# Ankle/shin protection from dogs?



## ro7939 (May 25, 2009)

Dog bite ruined my summer 2011 riding. (Dog bit me, not vice versa.) 

Please forward info if you've seen suitable ankle/shin protection. 

Yes, since the bite I Velcro'd bear-spec pepper spray to the top tube.

Thanks!


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## manabiker (Jul 18, 2010)

Pepper spray can kill a dog, its not the dogs fault, its the owner, I use my water bottle, but I hate using my good GU mix to spray on a dog then run low at the end of a ride, I 've recently installed a 115 db air horn, that think works, light, loud, annoying, lasts a long time and can be refilled with a hand pump, It pisses off the dog owner too. good luck


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## ro7939 (May 25, 2009)

Thanks for sage advice.

I'd appreciate a link to your horn if such is available. 

I'll save the pepper spray for mountain lions. A local person (I will keep her/his identity completely hidden and confidential because he/she spoke so frankly...he/she is the highest authority on this subject) told me last week there are mountain lions on my trail. He/she recommended I keep the pepper spray for such encounter in lieu of a firearm/carry permit. I won't carry a deadly weapon because I firmly believe in non-violence with humans, only and always, for any/every reason including self-defense.

The above person also recommended "citrunella" (sp?) spray for domestic animal encounters.


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## manabiker (Jul 18, 2010)

This horn will drive anything away at 115 db it is ear shattering, and can be repumped with any shrader type pump...
Amazon.com: Delta AirZound 115 dB: Rechargable Air Powered Horn: Sports & Outdoors


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## Joe V (Jan 6, 2011)

OK The above horn don't work when it gets a little cold and runs out of air real fast, plus it's cheaply made.
Next, I had a buddy try to spray a dog with pepper spray and the wind blew it back into his eyes.
And a good blast of water from your bottle works good. Or a loud firm "No" will send most dogs away or atleast slow them down enough for you to get away.


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## uRabbit (Apr 10, 2012)

Joe V said:


> OK The above horn don't work when it gets a little cold and runs out of air real fast, plus it's cheaply made.
> Next, I had a buddy try to spray a dog with pepper spray and the wind blew it back into his eyes.
> And a good blast of water from your bottle works good. Or a loud firm "No" will send most dogs away or atleast slow them down enough for you to get away.


Sounds like your friend did not get the pepper spray that the police abusing Occupiers use...


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## AcuNinja (Jun 8, 2008)

manabiker said:


> Pepper spray can kill a dog,


Provide proof please. I have been able to find no accounts of dog deaths due to pepper spray.

I got chased by a couple of vicious dobermans recently, and have been researching the topic.The whole reason pepper spray was developed was to have non-lethal means for defending against dogs, bears, and two-legged predators.

I maintain pepper spray is your best option, this side of a Taurus Judge loaded with #4 buckshot. Which is actually your best option, depending upon local laws, legal jurisdiction, etc.

Water may not cut it. An air horn might work, but then again, maybe not. What if the dog is deaf? It's been known to happen with certain breeds.

And you certainly can't count on always outrunning the dog. I know a girl who's a pretty fast cyclist who was run down while on her bike & badly bitten by a Great Dane.

Dog owners do bear ultimate responsibility for their animals, but it's our responsibility to be proactive in protecting ourselves, and I can tell you 100% I will be carrying pepper spray and will use it at the first provocation. I've been chased a few times, and the last time, one of the dobermans was actually able to put it's slobbery mouth on my leg, before he got a kick to the head. They chased my for at least a quarter mile at a dead sprint, and if I wasn't fresh, it could have ruined my day. As it was, my quads were pumped for 24 hours.


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## ro7939 (May 25, 2009)

Wow...that's an interesting post.

I guarantee you, being age 57 + steep grades on the trail, no way I could have outrun that labradoodle. I never saw him coming from behind anyway. The trail is 2-3' E of the wilderness fence. The 'doodle appeared out of nowhere from behind and locked onto my leg. There was no space to push him away.

The incident was weird and memorable. 20-ish female alone, jogging, ear-buds plugged in both ears, 'doodle bouncing up the hill 100-150 E. As per SOP, I rang my bell and announced "'passing" (gently, I'm kinda of big and scary) on approach, which she did not hear till I was almost on her (very little human traffic). She was startled as she pulled out a bud and I passed without event...till I'm 50-75' past her when the doodle bites. 

My theory is the doodle was on vacation, he sensed her fear, arrived late, presumed (wrongly) I needed a good biting, and the rest is history.


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## 07stiltd (Jun 17, 2011)

I carry pepper spray, it hasn't failed me yet.

As far as it being dangerous to dogs, I have no idea, nor do I care. If I'm being chased by a vicious dog I really don't care if it lives, nor does the owner. If the owner cared, the dog wouldn't be able to chase me as it would be fenced in or on a lead.


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## jackbombay (Nov 15, 2010)

manabiker said:


> ...its not the dogs fault...





AcuNinja said:


> Dog owners do bear ultimate responsibility...


 Dog owners may bear the legal responsibility, and if the dog actually bites you the owner will have to pay up if you go through the hassle of suing them, but "in the real world" it is extremely rare that any dog owner will admit their dog has done anything wrong, as long as the dog doesn't bite you its behavior is completely acceptable, anyone that disagrees with that, "hates dogs" thus their opinion is not to be counted. This has been my experience with bad owners/dogs.

Unfortunately the logic is that "there are no bad dogs" and it has been my experience that no owner will admit they are bad so you end up in a catch 22 where the dog can't be blamed and the owner won't accept responsibility, great.



manabiker said:


> Pepper spray can kill a dog...





AcuNinja said:


> Provide proof please. I have been able to find no accounts of dog deaths due to pepper spray.


Like acuninja, I have been unable to find a case where a dog died from being pepper sprayed.


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## ro7939 (May 25, 2009)

A related story from my local animal protection officer, a County Deputy Sheriff: This area is pretty far right. He tells me how local parents, upon finding a couple pot seeds in Jr's backpack or his dresser drawer, they'll instantly call the PD and order them to "arrest" my son immediately, to teach him a lesson.

But if the same officer threatens legal action against their dog, watch out, prepare for the Wrath of Ages: "What the blank do you think you're doing, Mr? Get your hands off my dog!"


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## Kawigreen99 (Oct 9, 2011)

07stiltd said:


> I carry pepper spray, it hasn't failed me yet.
> 
> As far as it being dangerous to dogs, I have no idea, nor do I care. If I'm being chased by a vicious dog I really don't care if it lives, nor does the owner. If the owner cared, the dog wouldn't be able to chase me as it would be fenced in or on a lead.


Exactly... protect yourself. If the dog is trying to hurt you then it deserves whatever happens to it, regardless of how the owner raised it. The owner deserves to be pepper sprayed too.


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## abegold (Jan 30, 2004)

ro7939 said:


> Thanks for sage advice.
> 
> I'd appreciate a link to your horn if such is available.
> 
> I'll save the pepper spray for mountain lions. A local person (I will keep her/his identity completely hidden and confidential because he/she spoke so frankly...he/she is the highest authority on this subject) told me last week there are mountain lions on my trail.


Sounds like an uneducated "authority" to me. If a mountain lion attacks it won't help even if you have a gun in your hands in most cases. They attack from behind and go for the neck or head. If you happen to see one it won't attack.
I've never seen a mountain lion in the wild, hiked, mountain biked and worked outside in AZ for over 4 decades. If you have the time to get pepper spray out and it had planned to attack that would be a miracle cause either you're faster than "Billy the Kid" or the cat is in a time warp moving in slow motion.


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## fourgasm (Jun 4, 2009)

Most of the dogs mentioned here are considered "sight hounds", meaning if they lived in the wild, they would hunt using their eyes, ie see "prey" running and chase. (Blood hounds and bear dogs and other similar are scent hounds) The point i'm trying to make is that if a sight hound has moving "prey" to chase it will be more inclined to chase that "prey" down. If you speed up when the dog starts chasing, in their minds the chase is on! So I am not saying in all cases that stopping would make the dog stop chasing, but there is a possibility that if you stop riding and stand up to the dog, or in certain cases turn your back to the dog, but it may work. Now I understand that if you see a vicious dog chasing this would probably be the last thing on your mind, but stopping may make the dog stop chasing, and if the owner is around you would be closer to the owner so they could get their dog under control easier if you stopped rather than having the dog chase you 1/4 mile down a trail. I'm not saying anyone is wrong, but just looking at it from a different perspective. Good luck out there.


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## golfduke (Mar 20, 2007)

Welp, I had my first vicious dog encounter last night  I was riding a new-to-me trail that ended at a road crossing near a driveway. It was a slight uphill slog so I was going slow when all of a sudden I heard a single bark, some leaves rustling, and suddenly a large golden retriever. I did the forceful 'NO' and picked up my cadence, but he still bit me right above my left ankle pretty good. He let go and kept coming after me, teeth showing and growling, so I (instinctively, mind you) unclipped and gave him a pretty hard kick to back him off. Once I got to the road, I pedaled a safe distance away and checked my leg. I had 2 canine punctures, but nothing that would need stitches. I ended up google-mapping the house address and got a phone number for the house where the dog came from because there is no way I was riding down the guy's driveway to check for rabies paperwork. The woman who answered was very apologetic and didn't even know what just happened. She showed me his rabies certificate, I asked her to please be a little more mindful of unleashed dogs especially if territorial, and rode back to the truck.

I'm definitely going to try the airhorn thing now though. I'll be honest- I never imagined I'd be in any situation where a domestic dog would scare me until yesterday. We're talking full-on adrenaline pumping fear for a a few seconds...


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## ro7939 (May 25, 2009)

Sorry to hear of your ordeal. 

I'm 6-3 over 200# and I bench press. I would have exited the breath from that dog's nostrils if I could have, but it was just not possible. It was a "bite and run back to momma" affair. It's not fun pulling your flesh from the teeth of a large canine.


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## OmaHaq (Jun 1, 2010)

Nothing wrong with a blast of any of the following:

** Any type of pepper spray
** Lemon juice + water 50/50 mix
** A smack from an expanding / collapsing baton
** Don't forget the good old tazer.

I personally go with the baton because pepper residual sucks. A collapsing baton is small, light, and usually one good smack is all it takes. You are well within the law to defend yourself anyway you feel works against animal attacks as long as you don't put other people in danger.


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## scotteramey (Feb 10, 2012)

If I spot the dog from a distance I'll eyball it and if possible head straight forward it. Intimidation works a lot of the time. I've been surprised from behind and I dismounted as quickly as possible and did the confrontational stuff using my bike as a weapon or shield of a sorts. No way can I outrun a dog and I know I'll get nipped or worse. 

The only time I got bit was when running with my buddy his male German Shepherd decided to go after my female Rottweiler who zipped behind me (so much for protecting her master) and I got bit - real good. I cleaned it pretty good as I would a typical cut, and it still got infected. From that I learned to take dog bites seriously.


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## wschruba (Apr 13, 2012)

1) Animal bites (that break skin) almost always require a trip to the doctor, be it the emergency room or otherwise for care/antibiotics. If you see the owner, or otherwise know who owns the dog, you need to know (and see _proof_) that they have a current vaccination for rabies. If it doesn't (or you can't find the owner) you may need to go through THAT nightmare of getting vaccinated yourself. Not something you want to play around with.

If you plan on defending yourself against a dog, it's a good idea to free your foot _before_ they get to you, as clipping out just gives the dog an easy target to bite.


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## scotteramey (Feb 10, 2012)

wschruba said:


> 1) Animal bites (that break skin) almost always require a trip to the doctor, be it the emergency room or otherwise for care/antibiotics. If you see the owner, or otherwise know who owns the dog, you need to know (and see _proof_) that they have a current vaccination for rabies. If it doesn't (or you can't find the owner) you may need to go through THAT nightmare of getting vaccinated yourself. Not something you want to play around with.
> 
> If you plan on defending yourself against a dog, it's a good idea to free your foot _before_ they get to you, as clipping out just gives the dog an easy target to bite.


Amen to your bite advise, wish I knew that before I was bitten.

If a dog is after me and I'm not going like blazes downhill (never happened that way) I want to get off the bike ASAP and put the bike between me and the dog. Let'em chew on the tire, anything but me.

As for pepper spray, I still have a small cannister I carried for awhile while running but never used it in ten or twelve years. Not that I didn't see an occasional dog but there was never any real need for the pepper spray. Intimidation works a lot of time but then running going the other way works too, if you're far enough away to do that.


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## ro7939 (May 25, 2009)

OmaHaq said:


> Nothing wrong with a blast of any of the following:
> 
> ** Any type of pepper spray
> ** Lemon juice + water 50/50 mix
> ...


I'd appreciate a link to a suitable baton. Is such legally classified as a "concealed weapon?"

Readiness is big component here. I recently exited my trail at the mouth of the Canyon, paved just W of the gated fence. At the third house down the hill I pulled off to raise my seat, take a drink, whatever. A woman barely adult if at all sat in an electric golf cart (I suppose used to get up and down the mountain, visit friends, who knows) with her friend, parked in their driveway amongst other vehicles, hiding her and her loose dog. They're on the S side of the street, me on the N. Her black lab ran across the street from between the several vehicles, leaving not enough time to grab the spray velcro'd to the top tube.

Man I hate this loose dog thing.

In the case of being knocked unconscious it's imperative to receive professional care to confirm the presence or lack of internal bleeding. A guy I know was knocked out in a vehicle accident and did not get checked. A week later the original injury resulted in him being a paraplegic.


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## scotteramey (Feb 10, 2012)

ro7939 said:


> I'd appreciate a link to a suitable baton. Is such legally classified as a "concealed weapon?"
> 
> Readiness is big component here. I recently exited my trail at the mouth of the Canyon, paved just W of the gated fence. At the third house down the hill I pulled off to raise my seat, take a drink, whatever. A woman barely adult if at all sat in an electric golf cart (I suppose used to get up and down the mountain, visit friends, who knows) with her friend, parked in their driveway amongst other vehicles, hiding her and her loose dog. They're on the S side of the street, me on the N. Her black lab ran across the street from between the several vehicles, leaving not enough time to grab the spray velcro'd to the top tube.
> 
> ...


A Lab you say. The military gave up on trying to use them for police dogs because they couldn't get them to bite. I'm not sure mine would bite someone even if they were attacking me - but then nobody loves me like my dog does, so I tell my wife.


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## Live2rideUtah (Jan 3, 2012)

Man my neighbors lab is scary as hell and vicious, he as to be walked with a muzzle because he isa risk and Irish more people used muzzles on their dogs, it would help preent some bitings.


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## modifier (May 11, 2007)

ro7939 said:


> I won't carry a deadly weapon because I firmly believe in non-violence with humans, only and always, for any/every reason including self-defense.


ROFLMAO. I'm sure mountain lions practice the same believe system. Just give him a namaste and he will step aside and let you pass. I hear bears are believers too. Oh.. and


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## ro7939 (May 25, 2009)

modifier said:


> ROFLMAO. I'm sure mountain lions practice the same believe system. Just give him a namaste and he will step aside and let you pass. I hear bears are believers too. Oh.. and


There is, practically speaking, no mt. lion threat here during the hours I ride. It's off the beaten path, but housing creeps closer and closer every day. There's no bear threat of any kind.

I don't care if every other MTB rider in the world carries a gun. Actually, the fact that many locals carry is the reason I won't carry: Suppose I kill a big dog showing its teeth and growling, running full speed in my direction. The dog owner nearby (the criminal in this case), feels, so I'm told by local constabulary, I've done worse than physically violate a human family member. He points his weapon in my direction. What do I do? Kill him? I'm a damn good shooter BTW.

Shooting and killing that human being, regardless of whose right/wrong ethically, morally, legally, would cost me about $100k in legal fees.

If you think the risk is worth it, fine, shoot away. Personally, the risk to reward ratio is imbecilic.


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## desnaephoto (Jun 11, 2009)

A suggestion made to me was Wasp/Hornet spray. Long distance, stream means less blowback. I've not tried it myself, though I keep meaning to carry some.


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## ro7939 (May 25, 2009)

scotteramey said:


> A Lab you say. The military gave up on trying to use them for police dogs because they couldn't get them to bite. I'm not sure mine would bite someone even if they were attacking me - but then nobody loves me like my dog does, so I tell my wife.


I certainly hope I'm not the only reader old enough to remember the laughable, oxymoronic term "military intelligence"....one recent example: the US military delivered with scathing power and repetition, the so-called (and glaringly non-existent) Iraq "weapons of mass-destruction", which lie caused about $2T in useless loss of US wealth and in one fell swoop did away with the single strongest military threat against Iran, one of the members of Bush's so-called "axis of evil. The US Iraq invasion miraculously transformed Iraq and Iran into allies, thus strengthening Iran in the process....but I digress....it's quite difficult (actually impossible for any non-ideologue) to take anything the military does on face value.

Beyond that, I've had several bad experiences with violent labs including the labradoodle that bit me.


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## modifier (May 11, 2007)

ro7939 said:


> There is, practically speaking, no mt. lion threat here during the hours I ride. It's off the beaten path, but housing creeps closer and closer every day. There's no bear threat of any kind.
> 
> I don't care if every other MTB rider in the world carries a gun. Actually, the fact that many locals carry is the reason I won't carry: Suppose I kill a big dog showing its teeth and growling, running full speed in my direction. The dog owner nearby (the criminal in this case), feels, so I'm told by local constabulary, I've done worse than physically violate a human family member. He points his weapon in my direction. What do I do? Kill him? I'm a damn good shooter BTW.
> 
> ...


I wouldn't carry a gun either unless I was in some kind of survival situation. Or car camping 

It's a bulky heavy thing for one. Plus I agree with most of what you say except one thing in that if someone thinks they are entitled to try and take advantage of me or my family in a physical way they have forfeited their personal rights at that point. If they want to play the game they have to be willing to pay the price which means maybe getting shot. Just like people shouldn't expect to get away with going out and trying to start fights. There very well may be someone with a gun or a lead pipe who would be happy to put them in their place. Or some crazy MMA cage fighter.

I'm much more for getting along but I'm also anti anti-gun.

Also people who own dogs that bite should keep them behind a fence or on a chain.


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## fritz1 (May 11, 2012)

Got bit last week end on a tow path by a dog on a leash, it lunged and bit my left ring finger and tore a brand new 40.00 dollar gloves, the lady had to keep correcting the dog every time a cyclist passed and only cyclists. I was pissed to say the least but remained civil with her, she was apologetic but when I told her the gloves were 40 bucks she said she had 20 bucks and asked if I can't just stitch the gloves, not to mention my bleeding finger.

took about an hour to get the park ranger out and she was reluctant to even give me her contact information and she left before the ranger arrived and left me a phone #, just shows how some people are, not mad at the dog at all just her lack of control and her asking me to stitch the gloves I just bought was an insult, the dog was actually timid and jumped when I moved and had what she said is a bite mark on his back from another dog so it has a questionable history, if I had been walking I guarantee that dog would not have bit me I have two German shepherds and love them very much I will defend them as family but then I don't allow them to bite people specially ones with 40 dollar gloves LOL.

ETA: she caught up with me later and gave me a check for 40 bucks.


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## Stumpjumpy (Sep 7, 2011)

Interesting stuff in this thread.
I have always owned and loved dogs.

Never dawned on me to carry dog repellent, and I was bit last October while riding. Tiny little nick from a tiny little dog who snapped at me while i rode by. Very sudden, quick, odd and almost painless. Would never have had an oportunity to reach for repellent, if I had had it.

Had to do the full rabies shots thing, though. The shots were perhaps THE most painful thing I've ever endured in my life. They inject a heavy viscous fluid directly into the wound, repeatedly, then weekly shots in the arm for a 3 wks. 

Generally, I think if you have time to reach for repellent or some weapon, you have time to either escape the encounter or use your bike as a weapon/shield. I think carrying repellent would have very little utility in the real world.

Also keep in mind that most dogs LOVE to chase things, whether it be a bus or a frisbee or a plastic bag blowing in the wind - does not mean they plan to attack what they are chasing. If you pepper spray every dog that comes near you, 99% of those dogs were going to sniff or lick you, at the very worst. 

At some point, overly defensive behavior becomes aggressive obnoxious behavior. Unless you KNOW that you will be encoutering an aggressive animal on your intended route (mail man, for example) keeping dog repellent at the ready comes very close to crossing that line.


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## scotteramey (Feb 10, 2012)

Stumpjumpy said:


> Never dawned on me to carry dog repellent, and I was bit last October while riding. Tiny little nick from a tiny little dog who snapped at me while i rode by. Very sudden, quick, odd and almost painless. Would never have had an oportunity to reach for repellent, if I had had it.
> . . . .
> Generally, I think if you have time to reach for repellent or some weapon, you have time to either escape the encounter or use your bike as a weapon/shield.
> . . . .


 Another drawback with repellent, it takes a couple of seconds to kick in by which time you're probably already bitten. Like you say, if you have time to reach the repellent you have time to do something else. I try intimidation which works most of the time and if not, well maybe it buys me a couple of seconds to figure out "what next genius?"


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## Windigo (Jul 24, 2014)

I got bit 3 weeks ago and the dog broke the skin, he first went for my left ankle and I pulled away, like a flash he changed direction and bit me on my right ankle. I was pissed and yelled at the two ladies and they were very apologetic and said the dog got away from them.They had several dogs and were struggling to control them. He had no leash, so shocked and full of adrenaline I biked off.
Fast forward to last week, I'm biking and a dog comes running down the trail looking like Cujo, so I use my bike as a shield barely keeping him off as he lunges at me over and over, until the lady shows up and restraints him. I notice its the same lady from before and I tell her put the dog on a leash or I am going to call animal control. I bike to the top of the hill and here comes the dog again and I have to fight it off once more. At this point I'm pised and call animal control and the ranger. Animal control says they can do nothing because its on private property but said they will send someone out for the bite. The rangers take a statement from me but don't bother looking for the lady.
So today I am stopped by a cyclist who thinks he owns and runs the trails and is mad at me for reporting the incident and said the lady was scared due to me yelling at her and being so mad.


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## jackbombay (Nov 15, 2010)

Dog attacks are the weirdest thing, in our society the victims of any and all assaults are always encouraged to report the attack, but with a dog attack you are treated like a pedophile if you report an attack because that means you obviously hate dogs and there is no greater sin than that. 

As Confucius said, May you live in interesting times.

Sorry you have had to deal with idiot dog owners :-/


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## nauc (Sep 9, 2009)

tailwhip to the face works wonders


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## Kajjal (Dec 14, 2013)

Unless you are used to owning dogs they can be hard to judge. For a non dog owner a barking dog is a threat , but the barking could be a warning or due to the dog being scared. Either way dogs should never bite anyone and it is the responsibility of the owners to ensure this never happens. If they can't be trusted keep them on a lead and out the way of situations that make them aggressive.

The last time two dogs decided I was lunch I stopped and made it clear that was not going to happen and they left me alone. Had it been a snarling pit bull things would have been very different. Just keep yourself safe.


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## Windigo (Jul 24, 2014)

It actually gets annoying because most dog owners don't use a leash for their dog in the trails I ride. Its treated like a leash free zone because its in the woods. So every time I see a dog head on with no owner in sight I get nervous. I keep seeing articles online and in the paper about how annoyed people are about dogs off the leash in that park and rangers say they are constantly yelling at owner about this. I dont want to pepper spray some german shepherd and then have to deal with an angry dog owner after he comes around the corner.


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## jackbombay (Nov 15, 2010)

Windigo said:


> I dont want to pepper spray some german shepherd and then have to deal with an angry dog owner after he comes around the corner.


 Don't use all the pepper spray on the dog


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## Ernest Becker (Dec 5, 2014)

My sister (lives in Alaska) told me that some folks are carrying flare guns for bear, etc.


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## targnik (Jan 11, 2014)

Jus need a bike with higher BB

https://www.whatsupwhatson.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Penny-Fathing-2.jpg


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## Windigo (Jul 24, 2014)

I wonder how well chainmaille pants or gaiters would work.


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## Ernest Becker (Dec 5, 2014)

*lightweight carbon?*

Our UPS driver carries dog biscuits.

Perhaps as a backup a carbon fiber baton? Or maybe a carbon fiber ventilator?


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## Nikon Fan (Jan 11, 2015)

I have had several close encounters with aggressive dogs (also a few alligators as well being that I'm in Florida). This is what I have found:

- Gators are faster than people think they are. If you are within 100 feet of one, he will get you no matter how fast you think you are. They sprint very quickly. 

- Expandable batons are not reliable. You have to flick your wrist on an exact angle in order for it to expand. When you are under stress (like being bitten by a large dog) you immediately lose all fine motor skills and "fight or flight" instinct kicks in. More likely than not your expandable baton won't open and you will end up whacking the dog or animal with the handle grip; not very effective. 

- Tasars are not reliable. If you get the one that shoots the two darts attached to the coils, you have to make sure both barbs hit the target in order to be effective. If only one barb hits the target you won't have the electrical jolt effect. More likely than not you will only get one barb into the dog because they are smaller targets than humans or bears, plus dogs move and bounce around much faster. 

- Guns (regardless of your pro or anti gun feelings) are extremely effective against any animal. revolvers are even more reliable than semi auto pistols. Problem is as others have pointed out that you will incur in unfathomable legal expenses no matter how justified you were to use your firearm in self defense. Nowadays everyone sides with criminals and you are guilty in the eyes of the public until proven otherwise in court. 

- OC spray (pepper spray) is pretty effective and a decent alternative to firearms. The problems with OC spray are that they have an expiration date and the spraying mechanism is not always reliable. They work 75% of the time when you need them. Haven't tried it on a gator, so I can't say for sure if it works on one or not. There is a delay effect on people though, so if you are being attacked by some angry crazy person remember that it will take a few seconds before it kicks in. On dogs the effect is almost instant; it's almost like when dogs get sprayed by a skunk. The owner will have to hose the dog down with water. Yes it will be "inconvenient " for him or her, but the dog should not have attacked you to begin with.

I have been bitten by large dogs (Rottweilers, Pit Bulls and small dogs) on several occasions. Standing still did not work for me. Throwing dog biscuits only works sometimes. OC spray worked best for me (no, I didn't spray the small dogs). I was lucky that the gators I have encountered were not very hungry at the time. I did see how incredibly fast they can run though. Scary indeed.


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## PlutonicPlague (Jan 19, 2014)

On New Year's Day, I was riding on my local beach and I had the fine experience of having an aggro pit bull mix dragging a leash charge at me. I had to stop and keep pointing my front tire (Larry 3.8") at it to fend it off, while I was still straddling my Pugs, but I wish I'd have had a .38 revolver, instead. The owner finally ran over and grabbed the leash. Since it was such a nice day, I didn't make a big deal out it, but just said, "Thanks for controlling your dog," and rode on up the beach.
For certain I would have pepper sprayed it, if I had been carrying some.
I've been thinking of strapping a machete (with sheath) to my left fork. Now, I'm going to go ahead and do so. I'll just say that its for clearing blackberry vines from the trails.
I'll be sure to have a new canister of pepper spray, too, mounted for quick-draw! Yeeha!


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## SV11 (Jan 2, 2011)

OmaHaq said:


> Nothing wrong with a blast of any of the following:
> 
> ** Any type of pepper spray
> ** Lemon juice + water 50/50 mix
> ...


Good advice, the expandable baton would be the most effective against dog attacks. Just the action of expanding the baton would probably be enough to scare off the dog. 
There have been many dog attacks over here, a fair few children have died as a result of those attacks.
Vicious dogs are trained to be vicious and to attack, if it's not you it will be the next person. A vicious dog is a ticking time bomb. The owners are usually the people that need a good beating, there is no place for vicious dogs in society where children and adults are at risk.
It's either you or the dog, who's well being is more important?


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## Windigo (Jul 24, 2014)

Was reading the comments after a story about a 64 year old lady who was setting traps for mountain bikers.
Anyway one of the comments was from a hiker who said he sends his colie after mountain bikers to chase and nip at their legs as they pass him on the trails.
If you get nipped by a dog, don't do like I did and let it go. You must report it, otherwise you will get attacked a second time by the same persons dogs.


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## Terranaut (Jun 9, 2014)

I have never encountered this but where I live it is illegal to have your dog off the leash in public. I think if this was an issue for me I would go with the pepper spray and buy a good one. I had the opportunity to fire off an expired can of this stuff a year or so ago. Yes there was a bit of residual back spray and I fear it would be hard to use with a very strong wind but man I could not believe how it took my breath away and just smelling the vapor was enough to make me run for air. I can't imagine getting an actual blast in the face. Keeping a can in your second water bottle holder sounds like a great idea to me. Again if I had this issue.


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## jackbombay (Nov 15, 2010)

Terranaut said:


> I have never encountered this but where I live it is illegal to have your dog off the leash in public.


 I'd be pretty surprised if its legal to have your dog off leash anywhere in the USA with the exception of your own property/private property and specific off leash parks.


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## bigchillcar (Aug 22, 2014)

windingo - with a mug like that the dog's oughta be runnin'!


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## bing! (Jul 8, 2010)

I have a great anti dog bite device. It's called a lawyer  A side dose of a police report really helps too.


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## Brizz Dogg (Aug 20, 2015)

I know some of the motorcycle leg armor has a harder shell than the MTB armor although at least in my opinion you shouldn't rely on the leg armor against dog bites because even the motorcycle armor doesn't have hard casing covering the back of your leg. In My experiences biking on the street and off road i've lost track of how many dogs i've been chased by. Although I've always been able to outrun them. I believe it more depends on being alert and aware of whats around and ahead of you.


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