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From: mrl@drutx.UUCP (LongoMR)
Newsgroups: net.bicycle
Subject: Re: Dogs: the bane of the cyclist
Message-ID: <97@drutx.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 29-Mar-84 14:39:19 EST
Article-I.D.: drutx.97
Posted: Thu Mar 29 14:39:19 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 30-Mar-84 03:10:46 EST
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<>

I posted this in net.pets, where I saw the original question of what to do
about dogs that chase bicyclists, and have since been informed that it might
do better here, so....
_____________________________________________________________________________

Something that has worked rather well in the past is to carry a water pistol
with you and squirt the dog in the face. If this doesn't work, prepare a
noisemaker by putting about 10 pennies in an empty pop or beer can and
tape up the top so that the pennies don't fall out.
When the dog chases, give the can a hefty toss
NEAR the dog (not at it, Please!) and startle
the dog. At the same time, give a good shout (the word "OUT!" is great for this)
This is usually enough to stop the dog and make it think twice about
chasing you further. Both methods have the desireable effect of implanting
negative responses to the action of chasing (which, by the way, is nothing
more than a natural hunting instinct) and not harming the animal. 
If you have recurring problems
with the same dog, you should approach the owner 
for help (they are usually more than happy to set up some "controlled"
attacks to break their dog of this habit) and ask for simultaneous correction
from him/her by putting the dog on about a 20 
foot cotton line with a choke collar on one end and the owner on the other.
Just before the dog hits the end of the rope, 
the owner should turn around and, with
a firm grip on the line, walk at a very brisk pace in the other direction.
A few days of this should break the dog from chasing.
______________________________________________________________________________

Since I posted that in net.pets, I have read the replies in this newsgroup.
Let me say that I am not a cyclist, I am a dog owner. My current
breed is Siberian Huskey's, which can be rather headstrong. I don't
believe in having untrained dogs, nor do I believe that ANYONE should
have to put up with my dogs running on a public throughfare, however,
if one of my dogs do get out of its kennel, I, as a responsible dog owner,
would appreciate someone acting intelligently,
not viciously, towards the animal. I am not a bleeding heart, and
can certainly understand someone being intimidated by a 70+ lb. dog
coming at them and chasing. Every once in a great while you may
run up against a dog that has been mistreated and can be vicious.
In this case I would say don't feel too bad about planting your foot
smack in between his eyes. If you injure the dog, better it than you
(I think my values are in the right place), but for the vast majority
of cases, this type of treatment is not necessary. How do you tell before hand?
I could, but I doubt if anyone not having experience with dogs would be able
to, so I honestly don't know how to answer that question.
If this is an ongoing problem with anyone, it might be worth it to
invest in a book or two covering animal behavior. Also, buy a dog training
book, or just read some excerpts next time you are standing around in a
book store. Most books have sections on handling problems with dogs, and
chasing cars and bicycles is usually at the top of their list. Also, any
training kennel in the Yellow Pages would probably be happy to give
advice about a particular problem you are having. Most of these people
are experts on dog behavior and don't mind sharing their knowledge.

By the way, I am definately a dog lover, but let me say three things
that I have read and found to be true:
	1) Dogs were the worlds first opportunists;
	2) It is simply not true that all dogs want to please;
	3) Since dogs are unable to reason, they cannot be held accountable
	   for doing what comes instinctively, but their owners certainly
	   can!

		Mark Longo
		Denver, Colorado