Chased by dogs on bike - what do you do? (Page 5)

People can be very emotional about their pets. 

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=179058&start=1

http://s184.photobucket.com/albums/x143/CasMicRog/Jake/?albumview=slideshow

I am a dog lover and always have been.  All I'm saying is, pit bull or golden retiever or poodle, just realize that not everyone thinks of dogs as "just an animal".  For many, they are beloved members of the family.  Shooting at anyone's dog should be a last resort......not just becuase he showed his teeth and gowled.

Wow - a gun on you while biking?  That is just crazy.  Personally I'd rather have a pitbull latch on to my leg than carry a gun and risk injuring myself or someone else.  If you are ever in my paceline let me know so I can drop, more danger to you and me than the dog....  If you can't do some interval work to out sprint them then finding another route is the best option.  If you are in a new area and the dog looks overly aggressive some stop and put their bike between them and the dog and firmly tell them to go home.  Good luck and stay safe.

I'll admit I am not a gun enthusist but neither am I ignorant.  I own 1/2 dozen firearems - 9mm, 30-06, a few shotguns, .22s etc.  I was also in the Army and qualified expert with an M-16, fired M-60 machine guns and 50-cal machine guns.  I am not aware of handguns w/o some sort of safety device but if you say there are many, I'll accept that.

As far as you second comment....you may be right. 

As far as my comments haunting me.....maybe.  I've looked down the barrel of a loaded gun pointed at me on a few occasions.   But then I found religion....I mean triathlons....and I retired from my rough and rowdy ways....uh...well, most of them.  ;-)

I think your looking at this the wrong way....You should see it as a Great Sprint Workout.

But, if the dog is a better sprinter than you, I carry a couple Milk Bones in my shirt pocket.  Haven't met a dog yet that would turn one down...

So, I went for a hike on Monday (after I wrote this to do list) and my husband and I were "greeted" by a very peeved very large dog. The Bruce Trail runs through people's properties at some points and we were on this leash less dogs turf. My husband wants pepper spray now too. We were SO LUCKY that the woman who owns the place wasn't too far behind him, but it took a scary amount of time to get him under control and she had to basically hold him down while we passed through.

It was so scary. I was looking for a climbable tree before it was restrained. Pepper spray is still on the to do list.

I've scanned the whole thread... Glad some one posted the American Flyers video.

Anyway... I'm pro gun, gun owner, all that... I think the issue I see with it is the legality of firing from a moving vehicle. Yes, your bike IS a vehicle. And we fight for the right to BE a vehicle on public roads. Just some food for thought.

When running, most of the time all I have to do is bend over like I'm picking up rocks and the dog will high-tail it in the opposite direction pronto. The only time I had issue with this was when I was in high school, and an incident with a neighbor prompted me to start carry a baseball bat when I was on the dirt road that went out to the main paved road. I only had to use it once, and never even had to hit the dog... But I had the biggest adrenaline-dump of my life in those few seconds. But the advice to never turn your back is spot on. Unless they're a trained attack dog, they won't bite from the front.

When riding, most of the time I can out-sprint them. Otherwise, stopping takes all the fun out of the chase, and they go back to their boring life.