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From: thielges@uiuccsb.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.bicycle
Subject: Re: Dogs: the bane of the cyclist - (nf)
Message-ID: <6323@uiucdcs.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 22-Mar-84 22:29:40 EST
Article-I.D.: uiucdcs.6323
Posted: Thu Mar 22 22:29:40 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 25-Mar-84 12:49:44 EST
Lines: 23

#R:azure:-260000:uiuccsb:16200007:000:1104
uiuccsb!thielges    Mar 22 12:47:00 1984

My favorite technique is just to ignore them.  Most rural dogs can have
either one of two attitudes toward a biker : 
	1)    They are bored as he** and want to greet a new potential
		playmate.  It may look like he/she wants to kill you,
		but they usually are playing.
	2)    They want you out of their territory and will chase you 
		until you leave.
   I have tried stopping for several seemingly vicious dogs and have 
never been hurt.  The worst that has happened is that I revieved a heavy
dose of barking and doggie threat gestures.  I think that if a biker
acts terrified (by swinging pumps or riding faster) the dog will sense
this and assume that you were up to no good and then threaten you.
   Remember, there are little kids who live where these seemingly vicious
dogs live.  I'm sure that the owners of most dogs don't want to put their
neighbor's kids in danger by letting a mean dog loose.
   I must admit, however, that the really BIG mean dogs ( > 100lbs) do
frighten me.  In those cases, a squirt from the water bottle usually does
the job.
					Bart Thielges
					...uiucdcs!thielges