Well it's a MB topic, but very SP related. Your advice ?
http://www.mbpost.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=4104#4104

I would have gotten off the bike and proceeded to kick the shit out of the little ankle-biter. If that wasn't enough, I would have thrown my bike at it hoping to injure it.
This is one of the reasons why I carry an axe year round.

A couple summers ago, while I was descending Dyer Mountain (near Leadville, Co.), a moron was heading up Dyer w/two dogs. One of his dogs started to run in my direction barking wildly. I stopped, took off my pack and crouched down a little with axe in hand ready to impale the bastard. It was only then, when the owner saw me stop and get into a defensive position that he started to call the dog back.

I have no prob keeping/walking dogs off leash, preferred actually. But if someone can't control their animal, then all bets are off.

You could buy a small air-horn. If that doesn't scare the shit out of the animal, nothing will.

So my today's question is: what do you recommend againt such dogs ? I thought that there is some kind of whistle that makes a loud sharp sound (and ustrasound), but I'm not sure where to get one. I also thought about taking along some sort of anti aggression spray, something rather against burglars, but the question is will I have time to seize it when a dog pops on my way.

I agree but not 100%
1/ I see many dogs when I ride (which is not exactly like walking). If I must step off every time a dog appears... 2/ that dog was small and your theory applies. however I'm not sure it would do against a big german rottweiler. 3/ agree with private dogs (my case on Saturday), but not with sherperds dogs against predators. These are unfortunately the most needed dogs in mountains but also the most agressive. I once saw myself with my wife trapped between 3 monsters in Romanian mountains... and I could have thrown to them all the ice axes I could have, I don't know if it would have helped...

Every dog that ever chased me on my road bike got a good dousing from my water bottle or a loud barking from me.

Either response would usually startle the dog so much that it drops the chase. Of course, some of them it didn't matter because I was going so much faster than them.

One time, hiking in WV, an approaching party had their dogs off leash. All were fine except the scraggly looking medium sized one that nipped me in the back of the leg just as we passed by it. It surprised me so much that I didn't do a damn thing but had it been a more serious bite or had I thought about it earlier, I'd have impaled that little fucker* with my hiking pole or kicked him into the river.

*I love dogs, but this world has no room for bad dogs.

If you go 20-25mph a dog generally wont catch up to you, they can get in the way but generally if they are in front they get out of the way. No way a dog will catch you from behind if you are going close 25mph for an extended period of time. They can accelerate to that speed or more for a few seconds but not sustain it, no way. Above 30mph its even safer since very few dogs can accelerate that fast and sustain it.

I think race bred greyhounds go about 40mph on a perfect track but on the street the average dog cant touch that.

On hillclimbs dogs can be dangerous since you are going slower. (but the dog is on the incline too so he goes slower too but generally they can catch you) I have been chased a few times by one or multiple dogs on climbs and I have tried to sprint away and been unsuccessful and then I just spray water on the dog or dogs and they have gone away

nhluhr wrote:Every dog that ever chased me on my road bike got a good dousing from my water bottle or a loud barking from me.

There are a lot of countries where you need two "sports type" (squirt) water bottles. One with ammonia. A squirt to the face will distract the dog. The owner may need a squirt as well. Has to be carefully packed in your checked luggage.

John Duffield wrote:The owner may need a squirt as well.

+1

I may ruffle a few feathers with this but I find owning a pet to be silly, selfish (most of the time) and expensive. I don't dislike animals but I dislike the idea of pets in general. There is no way in hell that an animal is going to dictate anything to do with my schedule. Well, unless I'm watching a bear from afar or something like that. That said, if you choose to be a pet owner, which is your choice, please be a responsible one and use a leash and pick up after it. There is nothing worse than the arrogant dog owner and you see a lot of them out on our paths and trails.

Interesting topic. I have only had this happen to me once while ridding, and I was faster than the dog, so I just got away. But while running, this happens sometimes. What I have done in the past is, if the dog bites or tries to, it gets a good kick. The dog usually remembers this for next time.

I may ruffle a few feathers with this but I find owning a pet to be silly, selfish (most of the time) and expensive.

Funny... I feel the same way about bikes...

I had so many problems with dogs that I mounted a steel bar across my handlebars on a quick-release mount.

Often the act of raising the bar above my head was enough to get the dogs to retreat. They're not stupid.

I would consider pepper spray instead nowadays.

Tonka wrote:I may ruffle a few feathers with this but I find owning a pet to be silly, selfish (most of the time) and expensive. I don't dislike animals but I dislike the idea of pets in general. There is no way in hell that an animal is going to dictate anything to do with my schedule. Well, unless I'm watching a bear from afar or something like that. That said, if you choose to be a pet owner, which is your choice, please be a responsible one and use a leash and pick up after it. There is nothing worse than the arrogant dog owner and you see a lot of them out on our paths and trails.

Couldn't agree more... NOTHING worse than the arrogant dog owner. NOTHING. Period. Arrogant dog owners are way bad. Worse than cancer. Worse than bad Indian food. So bad in fact that I think there should be a test to get a dog.

I must point out though that while you call having a pet selfish you then go on to say that no animal is going to dictate anything to do with your schedule. So wouldn't it follow that having a pet would be a selfless thing? At least for you? Not trying to flame you or anything just wondering how this fits in with this obviously strong and well thought out opinion of yours.

God bless.

ClimberJohn wrote:

Tonka wrote:I may ruffle a few feathers with this but I find owning a pet to be silly, selfish (most of the time) and expensive. I don't dislike animals but I dislike the idea of pets in general. There is no way in hell that an animal is going to dictate anything to do with my schedule. Well, unless I'm watching a bear from afar or something like that. That said, if you choose to be a pet owner, which is your choice, please be a responsible one and use a leash and pick up after it. There is nothing worse than the arrogant dog owner and you see a lot of them out on our paths and trails.

Couldn't agree more... NOTHING worse than the arrogant dog owner. NOTHING. Period. Arrogant dog owners are way bad. Worse than cancer. Worse than bad Indian food. So bad in fact that I think there should be a test to get a dog.

I must point out though that while you call having a pet selfish you then go on to say that no animal is going to dictate anything to do with your schedule. So wouldn't it follow that having a pet would be a selfless thing? At least for you? Not trying to flame you or anything just wondering how this fits in with this obviously strong and well thought out opinion of yours.

God bless.

You wasted your first post on my mindless ramblings

Off leash dogs on the trail are truly a menace. That's why I hike with trekking poles that have no baskets on them. That way I can use the poles like a Zulu would use a spear. Works well on the owners too!

But I do like the idea of using my ice axe on errant dogs as well. Actually I really like that idea!

Couple weekends ago I took my pack up and down the hill at the local woodsy-parky-thing a few miles from the house for some conditioning. I encountered two groups of people with dogs, both off-leash (counter to posted city ordinance):

group 1: two middle-aged joggers with their black lab. they saw me coming up the hill, turned to their dog and gestured/said something and the dog obediently fell in line behind them and ignored me as i went by. nice!

group 2: middle-aged woman, older man, 3 or 4 dachsunds and a bigger, wiry brown weimeraner-kinda dog. bigger dog sees me at same time as owners, begins to approach me despite calls from owners. i tried to ignore the dog as it approached me but as soon as it got in front of me it jumped up and sucker-punched me in the gut. all i could say is a sarcastic "nice" to the man as he walked by, but i was so pissed that i thought of two-dozen other things to say after they left.

you know, if you want to have your dog off leash (despite the law) you better know you have control over your dog at all times and under all conceivable circumstances.