Riding my bicycle, dog charges me, I'm armed...

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I agree 100%. I was simply pointing out that there are better ways to deal with that situation than shooting the dog. But of course the responsibility lies with the irresponsible owner who let their dog chase you in the first place.
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Theo, I do appreciate your input on this issue especially considering your experience with animals as a veterinarian. I started this thread because I was seeking alternatives to using a gun because I have no desire to use one on a dog. As I stated I did not draw my firearm and it never got to that point as he did obey my command to go home. I can just imagine what would have happened if it had escalated to the point where I felt the need to defend myself with deadly force. The owners would probably post pics on Facebook of their dear departed gentle dog and how he would be alive today if only evil gun people didn't carry firearms around, etc. It indeed could have opened a can or worms!
What stunned me was how quickly he charged me with no warning and thankfully he didn't bowl me over. What do you think about his charging me with his head down and going for my feet? He never jumped up but kept a low profile the whole time during the encounter.
My sister-in-law has an English Shepherd that is very unruly and his way of greeting you is to just run at you and jump on you. He's knocked down more than on person doing this. Her dog means no harm but I know him but it shows how easily someone could get hurt by an unrestrained, though friendly dog if caught by surprise.
I went out for a ride today and their dogs were no where to be seen. I could hear them but it appears the owners did get a talking to about their dogs and are keeping them out of sight. I still will not rely on them to continue doing the right thing so I am going to get myself some pepper spray and be aware.
 
bbqbob51 said:
What stunned me was how quickly he charged me with no warning and thankfully he didn't bowl me over. What do you think about his charging me with his head down and going for my feet? He never jumped up but kept a low profile the whole time during the encounter.
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Quick correction: I'm not a veterinarian, that's TailGator. But I do have a decent amount of experience with dogs, mostly from working with my own, but also from volunteering at an animal shelter.

Remember when I said that some dogs see people on bikes as strange, two-wheeled animals? Well, it sounds like this dog not only saw you as an animal, but also as a pack animal to be herded. Herding breeds often snap at the legs and flanks of the animals they're herding.

Keep in mind that I'm not a professional or an expert, but if I had to make an educated guess I'd say this dog was motivated by a combination of anxiety (from bad ownership and being tied up all day), territoriality, and the fact that you were on a bicycle. Add in a little bit of herding instinct (purely a guess; I don't know what breed the dog was), and it's not surprising he went after you.

There are several ways to deal with this situation: Keep riding and outpace him (what you did), pepper spray him, whack him with something like colbad suggested, or get off your bike and take charge of him like Jo6pak suggested. I don't think you were ever in any serious danger of getting anything worse than a minor bite (though that can be pretty bad if the dog isn't properly vaccinated), but it's still unacceptable for a dog to bite a person, however minor the bite is.

bbqbob51 said:
My sister-in-law has an English Shepherd that is very unruly and his way of greeting you is to just run at you and jump on you. He's knocked down more than on person doing this. Her dog means no harm but I know him but it shows how easily someone could get hurt by an unrestrained, though friendly dog if caught by surprise.
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I know it's hard to do with a big dog, but the best way to deal with a friendly dog jumping on you is to ignore it. Even turn your back on it. The dog is looking for attention, and any reaction you have will encourage it. Keep ignoring it completely until it calms down, then give it attention on your terms, not the dog's terms.
 
I love dogs but 1-DAB I would call my attorney for legal advice and if the advice is what I believe it would be I would call Animal Control back. I would arrange for Animal Control to accompany me to the other dog owner's home for a serious talk. I would advise them that with 2 attacks already documented that should there be a third attack the call to Animal Control would be to pick up a carcass. My uncle ran a horse boarding stable and one summer several dogs started chasing the horses which were on stable property. My uncle called the county sheriff and they sent Animal Control out to locate the dogs and their owner. The owners were informed that should they chase the horses again my uncle could legally shoot them. It did happen again but my uncle being a dog lover called the sheriff's office again. This time a deputy and a state Game Warden showed up. The dogs' owner was informed that if my uncle didn't want to shoot the dogs next time, they would do it for him without hesitation. The owner left the area shortly afterwards.
 
Quick correction: I'm not a veterinarian, that's TailGator. But I do have a decent amount of experience with dogs, mostly from working with my own, but also from volunteering at an animal shelter.
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Oops! Should have gone back and re-read the posts to see who was really the Veterinarian.:o
 
My sister was nearly attacked by several dogs, so I ordered her some Fox Labs pepper spray. This was just last week.

Hopefully she takes it seriously and carries it. I bought her the training unit too and a little holster for it. She is what one would call an "optimist" and frankly self-defense is probably not on her list of concerns! She lives in her own little world, I've tried to get her out of sunshine and butterfly land but it just isn't possible.

I've read pepper spray works very well on aggressive dogs, and people.
 
I like dogs, we have 2 of our own a pure bred German Shepherd and a mixed Lab. So it isn't that I hate dogs. I used to deliever LPGas and delivered to a farm one day where the farmer's Blue Heeler sat and watched me fill the tank. As I headed to the house to hang the bill on the door the dog came after me and chased me back to my truck. Despite my yelling at the dog to back off it kept coming. I gave it about a 2 second blast of LP right to the face. It flipped the dog over and it took off running. Funny thing is it never bothered me again when I delivered there.

I know someone will try to make a funny about the dog not wanting his owner to get a bill, but it sure as hell isn't funny when a dog is moving in on you despite being warned off and the only reason it stopped was frigid LP shot in its face. Some dogs are just *******s like some people and they need to be put down, or kept tied up or penned up. I guarantee you that if my wife and I are out biking and a dog attacks us and bites at our pants it will get shot. Plain and simple. My community has a lease law and dogs aren't supposed to be loose. The reponsibility for me having to shoot the dog is entirely on the dog's owner, not me.
 
that's why i called animal control each time (2 attacks, 1 trespassing). to build a record and get them to talk to the owner.
 
Tailgator, I have to say one time I did see a dog hit by a car, and the owner said it was his fault and the dogs fault. I was the driver, had no place to maneuver to avoid the dog, ended up with my '79 Mercury Capri sitting with the rear wheel ON the dog.Got off of him, and the owners came running out, madder than heck...at the dog, and the man of the house for letting him escape again. I felt bad for quite a while, but believe it or not, the dog survived, and I saw him playing in the street again...*sigh*
Just recently I had a pit bull come at me as I was getting out of my car coming home from work. He seemed playful at first but went straight to aggressive...and got gassed. OC is part of the uniform...last sight I saw of puppy was him making full speed ahead for parts unknown, and I have not seen him back since.
I have to echo many posters by saying, while I love my dogs, I make no effort to understand any animal, domesticated or otherwise, that may look like it is attacking me or mine, and I will use any means necessary to stop said attack, whether it be chemical agents, striking weapons or deadly physical force. If the owner does not want his/her animal injured, then it is the owners responsibility to keep said property secured.
 
As best I remember TN law is you can shoot a dog on your own property to defend a person or live stock . I rode bikes as a youngester (late 70's early 80's) and when dogs chased me I would holler at them and even get off my bike and challengen them . Always having more Bravery than sence . I don't recomend any one doing this but it worked I knew some " bad dogs " that would go hide in their yard when I came by . Like I said earlier in this thread I have a dog that bit a rider and its not easy to keep a smart dog put up she got out of a 5 ft welded wire fence. She will not bite any one walking but a bike or loud car and she is on it .
 
Tailgator, I have to say one time I did see a dog hit by a car, and the owner said it was his fault
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Thanks, brother - I am going to write that one down. ;)

I am not sure that the dog that chases a bicycle is really herding. It is closer to predatory behavior to chase a moving object. The real problem in those situations is to judge whether it is play/rehearsal (the two are the same, in the same way that children play to learn) or an actual attack. Both can happen; I had a whippet who could and did chase down a rabbit, then ease up at the last second to let the rabbit get away, just for the fun of the chase. My central point was that in dogs we are dealing with animals that have their own mind, and they are not entirely predictable. I can almost always judge a dog's intent, but "almost" can be a very big word, and I am still occasionally surprised by a dog.

In the case of the dog that charged you when you went to the house, it could very well have been an instance of territorial aggression, in that the dog saw you approaching the area that he considered the den of his human family/pack. That same whippet greeted a repairman with a big wag and a tennis ball dropped at his feet when he arrived, then barked ferociously when the fellow started disassembling the garage door for repair.

Dog behavior is fascinating, and often needs to be seen through the prism of packs that include their human pack mates, and dens and territory that they see as belonging to their pack/family. But hopefully not belaboring my point, they are not little automatons; they are not entirely predictable even to experts. Caution and preparation for attack is called for when they threaten.
 
My wife had a pitbull before I met her. It was a member of the family type of dog, played with her daughters, slept on the bed, and so on. Well one day for no apparent reason it turned on the older daughter and bit her on the upper back part of her leg and simply would not let go. They hit the dog, yelled at it, and when it finally let go it sat there with what my wife said was a kind of *** just happened look on its face. They simply could not trust the dog after that and it was put down that same day. Just as I would have done if that was my dog.

Dogs can be unpredictable and they definitely have a mind of their own. Just like people I believe they can snap, or have momentary lapses, and when they do bad things happen, including vicious attacks.

I generally have good experiences with dogs. I greet them with a friendly, non-aggressive tone and things most often go well. On the other hand my son has a pit bull and I have never done anything to that dog. Yet from the first time I met it it goes defensive and growls at me while manuevering around. I refuse to go into my son's home without that dog being in the kennel and I have told him straight up if that dog comes after me or my wife I will shoot it dead.
 
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What Jo6pack said

yes they should be controlled by the owner. Most will instinctively chase if you run. Childhood friend got a nasty bite trying to outrun a loose dog, teach your children well.

that said I've often wondered if police are given any training in dealing with dogs. certainly serious threats have to be dealt with in kind but shooting someones yapping standard poodle (video i recall) doesn't do much for community relations
 
Since this is a thread about TFL members' personal experiences with dogs, I'll tag along:

I like dogs and have owned many over the years. I have considered them to be members of the family.

Pet members, dog members, but members.

I have never had a dog that bit a human being. Had I ever had one that did so without severe provocation, the dog would have been put down post haste.

I have been attacked by individual dogs a half-dozen times in my life and bitten twice; once seriously.

My wife has been attacked once, which resulted in a hospital stay and a facial scar which she will carry to her grave.

I like dogs. But if a dog shows me or mine anything I interpret as serious threat, I will not hesitate to take whatever action I can to ameliorate the threat.

Aside from individual (in science we refer to them as 'anecdotal') reports, here are some stats from the CDC:

http://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/dog-bites/index.html

This information was posted on the American Humane Society's home page, but they have since taken it down.

Best,

Will
 
^^^ From the article:
".... having a dog in the household is associated with a higher incidence of dog bites."

Gee...whodathunkit?


But back on topic, like others said, pepper spray is probably the best defense in this case. It would probably teach the offending dog a lesson too.
 
Many many years ago I was a paper boy, I rode a bike delivering papers. A big mean dog gave me heck all the time so one day I placed a baseball in my pocket. When that dog run out to bite my leg again I put that hardball on top of his head. The dog dropped right there, guy came running out yelling I killed his dog. Cops came, I told my tale, he got a ticket for his dog bitting me. Dog was knocked out, but he never chased me again. No need to kill the dumb animal, only a training session :)
 
Before I became a gun owner, I often had pepper spray. Trusted it until one pit bull came back for seconds after sneezing out the first blast.
I'm not saying I wouldnt use spray again on a dog, but I sure feel better if I have more than one defensive option.

The last time I had a dog charge at me, I only had a pistol on me, and came quite close to drawing and firing. Was a German Shepard that was being walked down the street by two teenagers, not on a leash, it ran up my walkway to my steps at my front door.

Ok, that actually wasnt the last time, now that I think about it. I was leaving my place to go to my night job and right as I got to my truck a dog came barking and charging at me. I flashed my light on it, and pulled out the pepper spray. Dog kept circling and lunging so I gave it a good spray. Turns out it was the dog of my roommates ex wife who lived a few blocks away. The dog was simply coming 'home'.

Personally, I have no qualms about shooting a dog thats trying to attack.
 
Don't trust Ammonia !!!

In an earlier reply, someone mentioned the use of a squirt bottle with ammonia. I too was under the impression that it would work as I know it would work on me. Well, the dog came in, I gave him more that one shot. He wiped, shook his head and snorted. Then he came right back for more. I was the one that had to back off before the bottle ran dry. ..... ;)

In a previous thread, someone mentioned Wasp spray. Gees, that stuff is really nasty and I don't know if I could even use it .... :eek:

Be Safe !!!
 
You're on a bike, you outrun the dog. Steer into the dog's lane and use your bike as a fence (or throw it at the dog), then grab your boat horn, pepper spray, or gun and deal with a dog that doesn't have the sense to back off. I love dogs, but if they come at me they have to deal with my reaction.

I don't recommend things like wasp spray because they can get you into legal trouble if you have to deal with a human threat. No point in prepping for both scenarios. And always report an aggressive dog to the authorities, you could save a life or at least wake up a dog's owner.
 
Bear spray.

You know what? I'm an older woman, have had orthopedic injuries in the past, and absolutely don't care if some dog charging at me is friendly or not. I live in a rural area, but we have leash laws. If your friendly dog charges at me, my reaction is going to be exactly the same as if the dog were vicious because getting knocked down because a friendly dog is tangled with mine is going to have similar consequences to me as an aggressive dog attacking.

It is legal for me to walk my dog on public roads on a leash. It's not legal for the irresponsible and inconsiderate to let their dogs run loose.

I've noticed while my distress has no effect on irresponsible dog owners, a visit from Animal Control does. So does having their dog come home covered with bear spray, which is nasty stuff and transfers from dog to human at a touch.
 
Thanks for all the opinions and good advise. After pondering this a bit I think it is best to develop a strategy before any attack. Its seems like it's nearly universal that pepper spray is a good thing to have on you if evasion, intimidation or making nice fails. It also seems like it is still a good idea to have a means to end the attack if the dog fails to back down and that still comes down to having a firearm or possibly a sharp stick.
I for one would not use the firearm unless the dog actually bit me or attempted repeated to bite me because of the repercussions involved with an irate dog owner, his lawyer or the general public. The gun really has to be the last resort whether the threat is 4 legged or 2 legged.
 
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