Why is it that every time I find a nice bike path I see a large sign saying “Dogs must be kept on a leash at all times” and then on my ride encounter hordes of unleashed, excited dogs that give chase and cause lots of near accidents/ stress? The other day a really scary pit bull was in my way and almost everyone ignores the sign - don’t dog people have any sense that loose dogs chasing cyclists is a really bad idea from a safety standpoint? I told one negligent owner to leash her 3 huge dogs that caused me to stop my ride for a while and she was all defensive and said “they are on a leash” and quickly leashed them.
I am tempted to become an unleashed dog cop who throws rocks at any unleashed dogs I come across - I was bitten by a doberman as a kid and dont trust dogs at all - why can’t owners understand that dogs look like large predators to homo sapiens who don’t know them and keep them locked up?
Also if I do get bitten what should I do? Ask the owner for their contact information so I can sue them? Attack the owner back as I bleed to death? I can’t believe dogs are legal.
Nice. You’re one of those people. Don’t you know what dog is spelled backwards.
If you weren’t such a Sally when confronted with a dog, they would likely leave you alone. When confronted with a dog, I recommend wiping the “I look like I am going to wet my pants look” off your face and speak to the dog in a stern tone. It is also helpful to stick your hand out at the dog gently with your fingers down and palm open. Once the little bugger smells your hand it will likely leave you alone.
I confronted a dog on a long run the other week and did the foregoing; in fact, the dog went on with me for 2 or 3 more miles until I looped around and brought him back home.
When I read posts like this it makes me wonder why being moronic is not illegal.
P.S. Get over yourself; As evidence that you can, note that a feisty German Shepard left its canine teeth marks in my ass when I was a kid riding my banana seat bike.
P.P.S. When my dog bites you, and you ask for my info, you can kiss the spot when the German Shepard bit me.
I empathize with you.
I hit an unleashed dog several years ago (on a suburban street). The dog scampered off and I took a nasty spill in which I nearly pulled my hamstring out of its distal attachments. I threatened the owner with a nasty lawsuit. Never followed through, but I probably should have.
Many dog owners think their animals are human. Why else would they give them human names and put sweaters on them?
I have come to a simple and reliable conclusion: Owners of untrained, uncontrolled and aggressive dogs are idiots.
“I recommend wiping the “I look like I am going to wet my pants look” off your face and speak to the dog in a stern tone. It is also helpful to stick your hand out at the dog gently with your fingers down and palm open. Once the little bugger smells your hand it will likely leave you alone.”
The problem with this strategy is that when the dog licks my hand I get a rash where his saliva touches my skin as I am highly allergic. Also I know how to not look scared but it requires stopping and making peace with the dog - if you fly by at 20 miles an hour the dog gives chase and its unnerving if the dog is of considerable size. The bike path in question is a 70 mile long hard pack trail frequented by mountain bikers and dog lovers who find it amusing to watch the poor homo sapiens face an old predator over an over again and watch the fear in strangers.
I think its like me bringing my pet shark to the swimming pool when I swim laps. If you’ve ever been bitten by a doberman which has 2000 pounds per square inch bite pressure and can easily take a pound or two or flesh you would be scared of dogs too.
If I was bitten and the owner refused to give me their contact information I would probably loose my cool (I would have already lost it in the confrontation with the hound already) and would probably beat the crap out of the owner untill I had inflicted about the same amount of damage to their person as was inflicted to me by their weapon (err dog).
If you think about it getting bit by a dog could cost you a lot of money in medical expenses - I had to have stomach-needle rabies shots since they didn’t have the arm ones and that was not fun and the whole thing was very expensive. If you refuse to provide contact information you are in effect committing a crime no? What are the laws on this - I want to know in case this ever happens to me again.
Are you riding on a paved trail? I can’t say I ever see dogs off leash on a paved trail. I can’t imagine letting my dogs off leash on a paved bike path for fear of them getting hit by someone like you.
Now extendable leashes on a paved trail with heavy bike traffic, now that might be another story that I might agree on. No reason to get clotheslined.
And your fear/ hate of dogs is one of those cyclical things. Dog sense fear and thus will harass you more. The more they read that you are ‘cool with them’ the more likely they are to leave you alone/ not bite you, etc.
If it is a huge problem, and you really fear being bitten, take a page from my UPS man’s book and go buy a box of dog treats and put some in your jersey pockets when you ride. Food/ treats are often the fastest way to a dog heart. In fact, you could probably toss the treat away from you and the dog will run away temporarily…of course, then you may have made a best friend… who knows, that may make owners leash their dogs to keep them from running off with you.
