Advice on approaching dogs while cycling anyone?

[Nigel777]

Hello,

I went out on the bike yesterday for the first time in a couple of weeks (due to injury).

I was taking my usual route, this is a mix of off road / tow path / road.
As I was half way up the hill in some woods a couple of dogs came flying towards me jumping up at my bike. This of course caused me to repeatedly swerve out of the way until their owners called them back (about 100 yards away). I was clipped into the spd's at this point so its lucky i didnt come off.

I subsequently unclipped and carried on. As I passed the "owners" the dogs were still jumping up at me, and followed me up the hill a fair way too. (meanwhile the owners having a good chuckle).

Further along my route i stopped off just out of some woods on the roadside to pump up my rear tyre. As I was doing this a car pulled up, as they opened the door three dogs jumped out and started barking at me and generally going crazy (while i was kneeling to pump up my tyre).

I said to the owner that some people could find that intimidating. To which I received a 5 minute lecture on how I would not find it intimidating if I was a "Dog Person". (I of course comented that I had a border collie for 18 years).

This of course is stupid as anyone in that situation with three dogs surrounding them from behind barking their heads off would find it intimidating. Not to mention that this was on a roadside and the dogs should have all been on leads.

Anyway, enough of that rant.

Does anyone have any tips on this?
Has anyone had issues with dogs or is it just me?

 

[theredchili]

I remember in a book from the early 90's ,The Mountain bike book of knowledge, there was a great tip known as the anti-dog invasion technique, which involved turning zig zagging just before the dog and punting the dog my means of scooping it up with your foot !!!!

Its an entertaining book if you can find a copy, I have long since lost my copy !

 

[TheGreenRabbit]

I remember in a book from the early 90's ,The Mountain bike book of knowledge, there was a great tip known as the anti-dog invasion technique, which involved turning zig zagging just before the dog and punting the dog my means of scooping it up with your foot !!!!

Its an entertaining book if you can find a copy, I have long since lost my copy !

I have a copy !

Any Dogs, if they jump I kick end of, keep your dog under control and we will all get along. In the past I have been a dog owner, and will be in the future.

 

[orange71]

Any Dogs, if they jump I kick end of, keep your dog under control and we will all get along.

ditto

Especially if I am with my kids :evil:

 

[suburbanreuben]

Slow down and talk to the dogs. Let them know you're human, and not some big scary beast.
"Hello Fella" in a friendly, pleased to see you tone works wonders. If they persist in hassling you, stop, and keep taliking. If the owners don't act to control their mutt though, a kick is often the only remedy.

 

[theredchili]

Im not in anyway encouraging the kicking of dogs needlessly by the way !

 

[giant-one]

^^^ As per above. I never have problems with dogs but if they ever do start barking then the above works well.

I would never kick a dog unless it actually went for me, I would rather kick the bloody owner and give them a good talking to instead.

 

[BertR00t]

I have kicked two dogs in my life and both had already tried to bit me so I thought they were fair game. I also hit a German Sheperd side on a number of years ago when the owner decided to cross in front of me when I was hurtling down a road at about 25mph. Hurt me and seriously injured the dog, it was having trouble breathing probably down to the number of ribs broken when I hit it. Owner still tried to make out it was my fault.

 

[Nigel777]

thanks for the replies so far.

i also would never kick a dog unless it went for me.

however, dogs consistently scare my 4 year old son when we are out and about (walking) and their owners think nothing of it.

imagine if they had knocked me off my bike and i was injured (dogs would have been squashed at this point). i would have been onto the police immediately.

i actually saw a dog collide with a cyclist at speed a while back (a labrador), luckily the cyclist managed to keep control and stop safely (the dog came from nowhere out of some bushes from the side and he had no chance of seeing it). the owner had the front to have a particularly aggresive rant at the cyclist (a 70 odd year old man) who subsequently cycled off (as it looked like he would get a beating).

 

[theredchili]

Some "doggie people" are a little strange, now I have a dog, if he went barking at people, horses,sheep, cyclists,scaring small children, I would shout him to stop immediately ,some dog owners things is ok for their dogs to do whatever they want ,Grrrrrrrr :evil: