Got bit by a dog on the morning ride. What shots should I expect at the docs

[BobC]

morning ride out in Forsyth county west of Winston-Salem (spring vacation, HA!). Thought there was only 1 dog barking & running alongside as I was riding up a hill, second one never made a sound & bit me on the back of the leg. Couple punctures.

Figure I am going to get a tetanus shot at the least. Anything else?

Of note, the pair came from some house, so I don't think they are strays.

[thunderworks]

IMO, it's important that you track down the owners and verify that rabies shots for the animals are current. A tetanus shot will no doubt be required. You don't want to deal with the potential for rabies if you can possibly avoid it.

[BobC]

Um yeah. Based on the condition of the house they came from, I can pretty much assume the rabies shots are not current.

[Dead Man]

Rabies is essentially 100% fatal, after the onset of symptoms... it's VERY important that you verify those dogs are vaccinated, man.

[Dead Man]

This is why I have pepper spray on the bike now. F'ing dogs, man. F'ing dogs and their stupid f'ing owners.

[benb]

Good luck, scary as hell, I'd be asking the doctor for the post exposure treatment.. but maybe testing the dog will be a possibility.

[daker13]

Definitely get the police involved. I don't think YOU are the one to find out whether the dogs were current on their vaccines. Good luck, every cyclist's nightmare.

[tuscanyswe]

Id maybe be a little worried if i was bobC now and was getting the info about rabies posted and since worrying never helps anyone tho I'm sure one should check for all possibilities i present some "facts" from google.


"In North America and Europe together, the total number of rabies cases is less than 5 per year – and not a single one of them have been from dog bites the last 30 years!"

[vqdriver]

Did you talk to the homeowners after the bite and know that its their dogs for sure and didnt wander onto their property? Collars? Note the address? Tough to do immediately after it happens since the impulse is to escape the dogs. But youll need it to contect animal control/police. I'm betting you're not the first ped/cyclist they've chased.

Tetanus and antibiotics for sure. Rabies series perhaps, but uncertain. Check your insurance coverage cuz its EXPENSIVE.

[MagicHour]

This-when I was bitten by a farm dog. Minor bite, but was more worried about rabies in a rural area with high incidences of such. Local ER told me it was protocol to notify, animal control to follow up with owner, which they did and called me back later that week to verify dogs rabies shots etc. In my case the owner wasn't very forthcoming or helpful, so glad he got a visit. Also got a tetanus shot in the process.

IMO, it's important that you track down the owners and verify that rabies shots for the animals are current. A tetanus shot will no doubt be required. You don't want to deal with the potential for rabies if you can possibly avoid it.

[bshell]

I was bitten a few years ago while riding. The owner showed me the vaccination papers, which was super comforting. The staff at the hospital said bats, skunks, and some other critters were far more likely to carry the virus (still slim) and that there were zero cases from dogs nationwide.

Depending on wound details they'll flush it real good with saline and (if possible) not close anything deep with stitches so as not to trap anything inside. A course of antibiotics will also be prescribed.

[JeffWarner]

Contact animal control and get a reference for a doctor who deals with Rabies. Finding someone who has the vaccination on hand is not common as you might think. See him for treatment and see what he says.

I got bit riding in rural Texas a few years back. Because the local authorities couldn't find the dog, the dog was aggressive and there are lots of rabies carry critters in the country....the doc recommended the injection treatment.

While rabies is rare, it's fatal. I chose to be conservative. As noted above, check with insurance before to know what you are getting into, it wasn't cheap...like the same cost of a good set of wheels!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[FlashUNC]

You should expect painful shots. A lot of them.

[OtayBW]

I would report it to the Sherriff and have them contact both animal control and the homeowner.

[Aaron O]

This is why I have pepper spray on the bike now. F'ing dogs, man. F'ing dogs and their stupid f'ing owners.

Seriously. Unfortunately due to the gross incompetence, the dogs need to be put down and the owners need to be put in the system for gross negligence. Letting your aggressive dogs run wild isn't a little deal...especially when people are now worried about rabies.

[El Chaba]

As Flashunc said, prepare yourself for a series of rabies shots if the dog can't be located, positively identified, and quarantined for observation. This is near the height of irresponsible dog ownership. Add a tetanus shot unless you had one very recently. A dog bite can very easily go septic as any puncture wound is essentially impossible to clean and the dog's teeth are likely contaminated with pathogens. I broke up a quarrel between our own dogs several years back, and one of them accidentally bit my hand. Two days after the bite, I spent the morning at work trying to decide if it was infected. By late morning, it became clear very quickly as my hand started swelling dramatically, and red stripes were running up my arm. I went to my doctor early in the afternoon expecting to leave with a prescription or possibly a shot. I thought my doctor was overreacting when he said he was checking me into the hospital for IV antibiotics to be administered every 4 hours, but as it took 5 days of those treatments for the infection to subside, he was spot on. In summary, I don't think that you can take any dog bite too seriously.

[El Chaba]

I would report it to the Sherriff and have them contact both animal control and the homeowner.

This...x100.

[velotrack]

I think people have gone over what you should probably be doing, but man. That sucks. People need to take ownership for their pets. Too many times I've been riding trails only to have a dog off its leash chase after me or run in front of the bike.

Don't get me wrong. There are tons of good dogs and responsible owners (and those dogs should totally run free). But the bad ones ruin it for not only the other people on trail without the dogs, but also the responsible pet owners who have to leash their well behaved dogs.

[Tandem Rider]

This...x100.

Otay and El are 100% correct. Mrs TR was bitten a few years ago, had the Sherrif make the visit and have the conversation. It works much better that way. There are likely local laws at play here you may or may not be aware of, the LEO will know them.

Here's to hoping the owners are responsible enough to have the dogs shots current and HO insurance for liability.

[45K10]

Man, that sucks I got a bit a few years back by a standard schauzner (sp). While blood was running down my calf, the dog's owner was arguing that his precious show dog could not have bitten me. The dog then ran over and bit my wife. I almost lost it.

I took a photo of the owners DL and gave him until the following morning to produce the dog's vaccination records. The dog was up to date so we just ended up having to get tetanus boosters.

Good luck, I lived in W-S, NC for a year a couple of years back. I hope the sheriffs department takes your situation seriously.

[BobC]

Went to the docs & got cleaned up. Tetanus & antibiotics. 4 punctures, only 1 required a stitch.

Animal control found the dog. Under quarantine. All shots up to date.

Off the bike for a couple days. Argh.

All in all, I take it & walk (limp) away.

[cp43]

You should expect painful shots. A lot of them.

I had bats in my house a couple years ago. We had once in the bedroom while we were sleeping, so, we got rabies shots.

They aren't pleasant, but they aren't the old school, giant needle in the stomach anymore. It was essentially like getting 8 flu shots in one visit. Not fun, but not too bad. Also, part of the dosage is by weight, so my wife got ~1/2 the number of shots I got.

[donevwil]

Went to the docs & got cleaned up. Tetanus & antibiotics. 4 punctures, only 1 required a stitch.

Animal control found the dog. Under quarantine. All shots up to date.

Off the bike for a couple days. Argh.

All in all, I take it & walk (limp) away.

Congratulations, you avoided a potential nightmare. Growing up a neighbor was bitten by a rabid dog, she went through hell!

[ripvanrando]

Maybe that's my problem.

I got bite last summer and just kept going. It was just a little into the meat.

[Tandem Rider]

Went to the docs & got cleaned up. Tetanus & antibiotics. 4 punctures, only 1 required a stitch.

Animal control found the dog. Under quarantine. All shots up to date.

Off the bike for a couple days. Argh.

All in all, I take it & walk (limp) away.

That's an excellent outcome so far. Dog owner's Home Owner's Insurance should cover all the bills, missed work, etc.

[Schmed]

I'm thinking their insurance should toss you a nice 15 lb bike for your troubles. That way, you can out run the hounds next time :banana:

[dave thompson]

I'm thinking their insurance should toss you a nice 15 lb bike for your troubles. That way, you can out run the hounds next time :banana:

Post of the day!

[carpediemracing]

Went to the docs & got cleaned up. Tetanus & antibiotics. 4 punctures, only 1 required a stitch.

Animal control found the dog. Under quarantine. All shots up to date.

Off the bike for a couple days. Argh.

All in all, I take it & walk (limp) away.

Good to hear. Late to the party but I got bit a few years ago. Called police but in rural Maine there's a state trooper for every 100 miles of interstate and basically zero local police (no real towns). Owner put down the dog on his own, no stitches for me (tetanus shot and I think antibiotics?), I actually rode a couple days later, not near that house.

[beeatnik]

Id maybe be a little worried if i was bobC now and was getting the info about rabies posted and since worrying never helps anyone tho I'm sure one should check for all possibilities i present some "facts" from google.


"In North America and Europe together, the total number of rabies cases is less than 5 per year – and not a single one of them have been from dog bites the last 30 years!"

Yep. Now, if a f'ing squirrel bites you....

[MattTuck]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAUYZY34DhM

woof woof, not bang bang.

[regularguy412]

This is why I have pepper spray on the bike now. F'ing dogs, man. F'ing dogs and their stupid f'ing owners.

Very small thread drift:

I don't use pepper spray. I use a mixture of one part water and 2 parts sudsy ammonia in an OLD WATER BOTTLE. The finer stream/mist from an aerosol can blow right back on you if it's windy out. (+1 for the dogs in that case) The water bottle makes a larger stream and is less affected by wind. A plus is that the defense fits right in a cage and is ready in short order. The stuff really only works on mucus membranes, think: eyes, nose, mouth. And it's not lethal or even permanently debilitating-- so the dogs get over it. If you get a little on your skin, it's no big deal.

WRT the dogs themselves, here in my area there is a vicious dog law. One of my buddies was descending a hill at over 20 mph and was 'attacked' by 4 adolescent pit bulls and their old b!tch mom. He was not bitten, but went down hard, severely spraining both wrists. The county sheriff was summoned and the owners were required to remove the dogs from the premises. Which they were.

Hope you heal quickly.

Mike in AR:beer:

[rwsaunders]

While you're at it, get a copy of the police report, call an attorney and have him/her file a claim with the dog owner's insurance company unless you're comfortable doing it yourself. One and done where I live in terms of dog bites and insurance coverage for the dog owner.

I had to stop and get off of my bike last Sunday morning as some jerk was walking his unleashed dog on a city sidewalk. The dog charged at me from the sidewalk into the street and rather than steer into a car, I went towards the dog until he turned and ran. Owner's comment..."he's never done that before." My comment..."he won't do it again, right?" Something tells me that he will.

[Tony]

Years ago while working swing shift and riding home around 1:00 am I came across several dogs regularly that would rush at me in a full on assault.
I learned that a small item like a shop towel dropped in front of the chasing dog while in pursuit would get their attention enough to outrun them.
Carried a shop towel loosely tied around my stem.

[VTCaraco]

Got bit on the hand today, riding a route I've done dozens of time.

2 dogs came around to the front yard and one, a pointer if I had to guess, kept looping closer and closer. He seemed to have a hefty collar on and my hunch is that the family had an underground fence. Nevertheless, the pup seemed to venture further and further onto the road with each pass. He sure did seem to be getting close to my legs, so I put my hand down and said "it's okay". He immediately grabbed hold of my hand and made two small punctures ~ one on my pointer and one on my middle finger. The other dog, an older yellow lab, seemed perfectly content to watch from the corner of the house.

I didn't stop. It was starting to rain and my ride yesterday was HORRIBLE and I was riding better and hoping to keep feeling good and to complete the loop at a better pace.

I got home about 40 minutes later and reported all to my wife and she was ADAMANT that I notify the family. So I immediately hopped in the car and drove over. The dogs were still out and roaming their yard, so opted to NOT get out of my car. I would have felt pretty foolish getting bit a second time.
I beeped half a dozen times and rolled my car fore and aft hoping someone would come out or at least peak out a window. Nothing.
So I rolled to the end of the driveway and called the county sheriff's office.
Dispatch wasn't terrific initially. He asked if I wanted a deputy to come to the property. I said I simply wanted to follow an appropriate protocol and told my story. I said that I wasn't looking for strong repercussions, but that I would like assurances that the dog was vaccinated, that I felt there should be some record of the incident, and that I wanted the family to be advised to change their habits around the control of the dog. He put me on hold for a few minutes and came back to share that an officer would be calling.

A few minutes later I got a call from a Sergeant who was terrific. He empathized, took careful notes, and asked me to send the pictures I had taken (one of my hand, one of the dogs, one of the house in general, and one that was exactly where the incident occurred). By the time I was home ~ about 10-minutes later ~ I had a call from the Department of Health that did a similar check-in. I was assured that they were available 24/7 and that if ANYTHING seemed off (redness, swelling, increased discomfort) to go directly to the hospital.

As I understand it, the family was to be notified (expecting a call within the next 30-40 minutes for the update on that as the Sergeant starts his night shift tonight). The dog will be home-quarantined for 10 days with the animal control confirming good-health today and 10-days from now. If the dog displays any symptoms ~ regardless of vaccination record ~ I'll be informed and should seek medical care. The sergeant said that based on my story, his hunch was the family was acting responsibly and it would simply be a conversation and the assurance that the dog is not sick.


I've felt pretty terrible about causing so much commotion as I really think it was simply a skittish and over-energetic act and not an act of maliciousness. On the other hand, this is a fairly popular route (I do it at least 1x per month), I think it's important that there be some sort of record, and I think a smaller rider could have been more seriously injured (child or small woman).

I think I'm posting just for the catharsis of venting, but I would also suggest a similarly civic posture if anyone else has an incident like this From skimming the original post, I think that my actions are consistent with what was recommended.

I rambled like crazy to both the police and the representative from the health department that my motive was NOT to instigate a consequence....

For dog owners ~ my family included ~ be sure that your pet is under control.
And for riders ~ be safe.

[tctyres]

Got bit on the hand today, riding a route I've done dozens of time.
...
I got home about 40 minutes later and reported all to my wife and she was ADAMANT that I notify the family.
...

A few minutes later I got a call from a Sergeant who was terrific. He empathized, took careful notes, and asked me to send the pictures I had taken (one of my hand, one of the dogs, one of the house in general, and one that was exactly where the incident occurred).

You did the right thing. Your wife could have saved you from a lot of tests and shots at the doctor's office. I'm glad the LEO was good and gracious. I'm sure that they would rather have to deal with this over the phone than show up in a squad car.

[reuben]

Yup. Notify owner and police ASAP. Get to doctor/ER/24 hour clinic ASAP.

Take pictures if you can, even after the fact.

[VTCaraco]

You did the right thing. Your wife could have saved you from a lot of tests and shots at the doctor's office. I'm glad the LEO was good and gracious. I'm sure that they would rather have to deal with this over the phone than show up in a squad car.

In the context of "defund" and such, have to say that this officer was superbly professional and neighborly and such.

He followed-up last evening. Started by saying that there must have been something in the air as he started his evening shift responding to a HORSE bite. Went on to confirm my intersection with the DOH, urge a prompt and immediate response if I saw any health-complications, then shared some of the interactions with the family. They were horrified to hear of it, asked if I was okay, and are taking responsibility ~ per his account. No sense of malice in either direction.

[OtayBW]

I've felt pretty terrible about causing so much commotion as I really think it was simply a skittish and over-energetic act and not an act of maliciousness. I think you were 100% on target in your actions, and I'm glad the Sheriff's Dept. acted accordingly even after a bit of a false start.

[Peter P.]

I'll be the contrarian and say you did the wrong thing(s).

You stuck your hand down near the dog?! I get what you were trying to do, but as far as I'm concerned, you were providing lunch.

You should have stayed at the scene. If you had a cell phone, call from the scene of the incident. Calling some time after the incident reduces the impression the incident was serious enough to warrant a police response. If you didn't have a cell phone with you, it's understandable.

You should not diminish the seriousness of the incident-I get not wanting to blow the incident out of proportion and having a cast of thousands descend on the site or approach the homeowner, but let the LEO's decide that. From your description, I get the impression the dispatcher detected the tone of your call and reduced the severity of the response.

In the end it all worked out for both parties which is a good thing. I'm not trying to beat you up on your response, but oftentimes we try to "be kind" to the other party and it bites us in the azz.

[VTCaraco]

This is PRECISELY why I felt so much guilt yesterday.

If I had swerved towards the center, the whole thing could have been avoided. If I had simply kept my line and continued pedaling, there's a good chance that nothing would have happened.

That's why I waited and needed my wife's response. And that's why I advocated for careful consideration and no explicit "consequences" beyond what was normal. It took some coaxing for me to get others involved and, to my mind, the direct interaction was the right course of interaction. If the family was as hospitable as the LEO officer describes, I'm not sure that I would have grown the circle as I did.


Planning my ride today.
I'm half-inclined to take the same route to touch-base with the family and equally inclined to avoid that route for a while.


Suffice to say that your perspective is exactly what had me tangled up yesterday. The reality is that the dog WAS in the road and bit/punctured my hand. And I stand by the notion that this was NOT exceptional behavior for the pup ~ for whatever reason. I've got a stout, athletic build and I'm fairly unflappable and a dog-person. Change any of those factors or add a passing car and it could have been a much worse situation ~ so I think that the family being notified and taking more precautions is the right approach.

Onward and forward...

I'll be the contrarian and say you did the wrong thing(s).

You stuck your hand down near the dog?! I get what you were trying to do, but as far as I'm concerned, you were providing lunch.

You should have stayed at the scene. If you had a cell phone, call from the scene of the incident. Calling some time after the incident reduces the impression the incident was serious enough to warrant a police response. If you didn't have a cell phone with you, it's understandable.

You should not diminish the seriousness of the incident-I get not wanting to blow the incident out of proportion and having a cast of thousands descend on the site or approach the homeowner, but let the LEO's decide that. From your description, I get the impression the dispatcher detected the tone of your call and reduced the severity of the response.

In the end it all worked out for both parties which is a good thing. I'm not trying to beat you up on your response, but oftentimes we try to "be kind" to the other party and it bites us in the azz.

[Dead Man]

theres no call for criticism or reason for guilt in any of that, VTC. i think your response was just fine.

[Likes2ridefar]

I’m in the the land of lawlessness Right now in Eastern TN where there are no leash laws in the counties. I see random dogs nearly every ride, some chase me, others could care less I exist.

I’ve found ringing my spur bell like a madman and Last resort screaming at the dog regardless it’s a tiny dog or the more common big gnarly mutts resets something in their heads and they decide I’m not worth it.

My father was bit a year or so ago in the same area and it cost a fortune to fix and kept him off the bike for a few months.

[VTCaraco]

Rang that a few times on first sight...didn't rewire the pups thinking or seem to instigate things either.

Again, I think it was an is an over-zealous skittish dog.

[jm714]

Rang that a few times on first sight...didn't rewire the pups thinking or seem to instigate things either.

Again, I think it was an is an over-zealous skittish dog.

The dogs were off their property. The owners are wrong, but dont blame the fur babies.

No one should get bit riding their bike in the street. Stop already.

[robt57]

Not reading all this.

Pics of house and addy, unless you can get a call to sheriff/cop etc and wait for them. PERIOD! They broke the law, and you will want the triple damages for their negligence off leash pet stuff for your pain and suffering and bills for the rabies shots!

If it turns out you don't need the shots, even better. They have a legal record for the next poor bite-tee...

>>>>Not to mention watching the animal control take their dog into the truck is gratifying standing there. You are entitled to at least that for someone that can't be bothered to follow laws to keep the public safe from such BS.

I know this last one, as I was standing behind a cop with his taser out with an aggressive dog, bike between me and dog 1st, then bike/cop/dog. No bite that time.. I actually thought the cop pulled his 9mm at first...

[Drmojo]

300 miles from hospital or Western medicine
Lucky

[djg21]

You should expect painful shots. A lot of them.

The post-exposure prophylactic rabies treatment has changed a while back. It used to be 21 shots in the abdomen that were very painful. It’s now a series of 4 shots spaced over two weeks and not a bid deal. https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/medical_care/index.html.

[djg21]

Very small thread drift:

I don't use pepper spray. I use a mixture of one part water and 2 parts sudsy ammonia in an OLD WATER BOTTLE. The finer stream/mist from an aerosol can blow right back on you if it's windy out. (+1 for the dogs in that case) The water bottle makes a larger stream and is less affected by wind. A plus is that the defense fits right in a cage and is ready in short order. The stuff really only works on mucus membranes, think: eyes, nose, mouth. And it's not lethal or even permanently debilitating-- so the dogs get over it. If you get a little on your skin, it's no big deal.

WRT the dogs themselves, here in my area there is a vicious dog law. One of my buddies was descending a hill at over 20 mph and was 'attacked' by 4 adolescent pit bulls and their old b!tch mom. He was not bitten, but went down hard, severely spraining both wrists. The county sheriff was summoned and the owners were required to remove the dogs from the premises. Which they were.

Hope you heal quickly.

Mike in AR:beer:

I carry a Kimber Pepperblaster in my jersey pocket. (https://www.kimberamerica.com/pepper-blaster). It’s a relatively compact two-shot system that sprays at a good distance.

[Dead Man]

I carry a Kimber Pepperblaster in my jersey pocket. (https://www.kimberamerica.com/pepper-blaster). It’s a relatively compact two-shot system that sprays at a good distance.

bruh.. looks promising... tell us moar. says its not pressurized - if the trigger a pump, like a squirt gun, or something? have you used it im anger or tested it? they dont say much about the formula, just that its stronger.. know anything about that?

[djg21]

bruh.. looks promising... tell us moar. says its not pressurized - if the trigger a pump, like a squirt gun, or something? have you used it im anger or tested it? they dont say much about the formula, just that its stronger.. know anything about that?

The pepper spray is not an aerosol. The irritant is shot in a red paste that is propelled by small a gunpowder charge and sprays about 13 feet. This supposedly makes blowback less of an issue. The trigger is an actual trigger mechanism. I’ve never used it. I’m less concerned with dogs than I am about rednecks in pick-ups with Confederate flags. There seem to be disproportionate numbers of these people in rural upstate NY, and both of the encounters where I’ve have given serious consideration to using the Kimber involved these types. Here is a video test of the device and a written review.

https://youtu.be/XMmiLCdPckk

https://www.officer.com/tactical/ems-hazmat/air-purification/article/10894839/kimber-pepperblaster-ii-a-review

[Dead Man]

The pepper spray is not an aerosol. The irritant is shot in a red paste that is propelled by small a gunpowder charge and sprays about 13 feet. This supposedly makes blowback less of an issue. The trigger is an actual trigger mechanism. I’ve never used it. I’m less concerned with dogs than I am about rednecks in pick-ups with Confederate flags. There seem to be disproportionate numbers of these people in rural upstate NY, and both of the encounters where I’ve have given serious consideration to using the Kimber involved these types. Here is a video test of the device and a written review.

https://youtu.be/XMmiLCdPckk

https://www.officer.com/tactical/ems-hazmat/air-purification/article/10894839/kimber-pepperblaster-ii-a-review

woah.. powder charge. so im guessing its single shot?

the last time i had to deploy pepper spray in canine anger, i had to shoot a good three times.. pack o four dogs, one of em was smarter than the others

[paredown]

This thread brings back memories, none of them good...:eek:

[djg21]

woah.. powder charge. so im guessing its single shot?

the last time i had to deploy pepper spray in canine anger, i had to shoot a good three times.. pack o four dogs, one of em was smarter than the others

Double shot. “Derringer-style” says the written review I linked to above. I’ve never had an issue with dogs. I’ve certainly been chased, but dogs are attracted to motion and typically peel after you pass their “territory.” On more than a few occasions, I’ve just stopped and let the dog approach. I’ve been more more concerned about the animals chasing me into traffic than about being bitten. More often than not, they are just curious, and I’ve found that if I loudly growl or bark at them, they will stop and look at me with a puzzled expression. I was raised by a Veterinarian, and have been around dogs all of my life. I figure that if a dog continues to aggressively approach and actually poses a threat, it would be pretty close to me by the time I could fire the device, and with two quick successive shots, I’d be likely hit the animal in the face and incapacitate it. I don’t imagine cyclists are regularly attacked by packs of dogs. But like I said, I wasn’t thinking about dogs when I purchased the Kimber, though I did carry it when riding my MTB in bear country. Rather, I purchased the Kimber after having been confronted a couple of times by drivers who exited their vehicles in efforts to intimidate and harass me.

[Likes2ridefar]

Braver than I. Perhaps the dogs are more terrifying here in eastern TN. No way I’d ever stop. Many weigh nearly what I do, are filthy, and look Hangry.

I have a hard time seeing how pepper spray could be deployed successfully in most instances.

I mentioned my father was bit. He stopped to avoid running over a small dog and a pit bull came out of the woods and latched on to his leg.

Lovely place these backwoods of TN.

At least the good ol’ boys With their confederate flags and grisly appearance are actually really respectful and patient on the roads in their trucks with cyclists. That continues to surprise me.

Great riding here, too hello:

[Dead Man]

i ride in some pretty dank places. not always, but a lot of the time.. rural PNW to rural south- no matter where you go, seems if youre 50+ miles from a "city," youre riding in loose, mean dog country.

i did get to the point where id just charge after the dogs, and they (so far) invariably run away from you and dont chase you again.. but there are and have been times when they get the jump on me and ive had to zap em.

and i have had angry owners come hauling ass after me in ****ty pickup trucks once their coughing and sneezing dog goes whimpering home. hasnt come to violence yet... but probably will. pepper spray for dogs, lead for owners. thats just where we are in this world.

[Hellgate]

Zefel 4 upside the head.

[Cat3roadracer]

This is why I have pepper spray on the bike now. F'ing dogs, man. F'ing dogs and their stupid f'ing owners.

Right here.

[Spoker]

Unclip, wait, and kick on the nose.
Two dogs on L/R is a problem.
Bitten a couple of times. Last time ER only ordered antibiotics.
And that was workers comp.
Never got the shots. Skin punctured several times.

[buddybikes]

Putting down dog is far to extreme unless there is history.

"If" they have insurance they could be up sh*t creek - insurance won't re-up them.

So glad Central/Southern NE leash/fences has improved massively since the 80's.

[tomato coupe]

I was bitten while riding a few years ago. One of the interesting things I discovered was that you are legally obligated to report it to the police (in CO).

[Peter P.]

Zefel 4 upside the head.

THIS.

I've broken two Zefals over the heads of dogs. I love dogs, but sometimes it's necessary, and extremely effective.

Alternatives to the Kimber Pepper Blaster:

HALT! pepper spray, used by U.S. Postal employees.

Regular Mace. I'd get the type that contains the irritant AND the tear gas (sometimes called "Triple Action" because of the UV dye). If you miss the face, the tear gas can still be inhaled and incapacitate the dog. You can get very compact models which leave plenty of room in jersey pockets.

Pocket air horn. Available at sporting goods stores or boat supply stores. Loud horns will usually scare and confuse dogs.

[Hellgate]

I actually start with spraying water at them. It usually goes up their nose and they turn away, then the Zefal. Silica with a Campy head is effective too. Whap!

[Dead Man]

Pocket air horn. Available at sporting goods stores or boat supply stores. Loud horns will usually scare and confuse dogs.

i like this. screaming seems to work sometimes, but 120dB of directed screech will not only likely stop a dog but also scare the **** out of the owners, if near by.

last thing i wanna do is cause pain, injury, or lasting suffering to a dog. its not their fault their owners are sacks of crap.

[oliver1850]

This is PRECISELY why I felt so much guilt yesterday.

If I had swerved towards the center, the whole thing could have been avoided. If I had simply kept my line and continued pedaling, there's a good chance that nothing would have happened.

That's why I waited and needed my wife's response. And that's why I advocated for careful consideration and no explicit "consequences" beyond what was normal. It took some coaxing for me to get others involved and, to my mind, the direct interaction was the right course of interaction. If the family was as hospitable as the LEO officer describes, I'm not sure that I would have grown the circle as I did.


Planning my ride today.
I'm half-inclined to take the same route to touch-base with the family and equally inclined to avoid that route for a while.


Suffice to say that your perspective is exactly what had me tangled up yesterday. The reality is that the dog WAS in the road and bit/punctured my hand. And I stand by the notion that this was NOT exceptional behavior for the pup ~ for whatever reason. I've got a stout, athletic build and I'm fairly unflappable and a dog-person. Change any of those factors or add a passing car and it could have been a much worse situation ~ so I think that the family being notified and taking more precautions is the right approach.

Onward and forward...

Maybe, maybe not - as far as how you handled the dogs initially. I usually just talk to them in a normal voice and keep going but have been forced to stop once by big dogs that cut right in front of me, and was bitten on the leg another time when I tried the friendly approach and just kept riding. I had several puncture wounds, so called the county animal control to see what I should do. They phoned back and told me there was a dog at that address that had a current rabies shot, though the dog that bit me had no tag. They said that it had been a long time since they'd had a rabid dog in the county and I would be fine. While they were apparently correct, it wasn't very reassuring at the time, and they did nothing about the dog.

[SlowPokePete]

With a move to the country, I get ready to sprint anytime I hear a dog start barking...

SPP

[Peter P.]

i like this. screaming seems to work sometimes, but 120dB of directed screech will not only likely stop a dog but also scare the **** out of the owners, if near by...

In addition to my suggestions above, including the horn, I just thought of another one-one that would be more compact than the air horn.

How about an emergency whistle (https://www.google.com/search?q=emergency+whistle&client=firefox-b-1-d&sxsrf=ALeKk01cq7iIpM_uTfUrmUsn6OGonfaD8w:159396695 6716&source=univ&tbm=shop&tbo=u&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj2jvTRxbbqAhWJHc0KHU7ADS0Qsxh6BAgOECw&biw=1344&bih=711)?

A lot of them can conveniently hang on a lanyard. Wear it around your neck, under your jersey. Easy access, and I'll bet the noise will confuse a dog enough to stop an attack. Anyone have both, where they could conduct a test? Give Fido a biscuit for playing along.

I have an emergency whistle integrated into the sternum strap of my backpack. High pitched, loud, and as small as a thumbnail.