dog strategies

Roger Zoul wrote:


That's similiar to my experience, expect I'm moving, just very slowly. If
you go at a walking pace, then typically don't chase.

Stopping or slowing to a walking pace isn't much of a solution, in my
book. For one thing, my son, when he was young, was badly bitten on
both legs when he stopped for a chasing dog. For another thing, why
should anyone passing by be required to stop for the pleasure of an
untrained animal?

Loose dogs are dangerous. I treat them as such. I'll never let one get
close to my front wheel, especially. I use shouting, "Halt," and (if
necessary) rocks to train them to stay away.


--
--------------------+
Frank Krygowski [To reply, remove rodent and vegetable dot com,
replace with cc.ysu dot edu]

Frank Krygowski wrote:
|| Roger Zoul wrote:
||
|||
||| That's similiar to my experience, expect I'm moving, just very
||| slowly. If you go at a walking pace, then typically don't chase.
||
|| Stopping or slowing to a walking pace isn't much of a solution, in my
|| book. For one thing, my son, when he was young, was badly bitten on
|| both legs when he stopped for a chasing dog.

Sorry to hear that...however, it is a solution for me so far. If I saw a
dog still attacking after I'd slowed down, I'd be off the bike and ready to
fight. Perhaps your son would have too if he were older at the time.

For another thing, why
|| should anyone passing by be required to stop for the pleasure of an
|| untrained animal?

Who said one should be required to stop? I was just posting a possible
solution, not saying it was a requirement. I certainly don't want to stop
for someone's damn mutt.


||
|| Loose dogs are dangerous. I treat them as such. I'll never let one
|| get close to my front wheel, especially. I use shouting, "Halt,"
|| and (if necessary) rocks to train them to stay away.

I agree in general. But what is your point?

Zoot Katz wrote:
Sun, 15 Aug 2004 00:09:51 GMT,
,
David Newman wrote:


I never tried ammonia.


Don't even mention ammonia and dee-oh-gee-es in the same post.

Vinegar won't do permanent damage whereas an ammonia solution might.

I can attest from personal experience that getting vinegar in your eyes
is *very* painful. It's acid enough to damage eye tissues, so you need
to dilute it.

-km

--
the black rose
proud to be owned by a yorkie
http://community.webshots.com/user/blackrosequilts

Roger Zoul wrote:
Leo Lichtman wrote:
|| Once, when I was on a motorcycle, a large dog came out of a yard,
|| barking at me. I could have easily accelerated and left the dog
|| behind, but just for fun, I slowed down and stopped. The dog became
|| confused, and alternately wagged its tail and growled. It stopped
|| barking, came up and sniffed my leg, and just didn't know what to
|| do. I just rode on.
||
|| I probably would not have been so calm if I had been on a bicycle,
|| but, it does suggest that dogs usually don't chase people who are
|| not moving.

That's similiar to my experience, expect I'm moving, just very slowly. If
you go at a walking pace, then typically don't chase.

It's worth mentioning that we are unwittingly reinforcing the dogs'
behavior. It's very like the reason dogs bark at postmen. Look at it
from the dog's point of view:

Postman comes up on the porch.
Dog barks.
Postman goes away.
Dog thinks: "I won!"

Bicycle rides into view.
Dog barks and gives chase.
Bicycle rides away.
Dog thinks: "I won!"

It just reinforces the conditioning when they chase us as we ride away.
Now, don't ask me what the solution should be. I have no idea.

-km

--
the black rose
proud to be owned by a yorkie
http://community.webshots.com/user/blackrosequilts

the black rose wrote:
|| Roger Zoul wrote:
||| Leo Lichtman wrote:
||||| Once, when I was on a motorcycle, a large dog came out of a yard,
||||| barking at me. I could have easily accelerated and left the dog
||||| behind, but just for fun, I slowed down and stopped. The dog
||||| became confused, and alternately wagged its tail and growled. It
||||| stopped barking, came up and sniffed my leg, and just didn't know
||||| what to
||||| do. I just rode on.
|||||
||||| I probably would not have been so calm if I had been on a bicycle,
||||| but, it does suggest that dogs usually don't chase people who are
||||| not moving.
|||
||| That's similiar to my experience, expect I'm moving, just very
||| slowly. If you go at a walking pace, then typically don't chase.
||
|| It's worth mentioning that we are unwittingly reinforcing the dogs'
|| behavior. It's very like the reason dogs bark at postmen. Look at
|| it
|| from the dog's point of view:
||
|| Postman comes up on the porch.
|| Dog barks.
|| Postman goes away.
|| Dog thinks: "I won!"
||
|| Bicycle rides into view.
|| Dog barks and gives chase.
|| Bicycle rides away.
|| Dog thinks: "I won!"
||
|| It just reinforces the conditioning when they chase us as we ride
|| away. Now, don't ask me what the solution should be. I have no
|| idea.
||
|| -km
||

It doesn't matter in my mind what the dog thinks...what matters is that I
don't get bitten or have a crash because of the dog.

Little Meow wrote:
|| Roger Zoul wrote:
||
||| Little Meow wrote:
||||| pam_in_sc wrote:
|||||
|||||| I took a shortcut through a neighborhood I didn't know this
|||||| morning and a dog came out and chased me. Now and then I've
|||||| been scared a dog actually wanted to bite me, but I didn't have
|||||| that sense with this one. I was going down a hill and I
|||||| figured if I just kept going I would leave the dog behind.
|||||| Unfortunately the dog tried to cut in front of my bike and I hit
|||||| it and went flying. I'm bruised and scraped, nothing more
|||||| serious, thankfully. The dog ran and hid, but when it came out
|||||| again I regret to say it wasn't even limping (I did eventually
|||||| ride home, but it took me a while to figure out that I and my
|||||| bike were ok).
||||||
|||||| Did I just run into an exceptionally stupid and inexperienced dog
|||||| (this was a hound in a mill town in South Carolina) or is my
|||||| strategy of just ignoring the dog and keeping going the wrong
|||||| one? When I took my bike to my local bike shop for some
|||||| readjustments one person there said he yells at dogs "Get off
|||||| the couch."
||||||
|||||| Pam
||||||
||||| Each dog is different.
|||||
||||| During one morning ride, I was savagely assaulted by a chihuahua.
||||| I slowed down so that I wouldn't overexert myself and fall victim
||||| to its needle sharp fangs, but this had the effect of encouraging
||||| it to yap louder and chase longer (I could almost hear cartoonish
||||| twinklefeet sound effects).
|||||
||||| Soon, I was confused by stereo yapping. Terror gripped me as
||||| another wee predator lept out from the next yard and slammed into
||||| the gate with a gentle "poink". Dos chihuahuas! Aye caramba!
|||||
||||| I continued my leisurely escape when the yapping trebled.
||||| From across the street, a tiny snout protested my passing.
||||| Tres chihuahuas! Aye dios mio!
|||||
||||| Once I had travelled two front yards over, mi amigo chiquito was
||||| satisfied that I had been chased out of his vast territory.
||||| The last I saw of it, it was using its hind legs to kick grass
||||| in my direction.
|||||
||||| Well, ok, maybe these dogs were all the same, but other, different
||||| dogs, are different. Or something like that.
|||
||| You couldn't outrun a mere chihuahua? Oh my....
|||
||
|| Speak you of "mere chihuahua"?
|| Bah!
|| Chihuauas were designed for no other function
|| than speed. The tiny snout cuts the wind, the
|| big ears provide downdraft for greater forepaw
|| traction. The short leg stroke allows for much
|| higher rpms. Internally, the tiny heart and lungs
|| work at hummingbird rates.
||
|| Dismiss the chihuahua at your own peril.

hahahahaha....

Two of them had the nerve to get after me one day....I clicked up to smoke
them....I was surprised, however, to find that one of them was still on my
tail when I decided they were gone...but that didn't last long

What I didn't realize is that those two were just getting me tuckered out
for the two bigger mutts they lay in wait for me further down the road,
right after I had to climb a hill.

On Sat, 14 Aug 2004 19:46:35 -0400, Roger Zoul
wrote:

pam_in_sc wrote:
|| I took a shortcut through a neighborhood I didn't know this morning
|| and a dog came out and chased me. Now and then I've been scared a
|| dog actually wanted to bite me, but I didn't have that sense with
|| this one. I was going down a hill and I figured if I just kept
|| going I would leave the dog behind. Unfortunately the dog tried to
|| cut in front of my bike and I hit it and went flying. I'm bruised
|| and scraped, nothing more serious, thankfully. The dog ran and hid,
|| but when it came out again I regret to say it wasn't even limping (I
|| did eventually ride home, but it took me a while to figure out that
|| I and my bike were ok).
||
|| Did I just run into an exceptionally stupid and inexperienced dog
|| (this was a hound in a mill town in South Carolina) or is my
|| strategy of just ignoring the dog and keeping going the wrong one?
|| When I took my bike to my local bike shop for some readjustments one
|| person there said he yells at dogs "Get off the couch."

Dogs often try to run in front of you. My experience so far is to not
try to
out run the dog unless you are willing to haul ass. If you do the
latter,
then click up and go, go, go and don't let the dog get in front of you.
If
you do the former, don't gave the dog anything to chase - just go very
slowly so it won't find any sport with you. I've tried this several
times
this summer and it seems to work consistently - so far. I'm not claiming
100% that this always works. But don't ever let a dog get in front of
you -
if it does, slow down. Also, talk to the dog, that might slow them down
a
bit.

||
|| Pam



I've actually gotten off my bike and put it between me and the dog. There
was one dog, though, that I didn't trust. I would ride on the opposite
side of the road, and the dog even came across the street one time.
Unfortunately, this was on an uphill, so I didn't have the option of going
fast. (I also rode down this hill, but the dog had no chance as I'd blow
by at about 40 mph; I heard "woof" then nothing.) I was thinking of
getting mace for this dog, but I moved.

Dogs suck because they really don't like cyclists.

--
Bob M
remove ".x" to reply

"Bob M" wrote in message
news
Dogs suck because they really don't like cyclists.

It's not dogs that suck, it's the idiot owners that let them run loose.

Dave

On Sun, 15 Aug 2004 14:31:27 -0400, Bob M wrote:

On Sat, 14 Aug 2004 19:46:35 -0400, Roger Zoul
wrote:

I've actually gotten off my bike and put it between me and the dog.
There was one dog, though, that I didn't trust. I would ride on the
opposite side of the road, and the dog even came across the street one
time. Unfortunately, this was on an uphill, so I didn't have the
option of going fast. (I also rode down this hill, but the dog had no
chance as I'd blow by at about 40 mph; I heard "woof" then nothing.) I
was thinking of getting mace for this dog, but I moved.

Dogs suck because they really don't like cyclists.

I have 2 rather drastic solutions for a last ditch dog encounter.
The first, is as mentioned to get off the bike and use it as a
weapon to discourage a seriously aggressive dog. That worked for
me one time. The other, which would probably not happen in the
city is to use a knife. I carry a belt mounted survival knife when
I go for my deep woods wilderness ride/hikes. If it ever got down to
it I would filet the dog rather than get bitten. The knife is
carried not out of some sense of macho but due to the fact I go into
bear and cougar territory and may actually need it.
I hope to never find out, but would rather put up a fight than just
become food for a wild animal. Carrying a gun would be just a bit
over the top, even for me. At this point I know of only one large
dog with a bad attitude and a useless owner (welfare redneck), so
I avoid that spot. Other dogs have mostly given up on me, except
for the two I have conditioned to expect petting. For those two
I get off the bike and take a break.
Bill Baka


--
Using M2, Opera's revolutionary e-mail client: http://www.opera.com/m2/

Little Meow wrote:
|| Roger Zoul wrote:
||
||| Little Meow wrote:
||||| Roger Zoul wrote:
|||||
|||||| Little Meow wrote:
|||||||| pam_in_sc wrote:
||||||||
||||||||| I took a shortcut through a neighborhood I didn't know this
||||||||| morning and a dog came out and chased me. Now and then I've
||||||||| been scared a dog actually wanted to bite me, but I didn't
||||||||| have that sense with this one. I was going down a hill and I
||||||||| figured if I just kept going I would leave the dog behind.
||||||||| Unfortunately the dog tried to cut in front of my bike and I
||||||||| hit it and went flying. I'm bruised and scraped, nothing more
||||||||| serious, thankfully. The dog ran and hid, but when it came
||||||||| out again I regret to say it wasn't even limping (I did
||||||||| eventually ride home, but it took me a while to figure out
||||||||| that I and my bike were ok).
|||||||||
||||||||| Did I just run into an exceptionally stupid and inexperienced
||||||||| dog (this was a hound in a mill town in South Carolina) or is
||||||||| my strategy of just ignoring the dog and keeping going the
||||||||| wrong one? When I took my bike to my local bike shop for some
||||||||| readjustments one person there said he yells at dogs "Get off
||||||||| the couch."
|||||||||
||||||||| Pam
|||||||||
|||||||| Each dog is different.
||||||||
|||||||| During one morning ride, I was savagely assaulted by a
|||||||| chihuahua. I slowed down so that I wouldn't overexert myself
|||||||| and fall victim to its needle sharp fangs, but this had the
|||||||| effect of encouraging it to yap louder and chase longer (I
|||||||| could almost hear cartoonish twinklefeet sound effects).
||||||||
|||||||| Soon, I was confused by stereo yapping. Terror gripped me as
|||||||| another wee predator lept out from the next yard and slammed
|||||||| into the gate with a gentle "poink". Dos chihuahuas! Aye
|||||||| caramba!
||||||||
|||||||| I continued my leisurely escape when the yapping trebled.
|||||||| From across the street, a tiny snout protested my passing.
|||||||| Tres chihuahuas! Aye dios mio!
||||||||
|||||||| Once I had travelled two front yards over, mi amigo chiquito
|||||||| was satisfied that I had been chased out of his vast territory.
|||||||| The last I saw of it, it was using its hind legs to kick grass
|||||||| in my direction.
||||||||
|||||||| Well, ok, maybe these dogs were all the same, but other,
|||||||| different dogs, are different. Or something like that.
||||||
|||||| You couldn't outrun a mere chihuahua? Oh my....
||||||
|||||
||||| Speak you of "mere chihuahua"?
||||| Bah!
||||| Chihuauas were designed for no other function
||||| than speed. The tiny snout cuts the wind, the
||||| big ears provide downdraft for greater forepaw
||||| traction. The short leg stroke allows for much
||||| higher rpms. Internally, the tiny heart and lungs
||||| work at hummingbird rates.
|||||
||||| Dismiss the chihuahua at your own peril.
|||
||| hahahahaha....
|||
||| Two of them had the nerve to get after me one day....I clicked up to
||| smoke them....I was surprised, however, to find that one of them was
||| still on my tail when I decided they were gone...but that didn't
||| last long
|| Their light weight makes them susceptible to getting sucked up
|| in your draft. This is by design.
|| During stage 14 of the 1975 TdF, Eddy Merckx had a half-dozen
|| toy poodles caught in his draft. A concerned fan tried to swat
|| them off, but accidentally hit Merckx. The confused poodles then
|| attacked and consumed the fan.
||
||| What I didn't realize is that those two were just getting me
||| tuckered out for the two bigger mutts they lay in wait for me
||| further down the road, right after I had to climb a hill.
||
|| They hunt in packs at strategic spots.
|| While chasing you, they dreamed of chasing the peloton,
|| picking out a slow rider, and taking him/her down.
|| This is the real reason why the peloton is formed:
|| safety in numbers, boot the slowest riders to the
|| chihuahuas, move on.