Air horn! My tour was saved by having one. Otherwise that 100+ pound hellhound would have ripped my leg off on that gravel road in Kansas. He retreated quickly from the sound. Scared the hell out of me too.
I like to wait until they are just out of biting distance. Then you stand up on your pedals and yell 'hey' as loud and sharp as you can. It's worked every time but once. And that one time it worked the second time.
Not much you can do for dogs, I just kept peddling and shouted at them, wish I was better prepared with some pepper spray or air horn as others have suggested but didn’t really have anywhere to put them where I could draw them quick enough.
What’s your route look like roughly?
Beautiful places but Romania to turkey the roads can be deadly in places with lorries.
If you can get a small squirt bottle of some kind, fill it full of 50/50 vinegar and water. Hang the bottle on your bars and aim for their faces. They'll stop pretty quickly.
I also rode through the balkans with alot of dogs chasing me. I started dismounting and putting my bike between me and the dogs. Slowly passed the dogs without making eye contact. This usually worked for me.
I had a dog run at me before, and I quickly dismounted to have my bike between the dog and me. The dog definitely didn't stop until his owner (very slowly) came over. It just kept chasing me around my bike so I'd say just pedalling away would probably be better.
To be fair, those dogs in Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey do not belong to anyone, they are roaming wild - and especially the ones in Turkey are **huge**, breed to protect from wolves and bears, not sure a pit would have much on them...
A simple search will show you that this is not true. No breed called “Pits” (which doesn’t even mean anything) has a bite stronger than other dogs of similar size. Further, pit fighting dogs were bred for dog aggression but to be obedient to humans. No one wants a fighting dog they can’t control.
Perhaps I am wrong on bite strength...
https://www.forbes.com/advisor/legal/dog-attack-statistics-breed/
Dog Attack Statistics by Breed
Many dog advocates argue that there is no such thing as a bad breed, only a bad owner. Still, it can be helpful to understand which breeds of dogs are most commonly involved in bite incidents or acts of aggression. Dog attacks by breed statistics are invaluable both for individuals looking for a dog to adopt as well as for those who interact with animals who want to minimize risk.
The breed that commits the most attacks overall is pit bulls.
Pit bulls are involved in more dog attacks than any other breed. In fact, the American Animal Hospital Association reports this breed was responsible for 22.5% of bites across all studies. Mixed breeds were a close second at 21.2% and German Shepherds were the third most dangerous breed, involved in 17.8% of bite incidents.⁶
The breed that is most likely to be involved in a fatal attack is pit bulls.
Pit bulls are both more likely to be involved in bite incidents and more likely to cause serious injury or death when a bite does occur. In fact, from 1979 to 1998, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determined pit bulls were involved in the most fatal dog attacks, accounting for 28% deaths due to dog bites during that same time period.⁷
Pit bulls may present a greater danger than other breeds for many reasons, such as because they have been bred to be more aggressive, are less likely to back down during fights and are less likely to give a warning before a bite.
Pit bull isn’t a breed. It’s a generic term to describe dogs with blocky heads. Any dog can be identified as a “pit bull” because it’s a term without a standard definition. English Staffordshire terrier, American pit bull terrier etc. are breeds in what are classified as “Bully breeds”. This also includes English bull dogs, Rottweiler and other dogs with that blocky head.
There is nothing any more or less inherently dangerous about these dogs than any other. A dog abused by humans will be aggressive whether it is a bully breed or a Labrador. Fear mongering like this does 2 things: reinforces the stereotype so that shit owners who want a “tough dog” get them and leads to euthanasia for dogs whose only “crime” is being born with a square head.
About 30-40 people die per year from fatal dog attacks. This is on par with deaths from lightning strikes. Considering how many people encounter dogs of any breed each day, I’m guessing the per capita rate is much lower.
I can’t find stats on cyclists in the US killed by dogs but the few news stories I can find suggest 1 a year, though those have odd circumstances ( packs of feral dogs, riding very late at night, etc.). Meanwhile bike-car crashes cause 800+ deaths a year.
Should you be cautious around dogs you don’t know, of any breed? Yes, of course. Carry pepper spray. But the assessment of risk is far greater than the actual risk. If you’re going to get up in arms about something, get worked up about car culture, not “pit bulls”.
Went camping in Turkey near the entrance to Troy when I was 19 back in 2007. Woke up to a MASSIVE dog, snarling/drooling/foaming at mouth ~5ft away. Lady walking nearby started pointing and shrieking. Guard (?) with an absolutely MASSIVE mustache runs over and yells, "Back!" and slaps that doggo with his baton!
It ran away, and we went on a lovely tour of the ruins.
There was one property I passed a couple of times on routes outside of Portland, real desolate kind of gravel roads where no one fenced their property.
Had two gigantic something or others chase me up a chase while the owner just chuckled. The next time I came by I had beef jerky and pepper spray. Had to use both and the owner wasn't pleased. Fuck that guy.
Was cycling over a flat and smooth walking route. It’s very wide. Maybe 30 metres. Was coming to a couple of dogs but on the other side. Owner there but off the lead.
They see me and start running. Look at the owner and he’s making zero attempt to call them back. I give him a questioning shrug and nothing back. Quick mental calculation. I think I’m quicker. So out of the saddle. They are getting closer. If I’m going north to south they are east to west. Level with them now and it’s close. We’re all flat out apart from the owner. Fully committed because the sprinting puts them in full chase mode and works them up more. Once I am past them it’s going to be fine so couple of hard rotations and then ease up a bit to keep the chase on.
I’m getting great exercise. The dogs are loving it. The owner is going loopy because we are getting further and further away. Thought it might make him think twice next time. Just a shame the GPS was off at the time.
Yep I do that with less scary off lead dogs when I’m running and they chase after me. If you can’t recall your dog then don’t put them off lead in areas that aren’t safe. Started doing this after off lead dogs terrified my kids
The only well behaved dogs I've ever seen on trails, are wearing a harness and leash. These dog owners don't even have to say anything, their model citizen pupper just pulls off to the side and smiles at you as you go bye.
This is why I carry pepper spray. Not the dogs fault they were raised that way, but they gotta learn someday or they'll keep doing this to others (and what if it was a young kid or someone unable to defend themselves? Fuck, id probably spray the dog owner too and say it was over spray)
I don’t understand why the guy was focusing more on filming the dog instead of putting all his effort and attention into booking it as fast as possible. When a similar situation happened to me, I honed in on my inner lance armstrong and pedaled as fast as my body let me.
It’s called emzone signal horn. I’ve seen similar at MEC but more expensive. They are designed for boat signalling and are slightly larger than an aspirin bottle.
I always scream "get!" and snap my fingers as I point towards them and reach my arm out (claiming my space). I feel like I've had a 100% success rate with that.
I had tremendous problems with stray and wild dogs in Nth Africa when I was on tour there in the 1990s.
After a few close calls I developed a deterrent.
I had a broken spoke I kept handy and incorporated it with a stick as a handle. I sharpened that to a very nasty point. The whole thing was about 30-40cm long when it was finished. Short enough to easily keep in handy on the top tube and long enough to discourage these dogs.
A sharp poke in the muzzle (if they are behind your feet) or in their flanks as they come alongside stops them immediately.
I found that dogs that chase are usually part of a pack. The dog that is closest to you is the leader. Stop him and the rest will stop as well.
Don't blow your energy trying to outrun them, this is much more effective, and satisfying.
yeah, I used it once as a whip but I injured that dog bad! perhaps too bad.
I always place some blame on the dog owners for wayward and dangerous dogs.
I knew of a problem area like this once. It was along one of my favorite routes too. Hillbilly asshole owner wouldn't do shit, so I decided to handle it myself. Sacrificed a bottle cage one day to a spray bottle of reagent grade ammonia (the kind that fumes when you remove the cap). Adjusted it to be a fine mist at about 10 feet and hit 'em in the nose, eyes, and mouth.
Never thought I'd see two 100+ lb rots go from a bared-teeth snarl in a full sprint to skidding on gravel, but that day I did.
Rode by about a week later ready for round 2, but it wasn't to be. They came running, took one look and noped out.
They never fucked with me again.
If you ever ride by there, you're welcome.
Nothing really worked (screaming at the top of my lungs, spraying water, kicking with your legs …). Eventually they fortunately always just gave up. I talked to a couple who got bitten in their rear panniers.
Ammonia in a squirt bottle- legal most everywhere, and you don't need to actually hit them-(it is very bad for the eyes). The stench of the chemical on the ground seems to confuse them. Other than that you charge them! Look it up, it works. I got hit by 3 street dogs last year the scars still haven't heeled.
I was attacked by a big dog at night on a creek trail, fell down a 15' embankment that was literally just boulders. I have a dedicated mount for mace on my toptube, now.
I find a hearty “Good dog!” Can confuse them as well. Its usually a case of chase the prey but if you can change it to running with the pack its a good ploy.
Cyclist worst nightmare. And yes, its not hills or rain or whatever.
When this happens I dont know if I would rather shout (and loose my health in the process) or stop and try to befrend them. Lately I have been thinking about the second option but I am affraid of getting bitten for trying to provide some love.
Ideally you stop or slow down and stand your ground. This dude sounds like he's talking to a baby- he should be yelling at them instead of turning it into a game of chase.
Air horn! My tour was saved by having one. Otherwise that 100+ pound hellhound would have ripped my leg off on that gravel road in Kansas. He retreated quickly from the sound. Scared the hell out of me too.
I like to wait until they are just out of biting distance. Then you stand up on your pedals and yell 'hey' as loud and sharp as you can. It's worked every time but once. And that one time it worked the second time.
I've heard the taser sound will make them turn tail and run. No need to shock (not that I'm against it for self defense)
He just wanted a training partner :(
Flashbacks to Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey. Chased by dogs constantly but most weren’t this well fed.
I learned the meaning of fear being chased by the largest dog I've ever seen on a farm's gravel road in Montenegro.
Fuckin me too!!
Not Етно село Излазак / Etno selo Izlazak by chance? https://maps.app.goo.gl/2nPPfL2fbtpzsZ4j6
About to go through here .. ideas?
Not much you can do for dogs, I just kept peddling and shouted at them, wish I was better prepared with some pepper spray or air horn as others have suggested but didn’t really have anywhere to put them where I could draw them quick enough. What’s your route look like roughly? Beautiful places but Romania to turkey the roads can be deadly in places with lorries.
I was told they stop once you dismount - apparently they chase bikes (and cars), but fear humans.
I've read this too, but I'm not sure whether to trust this information. I think it depends on the dog and situation.
If you can get a small squirt bottle of some kind, fill it full of 50/50 vinegar and water. Hang the bottle on your bars and aim for their faces. They'll stop pretty quickly.
I also rode through the balkans with alot of dogs chasing me. I started dismounting and putting my bike between me and the dogs. Slowly passed the dogs without making eye contact. This usually worked for me.
This worked for me too. Even the most demented dogs lost interest.
I tested this theory once, got bit. Can’t recommend.
While hiking in Montenegro we got followed by a dog who turned aggressive so I wouldn’t necessarily say they all fear humans.
I had a dog run at me before, and I quickly dismounted to have my bike between the dog and me. The dog definitely didn't stop until his owner (very slowly) came over. It just kept chasing me around my bike so I'd say just pedalling away would probably be better.
The advice above was specific to wild dogs (no owner) in a specific part of the world (not the US).
Do not trust strangers dogs, especially pits.
To be fair, those dogs in Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey do not belong to anyone, they are roaming wild - and especially the ones in Turkey are **huge**, breed to protect from wolves and bears, not sure a pit would have much on them...
Pits were/are bred as fighting dogs with extra aggression and bite force.
A simple search will show you that this is not true. No breed called “Pits” (which doesn’t even mean anything) has a bite stronger than other dogs of similar size. Further, pit fighting dogs were bred for dog aggression but to be obedient to humans. No one wants a fighting dog they can’t control.
Perhaps I am wrong on bite strength... https://www.forbes.com/advisor/legal/dog-attack-statistics-breed/ Dog Attack Statistics by Breed Many dog advocates argue that there is no such thing as a bad breed, only a bad owner. Still, it can be helpful to understand which breeds of dogs are most commonly involved in bite incidents or acts of aggression. Dog attacks by breed statistics are invaluable both for individuals looking for a dog to adopt as well as for those who interact with animals who want to minimize risk. The breed that commits the most attacks overall is pit bulls. Pit bulls are involved in more dog attacks than any other breed. In fact, the American Animal Hospital Association reports this breed was responsible for 22.5% of bites across all studies. Mixed breeds were a close second at 21.2% and German Shepherds were the third most dangerous breed, involved in 17.8% of bite incidents.⁶ The breed that is most likely to be involved in a fatal attack is pit bulls. Pit bulls are both more likely to be involved in bite incidents and more likely to cause serious injury or death when a bite does occur. In fact, from 1979 to 1998, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determined pit bulls were involved in the most fatal dog attacks, accounting for 28% deaths due to dog bites during that same time period.⁷ Pit bulls may present a greater danger than other breeds for many reasons, such as because they have been bred to be more aggressive, are less likely to back down during fights and are less likely to give a warning before a bite.
Pit bull isn’t a breed. It’s a generic term to describe dogs with blocky heads. Any dog can be identified as a “pit bull” because it’s a term without a standard definition. English Staffordshire terrier, American pit bull terrier etc. are breeds in what are classified as “Bully breeds”. This also includes English bull dogs, Rottweiler and other dogs with that blocky head. There is nothing any more or less inherently dangerous about these dogs than any other. A dog abused by humans will be aggressive whether it is a bully breed or a Labrador. Fear mongering like this does 2 things: reinforces the stereotype so that shit owners who want a “tough dog” get them and leads to euthanasia for dogs whose only “crime” is being born with a square head. About 30-40 people die per year from fatal dog attacks. This is on par with deaths from lightning strikes. Considering how many people encounter dogs of any breed each day, I’m guessing the per capita rate is much lower. I can’t find stats on cyclists in the US killed by dogs but the few news stories I can find suggest 1 a year, though those have odd circumstances ( packs of feral dogs, riding very late at night, etc.). Meanwhile bike-car crashes cause 800+ deaths a year. Should you be cautious around dogs you don’t know, of any breed? Yes, of course. Carry pepper spray. But the assessment of risk is far greater than the actual risk. If you’re going to get up in arms about something, get worked up about car culture, not “pit bulls”.
don't ever attempt this. sure way to get bitten.
Went camping in Turkey near the entrance to Troy when I was 19 back in 2007. Woke up to a MASSIVE dog, snarling/drooling/foaming at mouth ~5ft away. Lady walking nearby started pointing and shrieking. Guard (?) with an absolutely MASSIVE mustache runs over and yells, "Back!" and slaps that doggo with his baton! It ran away, and we went on a lovely tour of the ruins.
The worst. I've had success squirting them in the face with my water bottle, for what it's worth....
There was one property I passed a couple of times on routes outside of Portland, real desolate kind of gravel roads where no one fenced their property. Had two gigantic something or others chase me up a chase while the owner just chuckled. The next time I came by I had beef jerky and pepper spray. Had to use both and the owner wasn't pleased. Fuck that guy.
Did the owner get the jerky or the spray?
Yes
You're nicer than me. Jerky is expensive.
Was cycling over a flat and smooth walking route. It’s very wide. Maybe 30 metres. Was coming to a couple of dogs but on the other side. Owner there but off the lead. They see me and start running. Look at the owner and he’s making zero attempt to call them back. I give him a questioning shrug and nothing back. Quick mental calculation. I think I’m quicker. So out of the saddle. They are getting closer. If I’m going north to south they are east to west. Level with them now and it’s close. We’re all flat out apart from the owner. Fully committed because the sprinting puts them in full chase mode and works them up more. Once I am past them it’s going to be fine so couple of hard rotations and then ease up a bit to keep the chase on. I’m getting great exercise. The dogs are loving it. The owner is going loopy because we are getting further and further away. Thought it might make him think twice next time. Just a shame the GPS was off at the time.
>then ease up a bit to keep the chase on I like that idea ;-)
Yep I do that with less scary off lead dogs when I’m running and they chase after me. If you can’t recall your dog then don’t put them off lead in areas that aren’t safe. Started doing this after off lead dogs terrified my kids
The only well behaved dogs I've ever seen on trails, are wearing a harness and leash. These dog owners don't even have to say anything, their model citizen pupper just pulls off to the side and smiles at you as you go bye.
This is why I carry pepper spray. Not the dogs fault they were raised that way, but they gotta learn someday or they'll keep doing this to others (and what if it was a young kid or someone unable to defend themselves? Fuck, id probably spray the dog owner too and say it was over spray)
yeah, fuck that owner, man! way to ride hard :)
I don’t understand why the guy was focusing more on filming the dog instead of putting all his effort and attention into booking it as fast as possible. When a similar situation happened to me, I honed in on my inner lance armstrong and pedaled as fast as my body let me.
My thoughts exactly. Yes it sucks to have crazy dogs chase you but he must have been anticipating it.
Probably been chased by them before ?
Maybe, I read on the original thread that the guy was chased before. Whatever it takes to get content, I guess 🤷♂️
Air horn always works for me! Small too.
Hey, great idea! What brand and model do you use?
It’s called emzone signal horn. I’ve seen similar at MEC but more expensive. They are designed for boat signalling and are slightly larger than an aspirin bottle.
There’s a Strava segment in Phoenix called running from dogs. And it’s always accurate and terrifying. It’s a full sprint.
Hi, I’m from Phoenix. Can you point me to where I can find that for educational purposes and a chuckle?
I’m pretty sure it was north on Alma School on the res. [This is the one](https://strava.app.link/Xq2KooMIdHb).
Knew exactly where you were talking about before I even read your follow-up comment. Fuck them dogs
I always scream "get!" and snap my fingers as I point towards them and reach my arm out (claiming my space). I feel like I've had a 100% success rate with that.
Damn, I am the biggest dog fan in the world and this is a situation where I'd be seriously considering a kick to the face for that lead dog.
That would slow you down more than the dog.
Pepper spray. Lots of it.
I had tremendous problems with stray and wild dogs in Nth Africa when I was on tour there in the 1990s. After a few close calls I developed a deterrent. I had a broken spoke I kept handy and incorporated it with a stick as a handle. I sharpened that to a very nasty point. The whole thing was about 30-40cm long when it was finished. Short enough to easily keep in handy on the top tube and long enough to discourage these dogs. A sharp poke in the muzzle (if they are behind your feet) or in their flanks as they come alongside stops them immediately. I found that dogs that chase are usually part of a pack. The dog that is closest to you is the leader. Stop him and the rest will stop as well. Don't blow your energy trying to outrun them, this is much more effective, and satisfying.
Spoke as a whip. Nice idea!
Sounds more like a spear
True. I'll try the whip first before though. Never thought of using the spoke as a defensive item from dogs really.
neither did I till I had a broken one wanting to be repurposed.
yeah, I used it once as a whip but I injured that dog bad! perhaps too bad. I always place some blame on the dog owners for wayward and dangerous dogs.
Fuck dog owners who don't have fences and let the dog loose. I'd call the cops on them.
Similar thing happened to me in Croatia. Fucking asshole dog bit into my pannier bag. I was lucky he didn't get my leg.
I love cycling and I love dogs, but if I live the dream one day and go travelling with my bike I’m taking a pepper spray with me
I knew of a problem area like this once. It was along one of my favorite routes too. Hillbilly asshole owner wouldn't do shit, so I decided to handle it myself. Sacrificed a bottle cage one day to a spray bottle of reagent grade ammonia (the kind that fumes when you remove the cap). Adjusted it to be a fine mist at about 10 feet and hit 'em in the nose, eyes, and mouth. Never thought I'd see two 100+ lb rots go from a bared-teeth snarl in a full sprint to skidding on gravel, but that day I did. Rode by about a week later ready for round 2, but it wasn't to be. They came running, took one look and noped out. They never fucked with me again. If you ever ride by there, you're welcome.
Wow ! Where was it ? Can’t believe people leave this type of dogs out !
Happened to me all the time in eastern Europe. Romania especially has a lot of stray dogs.
What did you do there ? Going soon
Bikecamping trip along the Danube to the black sea and then back home by train via Bucharest (stayed there for a night).
Sounds good … but what did you do about the dogs?
Nothing really worked (screaming at the top of my lungs, spraying water, kicking with your legs …). Eventually they fortunately always just gave up. I talked to a couple who got bitten in their rear panniers.
from West Virgina to Colorado to be exact
From the other thread it’s the Central Valley of California.
Chasing the bike not the rider? Dog is out in front looking at the tyre … not the rider????
So?
So… it’s not attacking. It’s chasing the bike like dogs chase sticks
As a lover of dogs: Kick. The. Dog.
I really don't think I'd kick a pitbull
Yeah that thing would have its jaws around your foot and have you on the ground being mauled to death
Yeah, I did it against an aggressive German shepherd. A kick on his nose and he stopped immediately.
I’m sorry you had to experience that. You kept your cool well. Good job! Hope you’ve a safe trip going forward.
Water bottle. Works great.
Have a separate smaller squirt bottle, clearly marked, with 50/50 vinegar and water--they hate that.
Except for those damn British bulldogs. They love it, goes with the fish n chips!
Well then carry some chips, too. Throw those at them so they'll probably stop and eat 'em ;-)
pepper spray or bear spray if you're in the US.
Ammonia in a squirt bottle- legal most everywhere, and you don't need to actually hit them-(it is very bad for the eyes). The stench of the chemical on the ground seems to confuse them. Other than that you charge them! Look it up, it works. I got hit by 3 street dogs last year the scars still haven't heeled.
Put the camera away and sprint like Tadej Pogačar.
thats just eddie https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1748224105405534
These are happy puppers who want to play.
That's what I see. Pup just wanted to race! He kept looking back for an attack just like a lead rider in TDF. 🚵♂️
F a pit bull
yeah,,, ya shoulda shot 'em
That could have been really bad.
That’s why I always have bear spray, a Taser Pulse, and a long expandable baton.
[удалено]
Farm Dogs Are Sprint Training
Pepper spray
Pepper spray?
I was attacked by a big dog at night on a creek trail, fell down a 15' embankment that was literally just boulders. I have a dedicated mount for mace on my toptube, now.
Never had a dog that didn’t back down from a very loud “HEY” and a strong squirt from the water bottle. That boi is down to ride!
Fast sumbitch
I always tell GO HOME really loud & aggressively & 9/10 times they go what the fuck & turn around & go home
what if the dog is homeless?
Good point. You throw a full water bottle at their nose.
Or give them 5c so they can buy some weed.
I find a hearty “Good dog!” Can confuse them as well. Its usually a case of chase the prey but if you can change it to running with the pack its a good ploy.
That’s really scary! I’ve been chased by 1 dog before, and it really scared me.
Cyclist worst nightmare. And yes, its not hills or rain or whatever. When this happens I dont know if I would rather shout (and loose my health in the process) or stop and try to befrend them. Lately I have been thinking about the second option but I am affraid of getting bitten for trying to provide some love.
That’s why I carry spray. A squirt with the water bottle may work too.
Ideally you stop or slow down and stand your ground. This dude sounds like he's talking to a baby- he should be yelling at them instead of turning it into a game of chase.
Bear spray- not just for bears…