On Tue, 15 Jun 2004 23:33:19 +0200, robert.clark
<[email hidden]>
was popularly supposed to have said:They're territorial, and you are the interloper. Often they don't really
recognise a cyclist as being a 'person' ... so if you see a dog looking like
they might take a run at you, it is often helpful to speak to them so they
realize you are human and not some strange, swift adversary. Sometimes a
friendly word is enough for a mildly concerned dog, but if they are at all
aggressive, be very loud & commanding, and use the command words their master
likely uses with them - STOP, HEEL, DOWN, etc. Of course, if you are in a
Shout as loud as you can, as deep as your voice will go (to a dog, the deeper
the voice the bigger and nastier the other dog is), and stop the bike
as soon as you can.
When you're stopped, quite often the shout will have done the trick and the
dog will be in full retreat; if it isn't get the bike between you and it,
and squirt a waterbottle at it.
A faceful of water usually stops most dogs; it surprises them and makes you
seem much, much more threatening. The other thing is, if the owner appears
then immediately drink from the bottle (that way it cannot be anything
poisonous, can it?).
Don't try kicking dogs whilst you're still on a bike; it unbalances you and
the last thing you need is to be lying on the ground with a dog after you.
Wait while you're stopped before you put the dog in orbit with your foot 😉.
Last thing: watch out for sheepdogs; they're evil sods and they're clever
enough to try flank you, and attack from different sides if there's more than
one. Sheepdogs, however, are almost always intimidated by waving a pump at
'em...
--
Dan Holdsworth PhD [email hidden]
By caffeine alone I set my mind in motion, By the beans of Java
do thoughts acquire speed, hands acquire shaking, the shaking
becomes a warning, By caffeine alone do I set my mind in motion
