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

[Peter P.]

Originally Posted by Hellgate

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]

Originally Posted by Peter P.

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]

Originally Posted by 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...

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.]

Originally Posted by Dead Man

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?

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.