That kind of thing is more helpful. Is this book from a dog trainer or professional? Is it a book you have or have read?

I can't spend a lot but I'm willing to buy a couple books. It looks to be $25 online. I will try 1/2 Price Books

Book sales link
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/canine-body-language-brenda-aloff/1101437183

Hello, Cheri Grissom.

I usually just say "BIKE" because anything else confuses some people, and "hello" doesn't register well unless someone is facing me already. If I say something like "passing on your left" some people, especially children, unwittingly move left when they were ok where they were. A skateboarding child jumped in front of a cyclist last year and she had a broken shoulder and destroyed bicycle. The kid was bruised up but ok. When I heard of this, I put ding bells on my bikes, and gave some to friends. Some people get annoyed with us, as if we were standing on a car horn or something, but we are friendly and only ding them a couple times till we are sure they have noticed us.

There is more enforcement in the city park (about dog laws and even about stop signs and helmet laws for riders), so dogs are usually well kept, plus there is a free-run dog park with a high fence, on the grounds. I think it helps because the people have a place to let their dogs run around and play games, but go back to leash-walking afterward.

Hi Michael, nice to see you back.

 Quote: Michael Taylor

My hatred of dogs is conscious and reasonable.

I don't like being told that I have to purify my soul and seek solace with the dog gods to avoid bad karma or whatever. If I understand what you are saying, dogs are predatory creatures (true), and the only way to win them over or ward them off is to be more successful or more daunting predator.

I can certainly see why you would take issue with your interpretation of what I wrote. If that's all you got out of it, I'm sorry, that was not my intent.

I chose one aspect, that was mentioned a few times previously, that you appeared quite offended with and I expanded on it, hoping to add a little clarity to what was being said.

You're making very bold statements about your "hatred of dogs" and now expanding that to particular owners.

I commended you on your advocacy (and still do) but when you're looking for information on a subject you're advocating against, you need to open to what you might hear. I, in no way, was telling you to "purify your soul and seek solace with dog gods". Quite frankly, I could care less what you choose to take issue with, for whatever reasons. I was simply explaining some very basic things when it comes to interacting with dogs.

I think you've found a lot of common ground here though and I believe you could out there in the real world too.

 Quote: Michael Taylor

How can I approach someone who is so anti-social that they have a dog at large?

Doing so (going to their house or sending police their way) puts me even more in harms way, with the dog there and a likely armed and territorial person who doesn't like being corrected about his dogs, esp if he will receive a fine or lose a dog.

I agree, when you put it this way, I wouldn't want to chat with these people either.

Personally, I would take a much different approach (I’d send my husband ) But seriously, I’m not usually out there thinking that people are "armed and territorial" and the furthest thing on my mind is that I’m going in there "correcting" an adult.

As an individual with a very basic need and right to feel safe, I also have an ability to communicate and share my experience with these owners that potentially don't know there is a problem. I'm not going into it assuming they want to harm me, that they know precisely when I will be riding by and somehow put their dog up to it.

I think Jody makes a good point:

 Quote: Jody Steel

Most people who let their dogs run loose are just ignorant and lazy, not malicious at all.

If you can arrange a meeting somehow, share your experience. If you want to remove yourself, tell them you have a friend that's been having a problem riding their bike down the road. There's a dog that keeps chasing them and they're quite frightened it will attack. You'll probably get something like, Oh, it couldn't be Bruiser, he's real friendly.

I'd say something like I'm sure he is, but he also likes to chase bikes and he's scaring people, he might even get hurt. Can you think of anything we can do to make it safe and enjoyable for everyone to use the street. Blah, blah, blah.

If he's totally unreasonable, thank him for his time and at least you’ve got a documented attempt at rectifying the situation. If you or other members of the community decide to contact the authorities, you'll have a lot of details that they'll be interested in.

But in my experience, most people don't want their dogs causing problems and are not out to harm others. They're just ignorant of what their dogs might be up to and generally too lazy to care - until someone points it out to them. When the authorities come knocking (should it be necessary) at least they've had a chance to think about the situation and it may be just what's needed to change it. Reasonable folks will work with you and try to rectify the situation.

If it truly is a person that wants to harm random people, using their dog or other means to carry that out, I think you’ve got a much different situation on your hands.

As you’ve seen with the interactions going on here, I think everyone is learning something. I sure am, hadn’t thought about a child going "left" when it was hollered at them but have noticed that people move and it's often right in your way. I bike around our simple neighborhood with a dog and people can be so annoying. I’m going to think about that one. Maybe use their bell collars. Maybe not, I could see that causing other problems, but something to think about for sure. Thanks for that.

Common ground aside, I've got to stand by my previous post, which again was really nothing to do with bad karma or seeking solace, it was about common sense. You go to a bar looking for a fight, you’re gonna get one. You're approached by a dog and he's getting hatred, fear and aggression off you, many will react accordingly.

Sorry don't have any books to recommend but there's nothing like putting knowledge into practice. You can read about body language but I'd suggest some real world practice as well.

Do you have any friends with dogs, or a local shelter that may let you interact with one or two. Or again, maybe a dog sport club that you could watch training and see if someone can explain what you're seeing. Maybe someone has a bike reactive dog you know, you could provide the training distraction and get a good understanding of what's going on for the dog. Extremely controlled, with all the safety precautions in place - perhaps on the other side of a fence to begin with.

I know, a lot more work than packin' a pistol, but I'm sure if you put a little effort into the issue, you'd be a great advocate for both worlds.

I used to ride my bike to work, and my biggest threat was rug rats walking to school along the bike path tottering towards me way ahead of their parents, I always slowed down or stopped and got off, because the one time I didn't I was catapulted off and landed in an undignified heap on the ground, all my so called friends laughed their heads off, because, according to them, I'm not safe operating a sack barrow, and sympathised with the hapless pedestrian!

Another reason I stopped riding my bike was one time I was leaving off work, and an HGV driver delivering to us jumped into his cab and shouted out to me, "Goodo, target practice!"

Encountering dogs whilst riding, I always got off and let the dog pass, because I didn't want to spook them, but then I do prefer dogs to people so tend to consider them first, and as has been stated here over and over, it is always the ignorant and thoughtless owner, not the dog at fault, and you would be rightly justified in remonstrating with the dog owner; in the absence of the owner, I think you have been given some really good insight and tips from the people on the board already.

Maybe loose dogs are taken care of where you live, but here in TX, my experience more so in N. and E. Texas, dogs are protected religious figures, no joke, that are allowed to run out of yard into roads and do whatever they please. Many people defend dogs with statements such as "you must be a creep or something if a dog bit you, they just know."

I don't like the "it's not the dogs fault" theory. If a dog walks out in front of a mack truck and dies biting the tire, it is the dog's fault. If a dog bites a cyclist and gets hi-sticked, it is the dogs fault. It is the owner's problem. But sorry doesn't stop the bleeding!

Here is what a lot of dogs look like to me. Wasteful, but harmless. http://www.sandyhillkennels.com/photos/20070918_6.jpg
photo: dog playing in yard with girl

Here is what a lot of dogs look like to me, no exaggeration. Which of these dogs "just wants to play", or "is just having fun"? http://www.sounddefenseonline.com/
Video shows large dogs pursuing a cyclist,an avowed self-described "dog lover", while snarling, growling, and blocking the cyclist. If an armadillo, or a turtle, or a kangaroo came running out of the yard or treeline and did this, would you have any qualms about beating the poop out of it or macing it etc? Never had this problem with anything but dogs. Even coyotes (have startled a few on mtn bikes) have never been a problem like this, but I know better to deliberately ride near a pack of them.

I have asked them where to buy this nifty device, but apparently they are stalled for lack of production capability or patent wars.

"I don't like the "it's not the dogs fault" theory. If a dog walks out in front of a mack truck and dies biting the tire, it is the dog's fault. If a dog bites a cyclist and gets hi-sticked, it is the dogs fault."

A loose uncontrolled dog is THE OWNER'S fault. No matter what that uncontrolled dog does, it could not have happened if THE OWNER had his dog properly controlled/contained.



"... dogs are .... allowed to run out of yard into roads and do whatever they please ..."

This is the fault of THE OWNERS. This is irresponsible ownership.


There are many suggestions here for dealing with the results of these irresponsible owners, but please make no mistake that the fault, the responsibility, the problem -- is the owner.

Ok, thank you CJ. Sometimes it is difficult to catch everything through teletyping.

I go for a ride, looking to relax or save my gas money. If a dog approaches me, full of hate and aggression, I am going to react accordingly. Plenty of dogs run along fences, enough of them bark till their throat hurts at everything that passes, but some come roaring into the roadway after me, and I've had standoffs with them or given them a headache or a hot pepper buffet. Those little $10 cans aren't worth poop.

Here is a full on Bear Spray used on a charging pit bull. Sure it turns tail and runs the other way, but instead of rolling on the ground crying, it just looks pissed off! I'm buying 2 of these anyway, because it looks like the next best thing to a gun, and the dumb dog won't die from it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsgvUohhpqc

Still, I came here because I think there are probably some dogs that can be persuaded or avoided.

Yes, the owners are liable, but many pro-dog people act like dogs are infallible or "innocent" even after proclaiming they are sentient and intelligent creatures. This is one favorite item for political wordplay. This is not the only forum I read, but ya'll do seem much more sophisticated. Cheers!

You would have a hell of a viral video though if you had some bicyclists take that guy's "joke" advice of wearing full on bite suits, ride down one of these roads with the landsharks.

 Quote: Michael Taylor

You would have a hell of a viral video though if you had some bicyclists take that guy's "joke" advice of wearing full on bite suits, ride down one of these roads with the landsharks.

Michael - they do that exact thing in KNPV, the decoy wears a bite suit on a bicycle and the dog goes into pursuit and takes the decoy down.
You can find Youtube videos of that with no problem....