Avoiding the Bite!

What do you do when Dog X drops his/her ball and takes to the two-wheeled animal that is you and your bike? There are many different methods for dealing with dogs that chase cyclists, some methods work for one dog and not for others. It is an unfortunate series of trial and error that will hopefully end this folly of Dog X’s ways. I am a cyclist and a dog lover, however I do not enjoy being chased by a dog while on my bicycle or at all for that matter. That being said I am going to recommend ways of avoidance that are hopefully the least harmful to all parties involved. I also encourage those of you who have different (and humane) methods of dealing with this issue to post them as a comment to this blog.

These methods are in no particular order and are only suggestions and have no guarantee of working. Each method also has pros and cons and I encourage you to weigh those against your particular situation to see which if any of the methods will work for you. If you choose to try any of these methods you are doing so at your own risk.

 Return to the scene of the chasing after your ride and try to locate the dog’s owners and inform them of the problem and the need to rectify the situation. Leave out the threats no matter how upset you are because they tend to turn a bad situation worse.
 Take treats along with you on your ride and throw them to the pursuing dogs in an effort to give him a positive distraction.
 Try to out run the dog without putting yourself in harms way (i.e. on coming traffic, intersections, etc).
 Squirting dog with water from bottle or squirt gun.
 If you carry a frame pump waving it at the dog in order to fend off any efforts to bite while trying to avoid actually hitting the dog, which could cause further aggression.
 Use a spray product that is not permanently harmful to the dog but will stop him from chasing you. These products are not pepper spray but rather a citronella blend that works and is not suppose to have lasting damage on the dog. I would check with a local pet store to find products like this.
 Another resort is to involve the local police or sheriff’s department and animal control. Usually each department has certain guidelines that they have to abide by in order to be lawful and I encourage you to inquire about these guidelines by making a phone call. At the very least notifying these agencies makes them aware of the issue and can help with any future complaints or suits.

If all or any of these efforts have failed to keep Dog X at bay I hope that you are still in one piece and accident free. If not and you have been bitten by a dog that terrorizes a section of your ride make sure that the incident has been reported and dealt with in an appropriate manner. Letting situations like this go could end up worse for the next cyclist that unassumingly ventures into Dog X’s neck of the woods. It is a good idea to communicate with fellow cyclists and local bike shops in your area to let them know of any sections of road or trail where caution should be taken due to aggressive dogs. This by no means is condemning all dogs that you may meet while on your bicycle it is a note of caution for your safety and consideration should you encounter this issue.

To the Trail,
Sara