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James340
Guest
I live rural and dogs roam freely.
m@Robertson
In Memoriam 1962 - 2025
Pepper spray in gel format. The gel saves you from the risk of blowback and it concentrates the stream for better aim. The stuff I use is not bear spray its a human formula which is a lot less potent than bear spray but still effective against fido.
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James340
Guest
I just cruise past with the motor.I looked at repellent but it seems to escalate rather than de-escalate the situation.
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pagheca
Guest
I fully agree with m@Robertson. I do not think you can escape from some kind of dog. My Labrador was running at more than 50 kmh... And what if you are on a climb or it is very close to you? They can reach high speed in a split second, you can't, and you may lose control of your bike.
Just on Sunday, me and my friend have been attacked by a free bulldog: I am not scared by dogs: I stopped, put my bike in the middle, raised my hands waving them and started screaming like crazy. It went back.
Just on Sunday, me and my friend have been attacked by a free bulldog: I am not scared by dogs: I stopped, put my bike in the middle, raised my hands waving them and started screaming like crazy. It went back.
packnrat
New member
in all the time of riding a bicycle mt or skinny tire, or even a motorcycle. i have not had any problems with dogs. others are not so.
do they smell fear on you? your after shave?
the dogs just look at me and walk the other way.
i did have a riding buddy years back. dogs went after him like crazy. same dogs see me and nothing. but then i raised rotts. so i was a alpha.
this friend was scared of my dogs. buy they never did anything to him. they just wanted to see him for a rub behind there ears. they were very friendly when i was there. just do not go into there yard (back yard fenced off) late at night.
but know the laws about using mace on dogs, some state, county's. you can get into legal trouble. try just hosing them with a big squirt of water from one water bottle. but get them in the face. WATER only please.
and some dogs just love the chase. so speed is a loser for you. they turn around after a short.
But call the county sheriff and report them.
do they smell fear on you? your after shave?
the dogs just look at me and walk the other way.
i did have a riding buddy years back. dogs went after him like crazy. same dogs see me and nothing. but then i raised rotts. so i was a alpha.
this friend was scared of my dogs. buy they never did anything to him. they just wanted to see him for a rub behind there ears. they were very friendly when i was there. just do not go into there yard (back yard fenced off) late at night.
but know the laws about using mace on dogs, some state, county's. you can get into legal trouble. try just hosing them with a big squirt of water from one water bottle. but get them in the face. WATER only please.
and some dogs just love the chase. so speed is a loser for you. they turn around after a short.
But call the county sheriff and report them.
m@Robertson
In Memoriam 1962 - 2025
Dogs in rural areas tend to be territorial. Also in the Central CA area we have now-feral dogs that you occasionally run across roaming in small packs out in the countryside. Occasionally they'll bring down a calf. I've had a pack sneak up on me and a buddy while we were troubleshooting a blown radiator hose. All of a sudden there were what were once domesticated dogs small and large just kind of hanging around in a big wide ring around us. My buddy sidled back to trunk and brought out a couple of rifles and they left us alone. They know exactly what guns are given that ranchers will put them down.
Face to face on foot, with a domesticated dog, I almost never have any issue, even if it is known to be aggressive. But some dogs just want to bite you on the ass. Last one that chased me was a Belgian Malinois and from listening to the growling as he came up on me he wasn't asking for a treat. That dog was no joke and after I outran his ass (thank you BBSHD) I started carrying the pepper gel.
Face to face on foot, with a domesticated dog, I almost never have any issue, even if it is known to be aggressive. But some dogs just want to bite you on the ass. Last one that chased me was a Belgian Malinois and from listening to the growling as he came up on me he wasn't asking for a treat. That dog was no joke and after I outran his ass (thank you BBSHD) I started carrying the pepper gel.
packnrat
New member
i live not all that far from you m@Robertson,
50 miles east of stockton up in the hills.
ranchers/land owners arond here shoot any and all strays on slight.
50 miles east of stockton up in the hills.
ranchers/land owners arond here shoot any and all strays on slight.
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pagheca
Guest
when you ride through the woods here you often encounter free-roaming dogs, often hunting or herding dogs. They usually bark at you but so far I have never had any serious problems. I've always either calmed them down by talking to them or driven them away by yelling like crazy (like on Sunday...)
But there have been incidents of people being attacked by a breed that unfortunately is used here for illegal dog fights, the "presa canaria" (see picture below). It's a powerful dog really scary just to look at, that sometimes lives in the wild.
I hope it never happens to me. In that case you can please delete my account...
But there have been incidents of people being attacked by a breed that unfortunately is used here for illegal dog fights, the "presa canaria" (see picture below). It's a powerful dog really scary just to look at, that sometimes lives in the wild.
I hope it never happens to me. In that case you can please delete my account...
It's pretty unpopulated here where we do the most of our ridding, and we haven't had any dog issues. Here in the mountains we have predators and I don't think a dog out on their own would last very long. I'm just hoping that we don't encounter any of those same predators while out on a ride. I have almost run into a bear before on my mountain bike, well within six feet on a narrow trail. I quickly scooted up the hill side keeping my bike between us and after a minute he moseyed on up the trail. I don't really consider black bears predators though at least not large prey, they are more scavengers. They can attack people though, I was glad I saw it in time to stop where I did I'm sure glad I didn't run into it. I'm more concerned with mountain lions, I would think they would be less likely to attack you on a bike than hiking but I don't know. I guess It would depend on how hungry they are, luckily we have a healthy mule deer population.
addertooth
Well-known member
Munirider, I fully agree. I live at a mile-high elevation at the base of some mountains. I have directly seen mountain lions and bears in and near the mountains. For this reason, I don't ride mountain trails in my area. My bike is set up for the streets for this reason. The deer which come to the lowlands of 5k+ feet are a partial worry (most are the tiny Cous deer), and they are skitterish, and prone to dart out in front of me. The Javelina run in groups, and they are mighty protective of their young.
I did have a dog give chase a week ago, I just flipped it up to PAS 5, switched on the second 1Kw motor, and gave it throttle. I will say this, the dog was giving it the old college try to keep up. But he eventually figured out the gap was growing and gave up.
I did have a dog give chase a week ago, I just flipped it up to PAS 5, switched on the second 1Kw motor, and gave it throttle. I will say this, the dog was giving it the old college try to keep up. But he eventually figured out the gap was growing and gave up.
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James340
Guest
Interesting development.A Mountain Lion has been hunting a mountain I often hike.I am armed because of the Cat.The dog's mostly lose interest when you stop pedaling.It is the movement of the feet that attracted them.
m@Robertson
In Memoriam 1962 - 2025
I used to live near bear/mountain lion country, and when I was camping in the Huntington Lake area, or further into the back country around Wishon or Courtright reservoirs, bear were common sights. I agree completely bears are not predators, but they also are not to be trifled with (don't get in between one and an ice chest) or surprised. Sometimes you get one that is more aggressive about rummaging thru camp sites, dumpsters and cars, and the local sheriff will go around and check to make sure everyone is armed. There's almost never any need to shoot a bear... One shotgun blast into a berm off to the side and Mr. Bear will be hightailing it as fast as he can in the other direction.
Mountain lion, on the other hand, are entirely different. Several years ago a friend of mine who was a deputy sheriff for Fresno County related a story: A lion had attacked a hiker, was still in the area and the Sheriff's Dept dispatched a team to put the cat down. They used the department's air unit which had night vision, and the chopper was able to lead the team up a mountainside towards the climbing cat. At one point, thanks to the chopper's night vision, they were made aware that the cat had come down ... and was circling to come up behind them.
Mountain lion, on the other hand, are entirely different. Several years ago a friend of mine who was a deputy sheriff for Fresno County related a story: A lion had attacked a hiker, was still in the area and the Sheriff's Dept dispatched a team to put the cat down. They used the department's air unit which had night vision, and the chopper was able to lead the team up a mountainside towards the climbing cat. At one point, thanks to the chopper's night vision, they were made aware that the cat had come down ... and was circling to come up behind them.
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James340
Guest
This is cattle country and there's a full time hunter that traps or kills predators.
