MetallicaJunkie

I know this is the clubhouse chat, and the topic i have is relevant to bring up at the flying field... its just been so windy i havent been out flying in a looong time, here it goes....

i just bought a new mountain bike to ride around town and get some exercise. well this evening after work i went for a bike ride for the first time in since 92-93 when i was in jr high. i got barked at, no problem, then later on i got chased by some dogs. Do i have the right to beat them with a stick or shoot them with a pellet gun? im strongly considering buying a quality CO2 powered pellet hand gun, or securing a sawed off broom stick to my bike. i could also just ride like the wind like i did today....but if there is traffic it could put my life in even more danger, because of some stupid dogs on the loose.... dont get me wrong, i love dogs and have one that i love like family, same thing with cats... im not looking for an excuse, i just wanna know my rights when confronted again

*edited for spelling

davidgeorge212

A friend of mine rides his bike for long trips each morning and has feared that animals might end up chasing him on his bicycle. He says he never goes out on a ride withouth a can of mace spray. Any time he runs across wild dogs that chase him he just pulls out his mace and sprays them. It usually deters them enough to not bother you any more.

rcdude7

My Feedback: (264)

I would say no you don't have the right to do that. Also, you risk being shot by the police who arrive on the scene, because you are brandishing a gun (or what someone who called 911 thinks is a real gun).

Is it legal to carry pepper spray in your state? You may want to consider getting a can or two.

Are these stray dogs? Do they have a leash law there, might want to call animal control for advice on the matter.

ira d

I think your best bet would be check what law is in your local area, Being that you are in Texas I would bet you have better laws on the books for this sort thing
than we do here in Calif. Now from a common sense point of veiw of course you have the right to protect your self but we all know that the law and common
sense dont always go hand in hand.

JollyPopper

My Feedback: (6)

I have a dog that chases anything that runs or drives or rides away from him. He does it for the sport of chasing and would not bite anybody. I would hate for him to get shot by someone who mistook his chasing for an attack. I realize that you have no way of knowing that when you are being chased, so I guess you are asking a question that can only be answered on the basis that each incident is unique. My advice though would be that you might want to be very careful about shooting or spraying a dog that is chasing you. People here in Arkansas become very attached to their animals, and I suspect Texas (you are from Texas, right?) is very much the same. Just be careful.

MetallicaJunkie

as far as a i remember , we do have a leash law in texas...and the victim is protected by it if the attack occurs off the dog owners property....... i just wanna ride, exercise and get home with out needing medial attention from a bite wound or wipeout or running into a car/traffic because of a loose dog chasing me... i think ill order me a couple cans of mace or pepper spray...ill see how that works


*edit Jollypopper, yes we are pretty much the same... that why i have a pet containment set up all along th perimiter of my house... he is trained so that if he get too close, his collar will beep, if he gets closer it will beef fast, then last chance if he get closer it will give him a light shock....so he know not to leave the yard s perimeter....

i think pet owner should obey the leash law if they love their pets.... i accidentally ran over a dog a while back that attempted to chase me home from the flying field... i had all my gear in my truck... if i would hit the brakes and avoided him i woulda trashed alot of my gear, ... definitley not worth if for what i considered to be a stray... i was driving about 30-40 mph and i noticed the dog was waiting for me... i just kept going and didnt slow down or swerve to protect my gear... he met my front tire and made it out ok with a limp from what i saw in my mirror

JollyPopper

My Feedback: (6)

I am familiar with the fence system you describe and thought about getting one here, but the problem is that we have 10 acres with two creeks running through (he loves those creeks) and it would have been virtually impossible to bury that much wire so I went with a remote control collar system. It is effective out to about 300 yards, the obvious drawback being that he has to be in sight for this to work. He's getting better, but he's still nuts. His name is PITA, and, yes, it is an acronym. To answer your original question, I do believe you have the right to defend yourself first and foremost. After all, your well being is paramount to the dog's.

378

My Feedback: (4)

I never had any qualms against kicking animals that were chasing me on my bicycle. All's fair in war, I say, and if they're going to run after me and try to bite me they're going to get a boot to the head.

JollyPopper

My Feedback: (6)

378, running after you and trying to bite you are two entirely different things. It is in the DNA of some dogs to chase anything that runs from them. Doesn't necessarily mean they're gonna bite.

tommygun32

A VERY long time ago I had a paper route from about '79 to '83.

I had my share of dogs give chase and actually had one nip my ankle.

I knew the cops who drove my neighborhood and asked them what to do about it.

Mace and pepper spray weren't that big or popular back in those days. He recommended I make a billy club out of an old broom handle. So I did.

I only had to use it once, and even then it was just pretty much a light tap on the snout. Most dogs aren't in it to kill or eat you. They're in it for the chase and the fun. (I know it's hard to tell when they're coming at you all hell bent for leather, snarling and barking)

It really is down to the owner to keep an animal that chases under control. They face many issues if that animal actually does attack.

These are different times though. First I'd research the local laws, maybe even ask a few police officers if you get the chance. If it were me now-a-days, I'd carry a dog whistle and mace or pepper spray. I'd use the dog whistle first, blowing it VERY hard to shock the dog into confusion and as a last resort, the spray.

On a side note, I spent a few years in Cairo and used to rent a horse on a monthly basis. I'd go riding about 3 or 4 times a week with him. There are a lot of stray dogs out there, especially in and around the dumping areas behind the Pyramids scavanging for food.

They used to pack up like hyenas but were stupid in their actions. Dogs will bee-line it for you in a straight line ending up behind you, they don't seem to be able to calculate a point of intercept that is ahead of you. When we'd come up to an aread that had a pack of dogs, I'd give the horse the reins. He'd actually slow down and tease the dogs to start moving towards us .

Once they got to a certain point of closeness I'd just give him the slightest of nudges and he'd be off. We'd always leave them in the dust. Don't want to think about what would have happened if I'd fallen off at that moment though.[:@]

378

My Feedback: (4)

..So next you're going to tell me that pinning their ears back, baring their fangs and leaping towards me is a sign of affection, right?


Moot point now. I stopped riding bicycles when I was 16. Got a car then. Wrecked that, got a pickup truck now. If any of the dumbasses want to try to chase that they're going to meet their maker in short order, because I sure as hell ain't gonna wreck it avoiding a dog.

JollyPopper

My Feedback: (6)

Well, 378, I suspect from reading your posts and your stash that you are at the age that nobody is going to tell you anything. I was pretty much like that at 17 too. You'll get dumber as you get older.

378

My Feedback: (4)

...I'd be perfectly open to reason if reason were present. But you seem to be incapable of fathoming how a stray dog could attack a 12 year old on a bicycle with intent to kill.


Trust me, I can tell playful chasing from "I'm starvin', when's dinner?" chasing, and I only kicked the ones that were in the latter category. Let me fill you in on the details:


A playful chase has the dog coming after you roughly matching speed. Ears are perked up, tail's perked up, and the barks sound happy. They also give up within 20 or 30 feet of the end of their driveway. Dogs intent on doing damage, however, come at you with their teeth bared, ears and tail pinned back, at full pelt, and they will follow you quite a ways from where you encountered them. Sometimes you can hear snarls and growls mixed in with the barks, but even without you can tell they mean business.

JollyPopper

My Feedback: (6)

You are absolutely right about the demeanor of dogs. Most folks who know what to look for can tell the difference in playful chasing and an attacking dog. And I believe I have already stated my position as to whether or not a human has the right to defend himself against an attacking dog. So, you see, I am "capable of fathoming" some things.

378

My Feedback: (4)

..and your posts made it clear to me that you either didn't think I knew the difference or thought I just didn't care and enjoyed kicking dogs. Neither of these are the case. Your response also made it clear to me that you thought I was some immature twit who'd probably never even seen a dog chase someone, let alone had any idea what he was talking about. so I had no choice but to spell it out the way I did.

JollyPopper

My Feedback: (6)

You did make an impression on me.

Phoenixangel

Most leash laws are city law, not county or state.

As a postal employee I have dealt with dogs. If you shoot one, even with a PAINT gun you will be charged with animal cruelty. As for kicking, if bitten you can defend yourself, if you kick then get bitten, well.. I would be real careful.

There is an approved dog "spray" called Muzzle that will stop most dogs, they instantly start to roll to get the spray off of them. I mean instantly !

I have not seen a dog it wont stop, but it can happen.

It is approved for the purpose, it works great, and no one can say anything to you. As it is deemed "humane".. One can does not last very long so get a couple. One more thing that is very important, try real hard to not let the spray mist and blow back at you,even a little.

Do not ask me how I know, but it causes all sorts of problems


http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&key...l_4wvqjj3z12_b

scale only 4 me

My Feedback: (158)

We do Dual Sport motorcycle rides in some pretty rural areas,, No one has a dog on a leash down there. I find that the biggest danger is swerving trying to avoid the dogs, Most will back off if you lay on the horn when they first start getting close up to you. A hand held (mounted to you bars) Air Horn I think would would work well for you

When that dosn't work I just give em a boot to the nose,, they back off, might not want to try that with bycycle shoes

good luck

pmerritt

My Feedback: (118)

Theintent of your animal's behavior can not be determined by that person they are showing agression toward. They have the right to defend themselves not knowing if they are going to be harmed or possibly killed. If someone harms your pet because you allow this agression, you might want to make sure you have the adequate insurance when you get sued, or have a good place to bury that pet when someone kills it.

pmerritt

My Feedback: (118)

Hit Petsmart or Petco and get some of their spray. Carrying a stick or bat or canon or rocket laucher is going to be difficult while riding and avoiding the cars that are out to kill you. Don't shoot the dog unless it's on your property. I've seen some dogs that could care less if you feed them the canister of pepper spray you emptied on them seconds before. Pretty much you can legally go to whatever length deemed necessary to defend yourself from ANY dog that is not on a leash and approaches you agressively. Call the pound the first round. If you tell them you were attacked, normally they will respond rapidly.

pahtreek

My Feedback: (1)

Interesteing how the people who obviously have dogs that chase people obviously dont care about the people who are greatly annoyed by thier pets. We passed on 3 houses when we were in the market because of these stupid animals barking loudly at the houses next door. If I am being chased by a dog and it is more than one time by an owner that can't control his or her pet, damn sure I have every right to kick it in the head. They are afterall just animals, no different than the chickens we eat every week for dinner. I hope this offends every dog owner as much as their stupid pets annoy me.

Not that I would kick a dog, but I support someone else's right to if they are being chased.

BillyGoat

I've had my share of chasing dogs back when I used to run. Where I live most of my routes were out a few miles then back the same route to get home. Whenever I met a dog on the outbound I'd be sure to pick up a stick for the return trip. Quite often when I was spotted by a dog and he was coming my way I'd pick up a couple hand fulls of gravel from the side of the road. If he came through the ditch he got peppered with one handful. If he didn't stop, he quickly got #2 and I was reloading fast. Never had to throw more than 2 handfuls.

Now when I rode bike dogs were the least of my worry... It's drivers that scare the you know what out of me. [:@]
Couple times I did give chasing dogs a foot to the chops, which always ended the chase. If I saw them early enough I had my tire pump in my hand and ready, but fortunately I never had to resort to ruining a good pump. I've also given dogs a shot from the water bottle to the face.

Now I don't care if the dog is wagging his tail like he wants to play, if he's barking at me, within kicking distance or within reach of a stick I picked up he's getting a taste. I don't know that dog and I'm looking out for ME!

As for pepper spray I would use as a last resort, for instance if the dog knocked you off your bike. Too easy for the slightest over spray to get caught in some currents and come back around and affect you. Now you can't breath or see to continue to ride or run.

Flyin Beagle

My Feedback: (1)

Growing up we lived in a small subdivision a few miles outside of town in the country. We had a large male Lab that would lay on the front porch of the house and wait for walkers to come by. When they would get close to the house he would bolt out into the yard about halfway to the sidewalk barking like mad then turn around and go back to the front porch wagging his tale and wait for the next walker. I never saw him get closer than about 50' to anyone, but there was one man who walked everyday carrying a T ball bat. Our Lab never left the front porch when he would walk by. I suspect the dog got womped one time real good. My point being the offending dog may only need to be taught once to not chase you on your bicycle. The other option would be, if these are peoples pets that are chasing you, to CAUTIOUSLY intoroduce yourself to the dog and make friends with him.

Mustangman40

My Feedback: (1)

Yes you have the right to protect your well being against anyone or anything trying to cause you harm!
I would not recommend a Pellet gun for a couple reasons..
1. It will be mistaken as a real gun by people and cause more problems then it's worth.
2. A pellet gun will do little to nothing if a large dog wants to maul you once they have made up their mind..
3. It might very well make the dog even madder and make the attack much worse!

What I do recommend is this.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Hunting/Survival-Navigation/Outdoor-Safety-Survival%7C/pc/104791680/c/104774580/sc/104479380/UDAP-12-HP-Bear-Spray-with-Hip-Holster/741401.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fhunti ng-survival-navigation-outdoor-safety-survival%2F_%2FN-1100149%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_104479380%3FWTz_l%3DSBC%253Bcat104791 680%253Bcat104774580&WTz_l=SBC%3Bcat104791680%3Bca t104774580%3Bcat104479380

I spend a lot of time in the wild outdoors in the US and Canada, Bear country can always keep you on your toes and I have had me fair share or run in's with them.. The Bear spray link that I gave you is what I keep on my side and is highly respected and proven to be very effective against critters that want to hurt you. It has a much farther effective range then regular pepper spray, it comes out more like a fire extinguisher.. It comes with a holster and also could be slid in your bottle holder on your bike, It will Stop a charging Dog in it's tracks!!

SCALECRAFT

My Feedback: (13)

I would change my riding path to areas that have no dogs, or dogs that are not a threat.

Who needs the headache. Try silly string in a can, might confuse them.

Now, if these dogs track you down, that's a different story!!!

Steve