What do you do when being chased by a dog?

What the hell do you lot all do to get chased and bitten all the time!? Seriously, where I ride I encounter lots of dogs, always off the lead, and not one single time have I had even the slightest problem. Possibly the problem may not always lie with the dog or the owner...?

Yes, I've had dogs run up to me barking, but all I do is slow a little, freewheel so the're not mesmersised by pedalling feet, and say hello to them in a friendly voice. If they still want to play with me and not go back to their owner, I'll stop and say a proper hello, give them a pat and tell them to go back to their owner. Hasn't failed me yet. As a result, everyone I meet seems to be very friendly, and even apologetic if they think their dog's bothering me (which it never is).

Maybe it helps that I have a dog myself, even though he's not always with me, as you learn how to read their behaviour and how to react to them. I say this as someone who was terrified of dogs right up until the point that I got one...

If you need to take control of the situation, be firm and authorative without being overly aggressive. If you antagonise a dog, you're no better, are you?

Cue all the "dogs should be kept on a lead at all times, I'm always getting attacked for no reason, child's face, etc"

RadNomad":1k767r5o said:

Squirt 'im on the nose with yer water bottle! :twisted:

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X2 works every time.

mutt gets completely stunned by what it can't work out just happened. by such time you are well away from it, or it runs in the opposite direection away from you.

To be honest I'm more concerned about vampire bites.

Having read all the comments posted on this thread all I can say is hypocrites to most (not all) people that have replied to this thread.
You are all up in arms when somebody that doesn't like mtbs does something to spoil your fun and is potentially dangerous or even lethal (stories of lines across tracks and nail studded bits of wood buried) but the mention of something you don't like (dogs in this case) brings out exactly the same mindless and antisocial antics as the idiots you were up in arms about .
I've never had a problem with a dog on a bike due to the fact that I usually slow down or even stop, talk to the dog , get eye contact etc instead of being the mindless idiot that because he has the legal right (or not in many cases) to ride his bike somewhere means he has to take the attitude of sod all the other legal users of this area I going to do what I want , acceptable behaviour or not.
Grow up children or we'll lose what little rights we still have.
Matthew

With all this recent flooding I have become concerned about being bitten by a pirhana. Perhaps slowing down and making eye contact while it savages me really is the way forward.

gradeAfailure":7mj8b6fp said:

Yes, I've had dogs run up to me barking, but all I do is slow a little, freewheel so the're not mesmersised by pedalling feet, and say hello to them in a friendly voice. If they still want to play with me and not go back to their owner, I'll stop and say a proper hello, give them a pat and tell them to go back to their owner. Hasn't failed me yet. As a result, everyone I meet seems to be very friendly, and even apologetic if they think their dog's bothering me (which it never is).

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+1

You have to understand why a dog is chasing you... He doesn't know you are human when you are biking through the field. Imagine you are a dog and look at that strange creature on 2 wheels! It looks strange and it's running away! Might be fun to chase!!

Slow down and speak to the dog. A normal dog will stop barking and chasing. If the dog bites you anyway, it has nothing to do with you being on a bike. He would have bitten you if you were walking or sitting! In that case it is just a bad dog which was caused by a bad owner!

A dog is chasing you because the owner isn't exercising proper control that they are lawfully obliged to provide. Period.

It's an offence to have your dog dangerously of control in a public place causing fear, fear of injury or injury. Why should we jump through hoops because some dole bludging owner can't be arsed with their lawful duty. I Personally alike dogs, though normally I'm happy to ignore them - but that being the case if a dog chases me it's going to get a blumells round it skull, and if the owner doesn't like it they can sue me.

Chopper1192":1h4ly3m0 said:

A dog is chasing you because the owner isn't exercising proper control that they are lawfully obliged to provide. Period.

It's an offence to have your dog dangerously of control in a public place causing fear, fear of injury or injury. Why should we jump through hoops because some dole bludging owner can't be arsed with their lawful duty. I Personally alike dogs, though normally I'm happy to ignore them - but that being the case if a dog chases me it's going to get a blumells round it skull, and if the owner doesn't like it they can sue me.

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You are right! A well behaved dog shouldn't chase you and it IS the faulth of the owner....

The questions was, what do you do when it happens anyway......

7.62 millimetre, full metal Blumells.

Matthews":23153ymh said:

I've never had a problem with a dog on a bike

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They are concentrating too hard to bother you.

Seriously, we as dog owners have a responsibility. Ours are never off the lead anywhere they might cause an issue, or get injured themselves. Even going through sections of denser woods we put the leads on in case they get in someone's way. On the rare occasion we have been caught out doing otherwise the lesson has been relearned.

Bikers also have a responsibility to ride to the conditions, and that includes slowing down where there are walkers with or without animals.