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Chased by dogs !
What would you do when you are chased by dog while riding?
I have had a few friehtening experiences of being chased by dogs. On 2 or 3 occassions I sped off as fast as I could but there were 2 other occassions when the dog came very near me threntening to bite my leg! I kept my cool while keeping any eye on the dog and slowly just cycled off. Speeding off on the other hand CAN BE QUITE DANGEROUS ! Why? In your flight you may end up knocking someone or worse colliding with an on coming motor bike or car !
What is the best way to cope with chasing dogs? Let's hear from the more exepienced rider Ken Kifer. An extract from his site-
There are many effective methods of repelling an attack, and I haven't used all of them. I have never used a spray, but I have ridden with people who routinely sprayed all dogs, innocent and guilty alike, which bothered me.
My defenses are as varied as the dogs' behavior:
1) First, I ignore them. This method works with most dogs, and I use it on all dogs that are far enough from the bike.
2) Second, if the dog is close when I encounter it, I talk to the animal. Sometimes, I am friendly, and sometimes I am barking commands; it depends on the dog. This method is also usually successful.
3) I speed up. This worked better when I was younger. Now that I'm an old dog myself, most dogs can catch me.
4) While riding, I kick a biting dog in the mouth. Warning! This can be dangerous to the bike rider a) if your bike handling skills are not good or b) if your shoes are soft. However, I taught at least one dog to never bother me again that way.
5) I stop. Doing so stops many dogs. However, it is what I least want to do. When I stop, I always keep the bike between me and the dog(s) to avoid attacks, even though that behavior tends to keep the dogs riled up. Unfortunately, some dogs will pair and circle.
6) I pick up, or pretend to pick up, a stone or stick. Once they think I have a weapon, most dogs will back off. Some people prefer to use their pump as a pretend weapon.
7) I scream at the dog; many times if I can make more noise than the dog, he will back off.
8) I chase the dog back onto his property. Dogs will eventually ignore me, if they learn that I am bad news.
Cheers !
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