Dog Bites

diy

Just wondering how many people have been attacked by dogs while out riding. I regularly get chased and nipped at by dogs, last night one sank its teeth in to my ankle causing a fairly deep bite. The owner did a runner, so I couldn't do much about it other than report it to the police in case they knew the dog. All I got was the dog's name and breed as the owner kept calling it back.

The next dog that bites me will get beaten to death with a stick. The problem is the dangerous dogs act is pretty tough on owners, so I imagine most will do a runner faced with a destruction order, large fine and possible jail.

I don't know much about dogs, but in researching the breed, I learned that border collies are particularly prone to biting cyclists.

Rooner

Have you had a word with your local council dog warden? I've not been bitten, but my dog (a very laid back lurcher) was attacked twice in one week by staffies, in different parts of the city. Dog warden couldn't have been more helpful, called up a few times and made a real effort to find the owners, gave advice etc. In fact, the first attack I called the cops afterwards, as the owner was a) very aggressive b) off his face but more importantly c) way bigger than me! Even the cops were helpful, sent a unit to the park and called me about 3 times (I was started to get embarrassed and even thought they were taking the p*!s as it was such a minor thing!).

Collies....hmmm. You have to remember they have been bred for a long time to herd animals, and to herd awkward / uncompliant / large animals (insert cyclist as necessary) they will go for the feet. Water in the face from a bottle might do it, physical force rarely works and will probably make it worse, simply as thats what they are bred to respond to. My normal approach to angsty dogs is to stop and try and make friends with them (soothing voice, no threatening moves, hands out palms up etc.). Then walk away slowly. Failing that, bunny hop them!!

diy

Yes plod have been extremely helpful and have taken it far more seriously than I thought they would, they are contacting the various local wardens to try to id the owner. I even get to see a councilor as a victim of crime. I too am quite embarrassed by the effort they are putting in.

Johnny Napalm

I got bit once by a German Shepherd (damn, even I want to make jokes), and the owner did a runner too, but I reported it to the police. The path where I got bit was next to a scrap yard and I noticed the same dog in there a few days later.

Turns out this guy was walking a guard dog off the leash on a public cycle/walking pathway where it was regularly used by families etc.

I reported the sighting to the police that night and I never saw that dog again after that, so they must have done something.

Irresponsible pet-owners are one of my greatest annoyances, and it never ceases to amaze me what little respect some of them have for the rest of us.

I hope they get the owner and fine him/her heavily, and get rid of the dog. It's harsh on the dog, but we can't have vicious animals running around loose...they're just time bombs waiting to go off. Next time, it could be a child.

wordnumb

Seconded about the dog warden.
Bit obvious but have you had a tetanus jab for the bite? There's a surprising amount of bacterial horror growing on most dogs' teeth.

Johnny Napalm

Yeah, good point, Wordnumb...I forgot to mention that I went for a tetanus job afterwards. Go get yourself a jab just to make sure.

I've still got the scar (about 5") near my ribs where the dog got hold of me...I think I filled my shorts that day.

About two weeks after that I got chased by an angry goose - the bugger watched me as I approached, took off and flew after me for ages looking a bit angry. Good workout though!

I later discovered that it was nesting at the side of the path so it was only protecting its young 'uns. Every time I went past after that it would make a point of squaring up to me and glaring at me as I rode past. Needless to say I gave it a wide berth. :?

stubs

My last encounter with a dog. The owner thought it highly amusing and laughed to see such fun. Amazing how fast you can pedal a single speed commuter with a rucksack on your back wearing jeans, work boots and a waxed jacket .

fattrucker

Johnny Napalm wrote:

About two weeks after that I got chased by an angry goose - the bugger watched me as I approached, took off and flew after me for ages looking a bit angry. Good workout though!

No offence but were you riding a "heavy" and "average" bike at the time ? 8)

Was it


that was chasing you from the blingy blingy bike police ?

getonyourbike

stubs wrote:

My last encounter with a dog. The owner thought it highly amusing and laughed to see such fun. Amazing how fast you can pedal a single speed commuter with a rucksack on your back wearing jeans, work boots and a waterproof workjacket .

should have kicked the bastard. Normally I love dogs but if they attack me then they've got it coming.

stubs

I would have kicked the bugger but I was too busy trying to get a 42/16 gear up to speed

getonyourbike

stubs wrote:

I would have kicked the bugger but I was too busy trying to get a 42/16 gear up to speed

shame cuz the owner needs a kicking too.

fattrucker

stubs wrote:

My last encounter with a dog. The owner thought it highly amusing and laughed to see such fun. Amazing how fast you can pedal a single speed commuter with a rucksack on your back wearing jeans, work boots and a waxed jacket .

Ride off to a safe distance in the direction they're walking , dismount and await dog and owner with cameraphone in hand snap snap of dog and owner . Report to police with evidence from phone . Plus take pictures of the damaged clothing and body parts (when fresh and at they're worst) .

This is all dependant on the ferocity of the dog and/or owner and how brave you're feeling of course .
All in a perfect world I admit , totally different in the heat of the moment.

As mentioned earlier don't forget ya jab and hope it heals up ok .

stubs

fattrucker wrote:

This is all dependant on the ferocity of the dog and/or owner and how brave you're feeling of course .
All in a perfect world I admit , totally different in the heat of the moment.

There was only one thought in my head RUUUUUUUUUUN or pedal obviously. I certainly got to work very quickly that day

Pirahna

Just to even things up, a few years ago a mate was riding home from work past a group of blokes outside a pub on the other side of the road (this is key) who started shouting abuse. Mate gives them a friendly wave with his middle finger and carries on his way.

One of the blokes lets a Staffy off the lead and the dog is running full speed down the pavement to catch my mate. As the dog draws level it runs across the road, right in front of a van. Van 1, doggy 0.

Buckled_Rims

fattrucker wrote:

Ride off to a safe distance in the direction they're walking , dismount and await dog and owner with cameraphone in hand snap snap of dog and owner . Report to police with evidence from phone . Plus take pictures of the damaged clothing and body parts (when fresh and at they're worst) .

This is all dependant on the ferocity of the dog and/or owner and how brave you're feeling of course .
All in a perfect world I admit , totally different in the heat of the moment.

As mentioned earlier don't forget ya jab and hope it heals up ok .

+1

Take a photo if you can. I know it's hard not to resist shouting at an angry, aggressive dog owner, but if you have to say something say you're going to sue him, ...3 days off work, trauma, a new saddle, the dogs damaged the XTR chainset....about £1000 civil damages is needed as compensation.

Hell, I'd even slightly hammer a few slight nails marks in an old frame and claim the dog bit into that for an extra claim

Johnny Napalm

No offence but were you riding a "heavy" and "average" bike at the time ?

Y'know what...it was an Apollo! :oops:

It was back in the day when I used to commute to work every day, and I actually had an Apollo at the time. I also had a Concept and Carrera too at some stage back in those days.

Man, I wish I knew then what I know now! My philosophy at the time was to buy cheap and run them into the ground...I didn't know any better.

t0pc4t

that's pretty bad, do get a tetanus and get it checked out as dog's mouths are dirty places.

Thankfully my dog is not a chaser, my mate's dog is and so he got a shock collar to train him out of it.

As a dog owner it's in your interests to do so because if your dog bites someone then it will get destroyed.

Mind you, that having been said, if you have a pit bull it will get destroyed and I still see plenty of those walking around.

tsenior

go and get the relevant jabs now DIY.

bloke in the pub i drink in reckons he got sceptecemia (spl?) from a dog bite, still walks with a limp.

i've been attacked a couple of times by tiny little dogs owned by tiny little old ladies :shock: both times they said " its ok he doesent like bikes" (the ladies not the dogs)

t0pc4t

not really an excuse is it.

My dog doesn't like small dogs but I can't allow him to eat them.

diy

Just got the jab and some antibiotics. Apparently if you have had tetanus jab 5 times in your life they you get membership for life so to speak, but I didn't know for sure.

According to the doc, the recommended antibiotics are worse than the bite. ho hum, i'm meant to be blimin training hard now.

TownyDC

No dog bites for me, i suffered an attack of Midgey bites the other week.
Stopped for a breather, sat on some grass, next morning found 10 bites on my lower legs and 14 all over my back and shoulders, must have bit me through my t shirt, little buggers.
Needless to say i won't be sitting there again.
Towny

buckmulligan

<rant>This is one thing that really makes my blood boil. Dog owners who cannot (or more commonly will not) control their dogs and stop them from chasing/biting/slobbering all over anyone in sight should be destroyed as well as the animals.

The number of times I've nearly hit a rampant dog on my bike, or been harassed when sitting down, only for the owners to stand there with a gormless look on their face thinking 'ahhh isn't he/she cute'. Not even a whiff of an apology from the owners! I would happily take a f@cking bolt gun with me on rides and 'destroy' every last one of them.</rant>

allen.coulson

I live in Gambia a lot of the time and some of the dogs are rabid. I have NEVER been chased by a dog there.
I cycle round Essex most days and most weeks there is one dog incident and I am utterly fed up with the poxy shit dogs and owners around here. This moring - at 5 am FFS a greyhound stood me off - but did not bite.
In the autumn I take my catapult with me for some early morning pheasant attrition and was passing the Pike compound and one of the little snappers wen't for me so I shot the bastrd - broke its leg....and then got out of it like sht off a shovel.

freeagent

I generally dislike dogs and their owners, and have been chased a couple of times recently.. until now i've always just taken off as fast as poss to try and get away but have decided the next one that does it will get a swift kick under the chin..

I'm a bit short on compassion anyway so living with the consequences of giving some snappy mut a good kicking won't keep me awake at night...

Chalky76

i like dogs and grew up with them, but i don't want to deal with other peoples dogs who are off the leash and either chasing me or running across the trail.

Me and my mates always marvel at the goons who insist on walking up the trails or even throwing sticks around at the bottom of a bomb hole. It's an area marked off for MTBing and a relatively small area within a big common, yet the same people seem bent on endangering themselves, their dog and riders. Weird

If it's a choice between hitting a dog or hitting a tree i know what's going to win out

Shotsaway

In all my years riding, I had never been attacked by a dog until last year. Then suddenly they were like buses.....

In the spring of last year a labrador came running at me of the South Downs Way. I kept riding but it wasn't until about half an hour later that I realised that I was bleeding. A few months later a collie nipped me as I rode past it. Again I just kept riding. I did have a slight graze and a small scab. Finally in about November a whippet or greyhound came running at me and tried to nip my ankle. As soon as I realised what it was trying to do and after the previous two incidents, I unclipped and kicked it in the nose/face (Which wasn't difficult as it's face was right by my ankle). The dog ran off pretty sharp. All I could hear from behind was the owner effing and blinding at me. Of course Spot (Or whatever its name was) was probably a perfect dog, who never attacked anybody!

The lesson I learn't was if you feel threated, stop and place the bike between you and the dog. The bike acts as a barrier aswell as a weapon if needed.

Oh course there are many dogs, who just want to play. Over the years I have had a couple that just want to run along side me as I'm riding. Oblivious to the fact that the owners are screeming for them to come back!

bails87

Shotsaway
Good tip about getting the bik ebetween you and the dog. I took a wrong turn and ended up going down a private farm track rather than along a bridleway/footpath.

A big angry-looking dog came galloping towards me, barking like mad. I hopped off the bike and got behind it before backing off.

It turned out I probably didn't need to because as soon as I stopped it went quiet and once I moved away it just plodded back up the track, so a very well trained dog that did a good job of looking scary.

Thewaylander

Something i noticed last night cruising round Cwm was a good few piles of dog crap on the trail too... Really hate dog ownes on the general rule

diy

My problem is the owner was convinced I was not allowed to be cycling where I was and was hurling abuse at me from the off. I had my stereo on, so it took me a while to read her body language and pull my earphones out. By which time her dogs were attacking me.

I think there is a bobble hat mentality among some that they are the only ones entitled to use the trails.

bails87

Thewaylander
I hate this too, so selfish. When your dog runs after people it might be the first time it's done it, it might just be a problem dog that you're desperately trying to train, but when it carps on the floor and you leave it, and don't even flick it off into the brambles that's laziness and nothing else. :evil:

lvquestpaddler

I used to go mental with dog owners on my old commute, most are total idiots. I've a 9 month old border collie now and whenever I walk her near roads,shared paths and MTB trails(I know where all my local ones are) she gets put on the lead the minute i see a cyclist or walker- I know full well she's a great wee thing but they don't and to put any fear into anyone- whether it's from a bite or collision is just not fair. Collies are hyper dogs and a bit skittish, they can't help the genetics- ours will happily walk by any grazing animal, but if it's moving then it's like a switch in their head just goes " It's f**king running, after it!!!!" Ours is still a pup but can almost get a roe deer in full flight up a forest hill...(mmmm venison if I get her trained up right!)
Bottom line- it's the owners fault and most plebs out walking their dog in the park etc are texting, having a spliff, mp3/ipod on not hearing anything and not actually playing/interacting with their dog which suits them fine cos then when it craps they can say they never noticed and not pick it up.... :x