Posted on June 29, 2010 by Dave W

If you have a fear of dog’s like my riding partner, cycling can sometimes be a bit of an ordeal.

‘Oh he doesn’t bite’ will be the owners comment as his unleashed lethal weapon chases after you as you try to outrun the snarling beast.

On our twice weekly rides we take a public road through farmland.

We pass the farmyard where two large, unfriendly looking dogs hang out.

Sometimes they just closely eye us up and down and maybe are too tired to move.

Once or twice they decide to show the farmer that they are worth keeping by protecting their surroundings from passing cyclist’s.

My riding partner, who is somewhat cynophobic (fears dog’s) puts me between him and the dogs.

“Don’t panic” I say “just stay calm and everything will be OK. We don’t have much chance of outrunning them up this hill”

“I only have to outrun you” he replies as his cadence increases to new-found levels.

So far these snarling beasts have only issued us with warnings and have not bitten us but I thought I would help my mate by finding a little more about cycling and dogs.

I came across this article and thought it might help others who may not think dogs are a mans best friend.

How to Deal With Bad Dogs

By Fred Matheny and Ed Pavelka of www.RoadBikeRider.com

Dog attacks are high on the list of cycling fears. Maybe you can’t stop Fang from giving chase, but you can outsmart him if you know how dogs think—assuming that stinkin’ mutt even has a brain! 

• Know dog psychology. The majority of dogs who chase cyclists are merely defending their territory. When you pedal off the section of road that they consider their turf, you no longer pose a threat to their ancestral instincts and they lose interest. Incidentally, this is why you’ll rarely be chased by a dog you encounter way out in the boonies. He’s not on his turf so he couldn’t care less about you.
• Know dog tactics. Dogs want to attack from the rear, coming up from the hindquarter. Even one who sits up in his yard ahead of you may wait till you pass before giving chase. You can use this to your advantage in the next tip because it gives you a head start.
• Sprint! You often can out-sprint Fido when he’s more interested in fooling around than in actually attacking. You can tell his intent by how hard he’s running and his expression. An easy gait with woofing and ears and tail up, no problem. A full-out sprint with ears back, tail down and teeth out, problem. Still, the territorial gene can save you. If the road is flat or downhill, stand up and sprint to get past the dog’s invisible boundary.

• Guard your front wheel. When a dog sees you coming, he might make a beeline for your bike, then attempt to turn up beside you. The danger here is that his poor little paws will skid on the pavement and he’ll plow into your wheels. If he hits the front one, you’ll crash. Sprint so that you move forward faster than he expects, and give him a margin for error by steering farther into the road—if traffic permits!
• SCREAM! Most dogs know what happens when a human is angry with them. A sudden shout of “No!” or “Git!” or “Stay!” will surprise Fluffy and probably make him hesitate for just the second you need to take the advantage. If he’s hard of hearing, raise your hand threateningly as if it contains a rock. Outlaw mutts usually have had experience with bad things flying at them when a human makes a throwing gesture.
• Play douse the Doberman. If you see big, fast Prince up ahead and know that he sees you, sprinting might not work. Especially if the road is tilting up. Take out your water bottle. Just having it in your hand may make him stay away. If he does come near you, give him a faceful and a loud yell. This distraction will slow him down, though he may come back for more. Just don’t distract yourself and ride off the road.

Some riders swear by Halt pepper spray that they clip to their handlebar. This stuff works great—if you hit your target. That’s a big if when you and Spot are going different speeds, the air is moving, and you’re trying to stay on the road. Pepper spray stings a dog’s eyes, nose and mouth, but it doesn’t cause lasting damage. It also works on human attackers, but that’s a different story.

• Give up and get off.  If nothing works and Toodles has the upper hand, dismount quickly and hold your bike between you and those sharp teeth. Swing it like a weapon if necessary, and start calling for help. Someone may eventually come out of a house and yell, “Oh, he won’t hurt you!”
• Call the cops. If you are attacked and bitten, report it to the county sheriff or other authority immediately. Include the location, a description of the dog and the owner’s name and address if you know them. Get medical attention without delay. If the dog was rabid, you are at risk of serious illness or even death. Demand proof of rabies vaccination or insist to authorities that the dog be quarantined.

If the same dog accosts you every time you ride the road, report this to the authorities, too. You have a right to use public roadways free from fear for your life, liberty and pursuit of cycling happiness. Keep following up with calls to make sure steps are taken to put PupPup on a rope.

Receive a FREE copy of the eBook “29 Pro Cycling Secrets for Roadies” by subscribing to the RoadBikeRider Newsletter at www.RoadBikeRider.com. No cost or obligation!

Keep Moving

Dave W

Cycling For Fitness

 

Related Posts

• The Importance of Fitness One of the ways the simplest and most effective to reduce levels of blood glucose, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and improve health and well-being is physical fitness and exercise. But in our increasingly sedentary world, where almost every essential task can be done directly from the driver's seat,......
• What are Specialist Cycling Shoes for Gone are the days where you would tuck your jeans in your socks and ride your bike in any old footwear that you felt comfortable in. Today you would be laughed at and while for the guy who rides his bike to and from work the above may be acceptable,......
• Eat Your Meat Don't Sit On It! As I increase my time in the saddle a couple of little niggles have started to annoy me. Knee pain seems to be a permanent part of my life at the moment. Back pain is causing me some concern, especially when playing badminton. Also I have experienced a little discomfort......
• Cycling Safety – Are You Proficient? Do you ride your bike safely, or do you think the Highway Code is just for other road users? Have you taken a proficiency test? [/caption] I remember many years ago at school taking my cycling proficiency test. It instilled basic safety skills into my soccer obsessed brain. Skills that......
• The Complete Book of Road Cycling & Racing Ride faster, fitter, smarter, & farther Every road rider has goals. Yours may be to begin racing, to become more competitive, or to win a specific tour. Not interested in racing? Perhaps you want to complete your first century ride, improve your overall fitness, or ride father and faster just......

Related Websites

• The Little Book That Builds Wealth By Pat Dorsey Wiley Publishing has put out a series of “Little Books” but this one may be the most important. If you are looking for ways to logically increase your wealth and secure your financial future, this is definitely a great starting point that will get you going in the right......
• How to Establish a Pack Hierarchy With Your Dog [/caption] One thing you'll want to do as an effective trainer of your dog is avoid the temptation to elevate your dog to "friendship" status. Yes, your dog can be a friend, but if you treat them like a fellow human being, a dog's behavior will be incongruent with the......
• How to Really Correct Your Dog [/caption] When it comes to dog training, perhaps the most overlooked aspect of working with a dog is understanding how to correct it. It takes more than simply knowing the right way to do something; you have to be able to "translate" what you know into something that the dog......
• 22 Tips for Weight Loss, pt 5 Here is a quick no nonsense guide to what you can to in order to get healthy and lose weight. This is part 5 in a 5 part series. (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5) 18 - If your measurement tool is not doing right by......
• Top-Ranked Players Advance to Quarter-Finals at Australian Open At the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Andy Roddick defeated Fernando Gonzales on Sunday to secure his spot in the Australian Open quarter-finals.  They battled for over three-and-a-half hours until Gonzalez double-faulted around 1 a.m. The match saw Roddick struggling at times, and again clashing with a chair umpire. This......