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Dogs biting

273 posts & 69 voices | Started 1 year ago by dirtbiker100 | Latest reply from Torminalis

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dirtbiker100 - Member

Can someone tell me where you stand when a dog bites you while you're riding your bike?

Riding across the top of my local hill and went to overtake a couple of ladies walking their dogs, one dog came over as they do, "trotting" and seemingly friendly then acted sort of suspicious and nipping towards my shoe then my leg then ran off, thought that was that. Then came back to the other leg and went straight in!

No broken skin, just a couple of marks. Was my left leg, lower jaw went for the calf and the upper jaw went round the front of my lower leg and to the other side of my shin.

Apart from giving the dog a good kicking (which i didn't think of at the time), what should have I done?

Posted 1 year ago #
NikNak7890 - Member

"Vocal" discussion with the owner about muzzling her precious little darling!

Posted 1 year ago #
iamsporticus - Member

Either take picture with camera phone of dog and owner then alert rozzers or else kick the dog and spray the owner with your water bottle

Depending how angry you feel

Posted 1 year ago #
djglover - Member

stamp on it's head, the owners that is

Posted 1 year ago #
daveatextremistsdotcouk - Member

A water pistol filled with isopropyl alcohol should do the trick.

Squirted into the eyes it should work on the dog or the owner.

If a dog can attack you, next time it could take a chunk out of an innocent child.

Posted 1 year ago #
grittyshaker - Member

Since no serious damage done, just a stern talking to (the owner) would seem to be the proportionate response.

Maybe kick the dog.

Posted 1 year ago #
PikeBN14 - Member

What happens when it's your own dog!!

Mine does that for the first half mile of every ride before he get bored with it!

Not sure what you can do really, a guy I ride with had some rigid carbon forks 'punctured' by a mutt a while ago!!

Posted 1 year ago #
DezB - Member

OK, as a dog owner, I'd say you'd be right to give the dog a good kicking. If my dog bit someone while out, it certainly wouldn't go unpunished from me and I'd perfectly understand it if the 'bitee' kicked the dog!
Any dog that bites someone should be reported as they are not suitable to be out unmuzzled or off the lead and the owners aren't suitable to have them out that way.

Posted 1 year ago #
samuri - Member

kick the owner and then tell them why you kicked them instead of the dog. Seems fairly obvious to me.

I took our dog for a walk today in a nearby park. There was this woman walking a lurcher and a mastif (on leads) and then this old chap with a collie (not on a lead) came through. The collie saw the other dogs and the mastif went bonkers and dragged the woman half way across the park while the old fellah tried to catch the collie who thought this was the best game ever.

Eventually the old bloke caught the collie and leashed it but the woman ripped into him like mad, she was properly screaming at him.

here's my take on the matter.

If you can't control your dog, it's not the right dog for you. So by that reckoning the mastif was too much dog for the woman because it was stronger than her and the collie was too much for the old bloke because it was a zillion times faster than him. They were both wrong and I am right. Bingo.zippo. alu numni bang!

Posted 1 year ago #
allthepies - Member

samuri - you ROCK, factoid.

Posted 1 year ago #
dirtbiker100 - Member

They were both wrong and I am right. Bingo.zippo. alu numni bang!

awesome.

thanks for the info people. seems like give the dog a kick and the owner a shouting. good stuff.

Posted 1 year ago #
anagallis_arvensis - Member

I would suggest that it would depend on how you overtook the dog and its owners. Slow and steady is best. Not saying you did but if you went tearing past and the dog bit you out of fear its partly your fault. No point kicking the dog after its happend, kick it whilst its happening, then kick the owner after.

I like dogs so usually stop and say hello to them, never been bitten

Posted 1 year ago #
TooTall - Member

If the dog is off leash and 'out of control', there is probably an offence being committed. If the dog attacks you (which it did) then it is pretty damned clear and you'd be well within your rights to call the police. Mitigating circumstances might have been if you rode by close and quick without warning. However, the dog should be under control if this sort of thing startles it.

Posted 1 year ago #
b r - Member

carry on riding

Posted 1 year ago #
missingfrontallobe - Member

Not under owners control, needs action, certainly while it has shown the ability to be aggressive.

I hate numpty dog owners whose "pets" are uncontrolled. They're (the dogs)as dangerous as the so called "dangerous dogs". Lots of dogs don't like bikes, bikes generate noises which disturb them, and that we can't hear, but if an animal is in a public place, then the owner needs to have it under control.

I'm not anti dog, I own a dog (a staffordshire bull terrier) but have the dog trained to return when called, and get thoroughly sick of those fückers whose rats are not trained, and come nipping at my dog when she's on a lead. Whereas if I let my dog roam around, they'd be onto the police pretty quickly. Double standards of fücking daily fail readers.

Posted 1 year ago #
singletrackmind - Member

I know it doesn't make a difference, but what make of dog was it?
In my experience, its collie's who seem the worst . Been barked at , 'herded up ' and nipped at by collie's. They seem clever and some are very, very friendly. something about bikes seems to make them angry. Had words with the last owners about controlling their dog , children on bikes etc .
NB. Not saying all collies are dangerous, biting anti-cycling dogs.
I have had the most trouble with them, thats all.

Posted 1 year ago #
anagallis_arvensis - Member

Lots of dogs don't like bikes, bikes generate noises which disturb them, and that we can't hear, but if an animal is in a public place, then the owner needs to have it under control.

which is all true but if you dont want to get bitten its best to hide behind common sense rather than the law.... not suggesting this applies to OP.......i wasnt there

Posted 1 year ago #
AgentOrange - Member

Missingfrontlobe - Couldn't have put it better myself.

I too have a Staffie well trained, great with people, kids & bikes. Always walked 3-4 times a day, well behaved and on a lead (Not leash - You Americans..). It's the irresponsible owners, who let their dogs roam free that cause the trouble, the moment they run up to Moses (my dog) he puts himself between them and either the wife or the kids.

In all walks of life there are irresponsible, dumb folk - most of which shouldn't be allowed to have a dog, or kids for that matter......

Posted 1 year ago #
69er - Member

If a dog bites you, bite the owner. It's their fault

Posted 1 year ago #
DezB - Member

off leash

It's a LEAD. (unless you're American)

Posted 1 year ago #
IanMunro - Member

Kick the dog, then kick the owner if they complain.

Posted 1 year ago #
druidh - Member

Report it to the police. Give as much identification as you can regarding both the dog and the owner. They may well be regulars in the area.

Posted 1 year ago #
Ewan - Member

Kick dog until it's put off, try and get name / address from owner, report to police. If it's done it before they may put it down and do everyone a favour.

Posted 1 year ago #
No_discerning_taste - Member

If a dog starts nipping at you while riding just stop suddenly, put your feet down and don't look at the dog, just ignore it. They very quickly loose interest in you. Most dogs that I've come across aren't nipping at you because they actually want to hurt you, they just get very over excited by cyclists for some reason. Kicking at it will just make them even more excited (I've tried many times with my dog who loves trying to untie my shoelaces on every ride, a habit we are slowly getting ot top of I'm happy to say!) Stopping will also make it easy to have a word with the owner if you feel that you have been scared by the dog or the dog has done some damage to you or your bike and/or let the owner catch the dog to put the lead on. Trying to pedal faster will just make the dog even more tempted to follow you!

I've had to get past some very nasty threatening dogs while riding in Italy and getting of the bike, walking past slowly looking the opposite direction has worked very well so far!

Posted 1 year ago #
bassspine - Member

A friend of mine was riding along, and got nipped by a dog 'oh that's the first time he's ever done that' says the owner.
'you said that when he bit me last week, too'

Posted 1 year ago #
valleydaddy - Member

Look into my eyes, look into my eyes, the eyes, the eyes, not around the eyes, don't look around my eyes, look into my eyes, you're under.

say that to any dog and you'll be fine!!!

If not run to the hills

Posted 1 year ago #
missingfrontallobe - Member

I heard a theory once that what pisses dogs off about bikes is mainly to do with the noise a spoke makes as it turns through the air, could be why No Discerning tastes suggestion of stopping may help, removes the nasty stimulus that the dog doesn't like.

I subscribe to the ride faster method of evasion myself.

Posted 1 year ago #
andywarner - Member

I'm a dog owner and love the things. But if a dog goes for me whether I'm on or off the bike I'll hoof the f**cker in the chest and shout at the top of my voice at it. If the owner's any sort of owner they'll agree with you. Dog obviously needs boundaries.

Posted 1 year ago #
sherry - Member

I think being the human we need to use the grey matter here and use some common sense, as said before don't think its OK just to fly up and past a dog and think its OK to do so! some dogs get angry when startled etc and if your going slower and say excuse me the owner so they can get a hold of the dog before you pass them then no harm done. Yes some dogs should not be off the lead in public or rural pathways, but if a dog tries give you a nipp stop and don't be confrontational, let the owner get hold of the dog and then have a proper word with the owner. As always some people wont want to know and just tell you where to go or worse.

Having said that I have a friend who sometimes comes biking with me and his attitude stinks to all dogs and other trail/path users in general and thinks everyone should get out off his way regardless of any situation and that includes cycle paths. He will swing a kick at a dog just for walking past him, a real disgrace/embarrassment!

I have and like dogs and my dog comes out with me when I go MTBing. Its the owners who need a good bollocking at when there dog is out of control! And don't get me started on the stupid parents that let there children go nuts and let them scare, hit and chase dogs sometimes and then say oh that dog could eaten my child!

Posted 1 year ago #
Ewan - Member

Hmmmm, TBH I don't really care why a dog goes for me or what I can do to put it off. The owner should keep it under control and not let it attack other trail users.

Posted 1 year ago #
mikey-simmo - Member

Dog bites = Dog booted. No questions it will be kicked if I have to chase it till I get it. Little stinky sods!

Posted 1 year ago #
sherry - Member

Well in Scotland the country access code says that all trail users should be courteous and slow, stop or dismount if appropriate when passing others and that includes dog walkers, seems like good sense to me and its the LAW. Not sure what other parts of the UK's policy's are but manners cost nothing and the trail does not belong to any one user.

Posted 1 year ago #
Lionheart - Member

We have two big-ish dogs and I really like dogs (not sure that I love them!). I run and cycle most days and come across dogs all the time. I also did did a short course in the services on dealing with dogs. The dogs seem to know this so I get very little trouble. But my experience is that a proportional approach is usually appropriate. I agreed that stopping is the right thing and then I turn to the dog and if appropriate/possible go to it in a pretty firm manner get over it (by now nearly all are backing off) and go for its head/neck only once have I needed to get it by the scruff and knee/kneel on its head neck whilst raising my voice! Apparently what a dominant dog would do. Good luck

Posted 1 year ago #
waynekerr - Member

If anyone kicked my dog, I'd thump them.

Posted 1 year ago #
TooTall - Member

waynekerr - Member

If anyone kicked my dog, I'd thump them.

If your dog was out of control and bit me, it would deserve it - and so would you.

Posted 1 year ago #
project - Member

Think of a dog as a reincarnated roadie cyclist, as they hate us mountainbikers as roadies,when they come back as dogs they still remember.

Or,

Carry a larg brightly coloured bin bag,when dog attacks you,pick up dog, and place in bag,pulverise dog and then throw the bag containing brown coloured dog into nearest tree, it will then save the owner years of throwing dog turd bags into the sanme tree.

Posted 1 year ago #
TandemJeremy - Member

Sherry - and it also says dogs should be under control.

If a dog bites me its getting booted until it stops. Depending on the situation it might well get reported to the police for destruction

As for the suggestion that you should stop if a dog bites you to avoid frightening the dog - how ridiculous.

I had a puppy off the lead try to bite me. I booted it under the chin - enough to make it yelp but not enough to damage it. The owner could not control it despite calling it and the dog chased me - I looped back round to the owner so she could catch the dog and gave her a right mouthful - telling her she was lucky it was a pup or else it wpould be being reported and that she should train it properly. I would have been perfectly within my rights just to ride off and the dog would have been lost.

We all have the right to go about our business unbothered by dogs. if the dog chases bikes or anything else or cannot be trusted to behave then it should be on a lead.

A dog owner who allows their dog to bite can be and has been prosecuted. Think carefully dog owners - dog under control - its a non issue. dog chasing and barking and biting - you are breaking the law and could be prosecuted and the dog put down

Posted 1 year ago #
anagallis_arvensis - Member

I see the usual braindead internet hardmen are in the house....

Posted 1 year ago #
zaskar - Inactive

Sod it, I'd call the cops and then sue the owner-I enjoy taking money from Dog owners and car drivers who injure for being stupid.

I sued a dog owner 5 yrs ago as her huge dog went for me while I was on the road and made me crash then jumped on me-the thing weighed a ton.

My bike was brand new so I got a new £2000 bike and claimed injuries from the crash and took her to the cleaners. I have no regrets.

Posted 1 year ago #
project - Member

Shouldnt dogs have some sort of Union representation,to defend them from malicious humans.

Wheres TJ when you want him.

Posted 1 year ago #