Chased by a scary dog

Hello,

I was cycling on a shared cycle path in a park at 8pm last night. I had
a hi-vis jacket and proper lights on when from nowhere a very scary dog
started to chase me. It was stout, muscular and black and gold, maybe a
Rottie mongrel - I couldn't tell, it was dark.

I thought I could outrun it but it was fast so I just stopped, turned my
bike at a right angle to maximise my size and stood behind it. I stared
at the dog and with my loudest voice I shouted F*** off. It did too.

I found the owners of the dog and told them about keeping dogs under
control in public areas and rode off.

I'm rather annoyed by this. I have a dog which I considerately walk
around this park and keep under control. I cycle through it everyday too
and most regular dog walkers say hello because they recognise me and
that I will always slow down and give their dogs a wide berth. It's
consideration and courtesy isn't it?

So, what's the best way to deal with this sort of situation? It was a
very scary dog and I don't want this to happen to someone else. Would
the police take any action? Probably not. I'm really wondering what are
the best comments I should make to owners of uncontrolled dogs like this
to make them take action without being threatening.

Anyway, sorry for the rant. It's really got me annoyed. Aaaarrrgghhh.

In article , Mike J
says...
I stared
at the dog and with my loudest voice I shouted F*** off. It did too.

....

So, what's the best way to deal with this sort of situation?

I think you found it already. :-) I think the advice is to avoid
direct eye contact, which the dog will see as aggressive, but that's
more about keeping it calm while you back away - I'd tend to take the
assertive approach, although I'm more likely to stop and make a fuss of
the beast.

It was a
very scary dog and I don't want this to happen to someone else. Would
the police take any action? Probably not. I'm really wondering what are
the best comments I should make to owners of uncontrolled dogs like this
to make them take action without being threatening.

Probably best not to - they're obviously inconsiderate irresponsible
idiots who don't care for the safety of their dogs or the public, so
you'd be wasting your time.

"Mike J" wrote in message ...
Hello,

I was cycling on a shared cycle path in a park at 8pm last night. I had a
hi-vis jacket and proper lights on when from nowhere a very scary dog
started to chase me. It was stout, muscular and black and gold, maybe a
Rottie mongrel - I couldn't tell, it was dark.

I thought I could outrun it but it was fast so I just stopped, turned my
bike at a right angle to maximise my size and stood behind it. I stared at
the dog and with my loudest voice I shouted F*** off. It did too.

I found the owners of the dog and told them about keeping dogs under
control in public areas and rode off.

I'm rather annoyed by this. I have a dog which I considerately walk around
this park and keep under control. I cycle through it everyday too and most
regular dog walkers say hello because they recognise me and that I will
always slow down and give their dogs a wide berth. It's consideration and
courtesy isn't it?

So, what's the best way to deal with this sort of situation? It was a very
scary dog and I don't want this to happen to someone else. Would the
police take any action? Probably not. I'm really wondering what are the
best comments I should make to owners of uncontrolled dogs like this to
make them take action without being threatening.

Anyway, sorry for the rant. It's really got me annoyed. Aaaarrrgghhh.

I would certainly agree with you that the diog should have been under proper
control, that this sort of experience can be terrifying, and that its owners
should have been informed.

I suspect, however, from your description of the incident, that the dog
thought that this was a marvelous game, and was probably quite hurt when you
insisted on not playing. I think that a problem is that a lot of dog owners
know that their dog is playful rather than aggressive, and therefore think
that they do not need to be controlled, leaving the rest of us to undergo
the uncertainty of having to guess a galloping dog's intentions, and denying
uds the right not to be bothered by them.

Mike J writtificated

So, what's the best way to deal with this sort of situation? It was a
very scary dog and I don't want this to happen to someone else.

The best thing to do is what you've just done, although it's likely the fog
just wanted to play. I tend to make a fuss of any dog that looks like it
may be a problem. They get puzzled when the Threat (you) starts talking to
it in baby language. Exception are those horrid little terrier type
things. EVERYTHING is prey to them, from gnats to supertankers.

To prevent a dog from attacking anyone else I've found the best way is to
stop and make friends with the dog. The idea being that if it is a savage
ball of teeth and fangs then it'll get put down for mangling my leg rather
than some childs face. So far all they've done is decided that I'm not as
fun as they thought I'd be and lolloped off to find something else to sniff
at and dribble on.

"Mike J" wrote in message ...
Hello,

I was cycling on a shared cycle path in a park at 8pm last night. I had a
hi-vis jacket and proper lights on when from nowhere a very scary dog
started to chase me. It was stout, muscular and black and gold, maybe a
Rottie mongrel - I couldn't tell, it was dark.

I thought I could outrun it but it was fast so I just stopped, turned my
bike at a right angle to maximise my size and stood behind it. I stared at
the dog and with my loudest voice I shouted F*** off. It did too.

I found the owners of the dog and told them about keeping dogs under
control in public areas and rode off.

I'm rather annoyed by this. I have a dog which I considerately walk around
this park and keep under control. I cycle through it everyday too and most
regular dog walkers say hello because they recognise me and that I will
always slow down and give their dogs a wide berth. It's consideration and
courtesy isn't it?

So, what's the best way to deal with this sort of situation? It was a very
scary dog and I don't want this to happen to someone else. Would the
police take any action? Probably not. I'm really wondering what are the
best comments I should make to owners of uncontrolled dogs like this to
make them take action without being threatening.

Anyway, sorry for the rant. It's really got me annoyed. Aaaarrrgghhh.

Kick the thing in the face if it goes for you. You'll doubtless upset the
owners but I'd rather that than be savaged.

On 28 Feb 2008 09:52:03 GMT someone who may be Mark T
pleasegivegenerously@warmail*turn_up_the_heat_to_ reply*.com.invalid
wrote this:-

To prevent a dog from attacking anyone else I've found the best way is to
stop and make friends with the dog.

That would make for rather slow journeys by bike.



--
David Hansen, Edinburgh
I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54

My current strategy is to see how far away from the owner I can get
the dog to chase me.....

On Feb 28, 8:53*am, Mike J wrote:
Hello,

I was cycling on a shared cycle path in a park at 8pm last night. I had
a hi-vis jacket and proper lights on when from nowhere a very scary dog
started to chase me. It was stout, muscular and black and gold, maybe a
Rottie mongrel - I couldn't tell, it was dark.

I thought I could outrun it but it was fast so I just stopped, turned my
bike at a right angle to maximise my size and stood behind it. I stared
at the dog and with my loudest voice I shouted F*** off.

I've had a similar and very frightening experience with a Dobermann.
I placed my bike between me and the dog, while the dippy owner just
smiled and shouted from 50 yards away, "He's harmless, really." After
it's third lunge at me I picked up the bike and smacked the ******* in
the face with my chainring.

That sorted it.

Calum

On Feb 28, 11:25*am, calum wrote:
... while the dippy owner just smiled and shouted from 50 yards away, "He's harmless, really." *After it's third lunge at me I picked up the bike and smacked the ******* in the face with my chainring.

I should clarify that it was the dog I hit, not the dippy owner!

Calum

squeaker writtificated

My current strategy is to see how far away from the owner I can get
the dog to chase me.....

Get it out of sight and you can make it chase a stick into the canal.
That'll please the owners evil laugh