should keep my pace and never, never take my foot out of the pedal trying to use the foot to defend myself. That's the way you got bitten. Of course it needs some get used to keep your nerves down as they will get very close😅
Good advice! I';ll definitely keep these suggestions in mind any time I cycle.
I exercised my flight instinct and sped away I have found that most dogs will only chase me up to a certain radius from their property.
I live in thailand and bike daily. street dogs are always present. 2 pieces of advice, 1- dogs barking at me typically do not attempt to bite, the ones to worry about are quiet and coming directly for my legs, which leads to my 2nd advice which my Thai riding partner taught me, make a loud noise to make them believe youre going to fight them. like a growl sound. once I started doing that it has worked everytime. the loud aggressive brief noise scares them away. I’m always alert to dogs and agree with the presenters that most dogs have no interest in biting you.
Thanks for doing this video. It will probably help a log of people as will the comments. I've been very lucky with dogs on my 200,000+ kilometers of riding around North America. Used my water bottle a couple of times to great effect. But one time riding in farmland here in the Fraser Valley one sunny day I was approaching a farm just before a T intersection and could see someone mowing their lawn. As I was approaching, and slowing down for the intersection, I caught movement in my peripheral vision. It was a large German Sheppard running silent, fast, and low like a freaking missile along the fence line that intercepted my ride. I had almost zero time to react as by the time I noticed him he launched over the ditch and hit me, knocking me down. I hit the road on my left side and was trapped under the bike. My stupid cleat on the right side was stuck. I couldn't get my foot free. I started swearing like a trooper while lifting the bike up with my right leg and trapped cleat while spinning on the ground to keep the bike between me and the dog. I was screaming at the guy mowing his lawn, but he was going in the opposite direction and was wearing ear protectors, so he couldn't hear me. I was terrified. Fortunately for me the dog eventually gave up as he had established his superiority over me and walked back to the property, probably chuckling to himself, leaving me shaking on the road. The guy mowing the lawn never saw the interaction. Luckily I was going slow and didn't even have a scratch on me. Too close for my liking.
Now, at 66, I built my first pedal assist eBike. Mid-drive motor and capable of 60+ kph. Normally ride 32-35kph but in a couple of seconds can hit 60 with my torque sensing crank and motor. I do not ride with fear of dogs. They are just part of the experience.
On the other hand, over my 50 years of cycling I have been hit 7 times by cars. Twice hospitalized. Broken ribs, broken collar bone, broken right shoulder, and serious road rash (with the scars to prove it) all over my right and left sides. I don't worry as much about dogs as I do stupid drivers. Here's my tip. Get your hands on a tube of Silver Biotics Silver Gel or Armor Gel. That stuff instantly cleans your wounds and protects from infection. In addition, you heal twice as fast or faster with much less scarring. Don't leave home without it.
If you've been hit by cars 7 times, do you have any advice on how to avoid it?
@Cam 62 and Never hit by a car, maybe ask me?
All the advice given is good. You have to assess the situation and decide what is the best option.
On my commute route in 2 places I was getting chased by junkyard dogs daily. I found it was helpful to aim my bike at them, accelerate, and yell... it wasn't what they expect and would fall back... ultimately one group accepted me, they knew me.and just stopped chasing... the other group, I kicked one of them in the eye with my heavy winter boot, and they never chased me again after that...
I pulled my own dog in a bike trailer from Oregon to Florida and had many encounters with loose dogs along the way. Before we had even crossed the Oregon-Idaho border, my dog was fed up with me being chased. When dogs would come after me he would wait until they got close and then explode, barking and snarling at them from behind the mesh screen. It was truly funny to see the almost human looks of surprise and confusion on their faces as they veered away, which they always did. I started to look forward to seeing loose dogs but sometimes, if my dog was asleep or if the pursuers didn’t make any noise, they would get close enough that I’d have to yell “No!” and lift my foot onto the top tube to avoid a bite. But when my dog barked, it almost seemed as though the aggressors felt that *they* were on someone else’s territory or otherwise doing something they shouldn’t. That mental shift was enough to stop the attack every time, even though they couldn’t actually see my dog inside his trailer. Since that trip I’ve wondered if a noise-making device that barks and snarls savagely loud would work as well as my actual, pissed-off dog did. Not a recording played on a phone, but something really loud. If someone invents and markets something like that I’ll buy it, because it’s just not convenient to haul a 78-lb. dog behind you everywhere you ride.
Great video! I think you captured everything so perfectly (and had a very cute stand-in 😉) We had the exact same strategies dealing with dogs in Turkey and although it was spooky sometimes, it all worked out well 😊 thanks for sharing - I think this video will be helpful to a lot of people!
@@slow_spokes Yes, well said on the fears around dealing with dogs. Ahaha you're so sweet watching it through again! Yay, can't wait to watch your Turkey adventures in full!!
Nice tips! Thanks!!
I've been attacked by dogs several times at my local bike/ country park. One time a Doberman pounced at me in an attack. - luckily I moved my hand off the handlebar just in time & it smashed it's teeth onto my grip. The owner just said "oh, it's a rescue dog" & didn't give a sh1t. Other times I've had to get off my bike & shout / scream as loud as possible & run directly towards the attacking dog waving my arms around until it backs off - must look crazy but when you're fighting to defend yourself the "inner animal" in you comes out. The staff at the visitor centre there however only want to know if it draws blood. If a child gets mauled it'll be terrible. Got to love dog owners eh?
Good job on the video and the rabies info was very good. I worked in rabies testing public health for a few decades and your decision to be immunized for areas of positive rabies in domestic dogs was very good. I had to be immunized to do the animal testing and so I am good to go for high incidence areas as well as cave exploring in bat colonized caves.
A friend gave me a tip to effect that if the dog’s tail is up and wagging, it’s not an aggressive dog, even though it might be running out at you. So far that advice has been spot on. Either way, I stop and put my bike between myself and the dog and continue walking until they lose interest. I carry pepper always, but have never had to use it. Thanks for the vid!
I had an encounter with an agressive dog and did all the wrong things.
Thanks for the video. I hope to improve.
Onece, near the place where I live, i encountered an aggressive dog that probably escaped from somebody's yard. I escaped him by riding faster, like I usually used to do. But on my way back, on the same roda I saw this dog again, running and barking towards me. So I decided to play a chicken game with him, riding straight at him. The dog jumped away at the last possible moment and never tried to attack me, or any other bikers I saw after that, again.
I keep a Fox 40 whistle permanently clipped to the shoulder strap on my hydration pack as a rescue alert (I keep others clipped to my climbing and hiking gear too). Fox 40 even makes an electric whistle (about the size of a car key fob and smaller) that could be clipped/taped to your bars, or clipped to a shoulder strap..
Really smart tips. Part of the training my dogs is saying a bright hello! to every person we passed by or approached. This taught her that everyone is our friend. (Got more than a few puzzled looks.)
Talk to the dog. ++ I realized in Japan when I was hiking past a bear rubbing its butt on a bush that this is a basic wild and urban survival tip. I didn't stop walking, but I said, "Hello bear, how you doing today? I'm walking this way, We cool ...." Same thing I've said to corner boys and gangbangers. This does two things: first your tone and you speaking just established the bases for communication: Friendly, non-invasive, mutually exclusive (Not buying or selling dope, not in a rival gang, not a cop.... not another bear, not anywhere in your food chain .....)
If you don't think dogs all over the world understand us speaking a language they've never heard, next little dog you meet, tighten your jaw a bit and say, "Hello killer." Usually makes a little dog's day. 'Someone recognizes the wolf in me!' (The lady who's just groomed her little precious won't like it, but she will notice Pinkie just perked up a bit.)
I'm a dog guy. If there's a dog acting aggressively I'll usually put myself between it and the people. I had planned to go to India a few years ago. India has a stray dog rabies problem. I probably can't stop my impulsive behavior, so I got vaccinated for rabies. Then I went to Japan; climbing along mountain aretes about every fifth handhold a bat inside hissed at me. Good thing I'd been vaccinated. So very smart of you guys getting vaccinated.
More than a few times I've swung my bicycle pump. And using the bicycle as a shield? I've never seen any dog bite a bicycle or even the tire. Great video. I've been around dogs, and criminals for decades: Great tips.
A dog attacked me & pounced at my handlebars. I moved my hand off the bar just in time & it's teeth smashed / bit into the grip & bar. I had to snarl & growl at it to make it back off - the owner didn't give a sh1t. I've been a dog owner for many years in the past but now have little respect for many of them after several attacks & their nonchalant attitude to literally terrorising people.
Right with you! Psychology is useful for all animals 4-legged or two!
I have done some cycle touring in my day and have had a few scary encounters with dogs, nothing that resulted in harm other than fear. I remember being impressed by written advice in a 1970s-era cycle touring book about what to do if things get really bad and a vicious dog takes you down. The advice was to shove whatever you could down the dog's throat. An old-school frame pump is the obvious choice but the author also suggested using your forearm if nothing else is available. While obviously extreme, it has the advantage of stopping the biting and eventually suffocating the dog. I have never had to implement this advice - thank goodness - but it has stuck with me for over 40 years.
I don't let them get close enough to me to do anything other than bark.
When training for cycle racing I have used my pump to 'try' and hit any dog that was snapping at my heels and this has worked as a deterrent. Never hit any and they kept well back from the swinging pump. However, I enjoyed your video and see the sense in what you are saying to combat dogs either attacking you or pose a threat. Shame I didn't see your video back in 1960. Many thanks and hope you continue to enjoy cycling.
I’m in cycling in Turkey right now and I guess the algorithm figured it out and put this video at the top of my stream. BTW it’s the best I have seen on the subject (there are not many). In my first day in Turkey I decided to go directly for the small roads, and I encountered at least 50 dogs on the first day, some of them placid, some of them barking, some of them barking and chasing. I have learned to to everything you are saying, except that I never had to try the pretend to throw a rock thing. I guess they know when you are out of their territory. Even if it’s not recommended, I’m also a quite fast rider, if need be 😂 I’d say that dogs in the country side usually have a «job », like protecting a flock, and they don’t overdo it. Sometimes they don’t see you as a threat and let you go, sometimes they bark a little just to make sure. Dogs that are more households pets are worse. In the range of countries, Italy was the worst (dogs behave like motorists, if you know what I mean…), Greece was the best, most dogs are very quiet or just keep you away from their turf. Turkey so far as been OK but I have never seen that many dogs. I got rabies vaccine beforehand, and I was also « vaccinated » by encountering many dogs daily. I used to be highly afraid of dogs before I left (there aren’t any stray dogs in my country), but know I don’t mind them so much. I hope it stays that way.
Watched this video a bit ago, and saved me today! Thank you!!!!
Wow, just bought a bike and never once thought about what to do if a dog took exception to me passing. Great advice, thanks, subscribed.
very handy tips. thanks.
Pit Bull mix, size large, color Black, stereotype bad-ass guard dog charged at me while I was passing a rural front yard in North Idaho on my way to a MTB trail network in the woods. I wasn't too worried as I spotted a long cable attached to his collar, which I was sure would stop him before he reached the gravel road I was about to pass him on. I was not surprised when the cable jerked on his collar, but was when the cable snapped. It was like a bad scene in a movie. I didn't speed up; I didn't swerve to avoid his charge, I calmly but loudly told him he was a good dog a couple of times, and thank god, he stoped his charge a foot from my bike and barked his ass off for a minute or so, just off my heals. I just kept talking to him and slowly rode off as he calmed down, quieted down, got bored after fifty yards or so and went home. I was lucky.
As both a dog trainer and a hard core e bike enthusiast I recommend when confronted with a pack mentality of 2 or more. When a bite is more likely than not a WELL TIMED REHERSED DISMOUNT TO USE THE BIKE AS IF IT IS A GROUND HELICOPTER BLADE SPINNING WORKS WELL. PS, when an aggressive k-9 comes up the leash to bite ME the loving dog trainer, the helicopter blade spinner is the dog who has no foot traction & by the 4th revolution the air craft can be landed & if the Rotti or Pit or Chow Chow is unconscience you can roll fluffy's eye lid to open & how far back the pupils have rolled back into their forehead will indicate time available before Fluffy will be ready to continue....
This is fantastic content, and the smiling couple seems so damn friendly, kind, and natural. Love it guys.
My dad used to tour and I always worried about canid and other issues on the road.
Hey thanks! I’m glad that’s how we come across, because being on camera is not the most natural thing for us. :) And yeah, dogs and cars are always the scariest part of touring.
In the US, every time I encounter a trail user with a dog on a long leash, almost 100% of the time that dog will come and try to bite my feet, followed by the owner profusely apologizing and saying the dog has never done that before. When dogs are just out there doing their job (sheep dogs) or live on the streets, it's totally understandable. But the interaction with leashed dogs feels totally preventable.
I carry a small boat horn when out riding that I purchased in the boating department at Wal-Mart. The blast from the horn typically sends most dogs scurrying in the opposite direction.
Yes!! I almost never got chased on my most recent tour (Southern Tier), and I think that's because at my age (60's), I'm going too slow to be worth chasing. I also speak in a friendly tone, maybe that helps. Never carried pepper spray, never used the water bottle, had to swing or throw anything.
35 years ago, on my first transcontinental tour, I saw a dog running out from a farmhouse. The road was straight and slightly downhill, and I was in top shape, so I shifted down and thought to myself, "I'm going to burn this guy." I accelerated to top speed over a couple hundred yards, and looked in my mirror so see how far behind I left him. To my surprise, he was just jogging along to my right, not barking, just having a fun run. Then I realized that the dog looked familiar. I had seen that kind of dog on the side of a bus. Yes, it was a Greyhound.
Had a few encounters in the mountains of Bosnia with several dogs coming for us. They are supposed to be aggressive, because they frequently have to defend against packs of wolves. We somehow got away by riding slowly and calmly, not looking at them.
Thank you for your wonderful videos! I think you guys covered it just right. As you said you can make the motion of throwing the rock even without throwing it , and it usually works. I make the motion as exaugurated as possible. The key is not to show that you are afraid of them, take it slow and they will stop as soon as you pass their imaginary territory line. My biggest problem is my dog jumping out of her basket and taking us both down. Happened only once up to now thankfully.
I usually carry a handful of small potatoes in my pocket. They are usually all over the road from trucks going to the cellars.
You are very polite. I usually start barking back and showing my teeth (while pedaling really fast because I don’t carry luggage on my training sessions). If there’s a pack in front, I charge while barking, works every time. I got bitten many times but never on my bicycle 😁 Oh, and the rabies vaccine, that’s a good tip.
Great video, as an urban biker I definitely got encounters but with aggressive people
Thanks for the video. Most of what you said I already did intuitively (slow down, talk to the dog and/or the owner, ...). Some things were new to me (shield yourself with the bike, pretend to throw a rock,...). I will keep those in mind. However, most dogs I encounter are near their owners. Most of the dogs and owners are friendly.
Every encounter is different, of course, but this reminds me of when I as at the U. of Ill and would ride out into the rural farm areas. There was one farm with a pack of large dogs. The first time they swarmed across the yard barking at me, I did speed up before they got to me to see if I would be out of their perceived territory. But no, they surrounded the bike. I smashed the brakes, creating that loud squeal. That startled them, and they shut up, looking surprised. I immediately started talking to them in an enthusiastic voice, and, to a dog, they turned themselves into u-shapes and wagged furiously. After awhile, I started walking the bike (still astride) and they went home. Every time I passed them, if they were around when I did, it was game on. I just stopped and waited for them.
On the other hand, I did once have a large dog come at me on a town street. It grabbed my rear tire, but couldn't hold on. I must have gotten out of its territory, because it stopped the chase. That was scary.
Rural Tennessee roads is where I ride. I have used mace, a lot actually. It works well but gets expensive. I switched to a small boat air horn. It stops them in their tracks. Happy riding!
Nice, I'm sure this will come in handy
Helpful. Thank you!
My encounter with the scariest dog situation is a pack of dogs, your right rural areas where leash laws aren't taken seriously. The most effective method to stop an aggressive dog was a Silca bike pump with Campanola head. Forward quick motion and pump head hit dog on nose stopped his bark and agression and went home. I use water bottle spray, and keep behind bike. Agree with your tips. Good video. Thanks
The first advice is the best and most effective. You are right, it is counterintuitive. Over 40 years of riding, and I have never had to tackle a dog or pack of dogs. They usually lose interest as soon as you stop the bike. Please don't escalate the situation by overreacting. Keep eyes on the animals and move calmly. In extreme cases, remember you canuse the bike as a barrier.
I rode across the US a couple of years ago, and was chased by dogs every day through eastern Kentucky. I used a water bottle to keep them away, which worked reasonably well. I just had to make sure I had enough water for me, and the dogs, each day. I carried pepper spray, but never seemed to have time to grab it. I enjoyed your video and will have to try your techniques.
Great advice here for touring on upright bikes. To me, the one thing you missed was using an air horn. I've had great success with the AirZound horn (no affiliation). It's especially effective with an aggressive dog who is chasing/defending territory. A blast from the horn as the dog gets within 15-20 feet normally stops them in their tracks. I tour on a recumbent trike, so by the time I can stop and get off, an aggressive dog is going to be on me. Plus, since the trike is low to the ground (and heavy with all the gear), I can't use it as a shield. Finally, for english-speaking dogs, commands like "NO!" or "GO HOME!" can be effective if speaking calmly doesn't help.
Hello! Good "tutorial"! Since I live and ride in Romania (probably similar to Turkey, in free dogs terms), I can ad: shaking a small tin box with some small coins in it can keep dogs at a precaution distance; also, the sheperd dogs can be repelled by stoping and giving them commands (no meter what comands) at a very strong and loud voice. Anyway, getting out - slowly - of their teritory is what you and they want!
In my home city, I have been bitten once. Two dogs were staying on the bike lane, waiting. As I aproached, the split. The bigger one was running near my front wheel (on my left side), barking and distracting my attention. The small one was staying still on my right side, as I passed him. Like he was ignoring me. A few seconds later, quietly, he bit my leg, as I was preocupied with the other one, the loud and "agressive".
As they was playing this "game" on the bike lane from my job to my home, I met them a few more times on the following weeks, and they were preparing for the same scenario. And I saw them aplying the same scenario with other cyclists.
used a lot of the usual options, pepper spray, air horns, outrun. . but one of the best results was when a few aggressive dogs charged at me from their yard along a bike trail.. i barked back at them SUPER loud.. they froze in their tracks and did that head tilt thing that puzzled dogs do.. then just ran back to their yard.. whew!
Single dogs may be annoying but are rarely a real problem in my experience unless they appear out of 'nothing'. Had a couple of seriously scary moments though with a bunch of dogs surrounding me, even more scary if you're hiking and can't protect your back with the bike.
I came to post exactly this. Barking dogs in 1-2 are not scary. Silent single dogs that are at your heels before you notice them, or aggressive packs are the scariest. My most scary situation was a pack of 5 in a rural part of central Texas. Look-ahead dog barked to his mates as I went past it. One big one went ahead and blocked the road while the look-ahead came from behind and the others made their way to the road from the house. I wasn’t going to stop and I would plow through the dog ahead if I had to. I definitely sped up and got out of the situation.
I agree with most of the info in this video but not all which is ok. Great video.
Thanks! It’s been a while since we made this video, and we’ve learned a lot from the comments. What tips do you have?
Οne of my scariest encounters with dogs was in a freeway in a some kind of shipyard. There was this huge dog that started to bark at me but I really didn't pay any attention because there was a fence between us. Some meters later I saw he woke up his 7 other anabolic buddies and they literally jumped this 1.5 meter screen fence and started chasing me with all of their power. I went full throttle and I thought I was gonna be dog food. Thankfully they got tired 100 meters later and I didn't become dog food for 8 bodybuilder type canines
You gave excellent/concise discussion regarding biking/dog encounters. I have never toured with.a bike as ride in local neighborhood. Had an encounter where lab charged my partner. The owner was totally rude and did nothing but laugh and harass us. Fortunately my partner was able to keep balance but the dog did not back down nipping towards her leg (owner of not help). I did whirl my bike around and charged towards the dog... Only then did the dog back off.
Great advices
Spot on advice!!!
Another option is ultrasonic dog trainers. They essentially scream at the dog at a frequency we can’t hear. Downside is that you need to test them before going out to make sure the battery won’t be dead when you need it. I recently found out they work with aggressive geese too, although not quite as well.
great tips! After over 40 years of riding, racing, touring I have dealt with this a lot. When racing, I could outrun the dogs and water to the face would slow them down just enough if needed. Saying "no, bad dog' (in the US) did often work. In the end while race training I would let the dog know that I was meaner than it was and that I would eat it if necessary. The 'Whose the Alpha now technique'. Ha. Probably not a good technique for touring. Your tips for that are great. One other problem is the stupid dog that runs out in front of you. I was hit by two dogs. One on a fast descent hit my front wheel and put me over the handlebars and I got a separated shoulder. Not fun. The other slammed into my rear pannier and wheel bouncing the bike to the side but no harm done, to me anyway. Another funny animal thing was a little bird once flew into my front wheel, took a turn inside the spokes and flew out the other side, apparently unharmed. Have a good one!
I totally agree with your methods. I ride my mountain bike more than 6,500 km annually, mostly on dirt roads. I live in western Panama, and bike in rural areas. Almost every family has several to many dogs, so I have encounters with scores of dogs every morning, hundreds during the last year alone. The only modification I suggest to your methods is that when a barking dog approaches me, I don't just slow down, I stop. As you, I talk to them in a friendly voice like they are my buddies. Often they circle around me and sniff my calves or feet. I've made scores of dog friends that way, and often make friends of their owners as well. Quite a few of them bite other people who go by; I'm sure it's because the people are aggressive or defensive toward them. I find pit bulls to be especially friendly if met the right way. Dogs smell your fear, and they also smell your joy, so it's important to force yourself to be calm even when you may not feel that way. Keep your voice friendly. Once I know barkers aren't going to bite, but are still barking, I often sit by the road facing away from them. They often calm down and sniff my back, or just decide I'm no threat and quiet down. If trying to make a dog friend, it's best to not approach them directly, but to turn to the side looking away from them. Only twice have I needed to use my bike as a shield and move away slowly. I've never been bitten. Now a big part of my rides is stopping by places to visit the dogs, most of which started-off as barkers. By the way, I'm a wildlife biologist, and I've been studying the behavior of birds and mammals for about 50 years.
Love all of this! Thank you!
Sound tips. I've used all with success, even for just riding in my neighborhood!