| Author | Message | ||
     Fltwistygirl |
So, for the second time, two standard poodles came after me on a 25 mph twisty neighborhood street. This just happened this morning as I was minding my own business enroute to a doctors appointment. Scared the hooey out of me at first, then I got mad. These are 50 - 60 pound standard poodles, and all I saw were their white fangs comin' at me. I practiced what I preach in class: slow down, then accelerate to throw off their timing. Owner was nowhere to be found. After my appt, I went back the same way to see if they were still outside and they were gone. This is one of my favorite streets, one of the 11 curves found in 318 miles of Florida roads, so I don't want to change my route, but I don't want to hit them either. I like critters and worry that one of the many motorcyclists in my neighborhood may have an unfortunate run in with these dogs. My previous company's CEO went down at 40 mph after hitting a neighbors dog, killed the dog, did 5K damage to his bike, and lived with an ugly road rash for 6 months. Not something I'd like to deal with. We have a leash law, but I don't want this to get ugly. Any suggestions how to proceed without being a jerk? | ||
| Kilroy |
Try blowing your horn when they are on the approach - may spook them enough to stop them in their tracks. PS LOL on the 11 curves in 318 miles. Kilroy | ||
| Firebolt32 |
Where were you at? I live over in Lakeland and have more than likely ran that same route you were on. I live across the street from my parents. We have a ton of land and between the two houses, we have 11 dogs. Yes, 11. My brother's black lab does this all the time. The dog is blind in one eye, nearly deaf and dumb as a rock. He runs circles around the bike. We can't move our bike two feet without Manny given chase. I'd be more concerned about live stock around our parts Twisty. I've had a group of cows run out in front of me before. Luckily I had my head on a swivel and was able to get around them. You partaking in the Leesburg madness this weekend at all? (Message edited by Firebolt32 on April 23, 2009) | ||
| Oldog |
when you pass by and the owner is out and about stop and enquire ( politely ) with the owner as to the condidion of the pooches, Indicate that the dogs charged your "vehicle" and that you were concerned that they may have come to harm when you went by the dogs had run into the street forcing you to evade them, a careless motorist may hit them and you did not know if the owner was aware that they were out, be friendly, you like dogs ( try and convey that to the owner ), and by not being confrontational the owner will be made aware of the issue, If you see them out again at a given time ( say AM ) after the nice conversation, call the local animal control office and report them as being out. You are protecting them and your self in the process, not being a tool as the owner is. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
I usually try to kick them in the head if they go after me. A beagle kamikaze took out my uncle when he was still on his learner's permit. It jammed its head into the front wheel and my uncle slid to a halt on the street. (before gear was commonly worn) I take loose dogs very seriously. Horns have seemingly no effect on the dogs I have had to deal with but yelling and kicking do. | ||
| Sleez |
if the dog owner isn't protecting their dogs, you calling the authorities is not "being a jerk"!!! you have the dog's and your best interests in mind! OT; my gf rides a blast now, and may be moving up to the M2, but she has motolust for the Thruxton, how do you like it? | ||
| Fltwistygirl |
Firebolt: I'm in Leesburg, up near the community college. Very residential area, love it here! It gets very rural very quickly just north and just west of here tho. I've seen cows, horses, u name it on the roads! Scary!! It looks like I may be at Bikefest during the day Friday, probably with some Harley people. Look for the redhead with the Buell shirt, I'll be the rose amongst the thorns! If I do not work Saturday, I'll try to catch the Daytona HD Drill Team show, I think its 12 - 3 or so. And, me and the mister may be prowling around on Saturday evening. Oldog: "be friendly, you like dogs ( try and convey that to the owner ), and by not being confrontational the owner will be made aware of the issue" I like that approach! Sleez: The Thruxton is a hoot for 100 miles or less. It's gorgeous, big fun and a real attention getter. The "ole Harley guys" love it and stop to look at it any time we have it out. Anything more than 100 miles and I am making an appointment with my Chiropractor!!}! | ||
| Hootowl |
According to the Washington State motorcycle operator handbook (from 1986) you should slow down, let the dog make its bee-line approach, then accelerate suddenly as it gets within 10 feet. The dog will not be able to adjust its course in time to actually get its teeth on you. This is assuming that the dog is running out of a yard at an angle as you approach. If its already in the street, stick out your foot and kick it in the head as you go by  My dad told me once that if you bolt a hand towel to a car wheel using one of the lug nuts, car chasing dogs will bite the towel and it'll spin their head right off. I don't know whether he was kidding. I hope so. | ||
| Xbjelly9s |
My Dad would get chased every morning by 5 or 6 dogs from the neighbors farm. He used to mix water with a touch of ammonia in a sqirt gun, dogs don't like ammonia. They left him alone after the 2nd day he used it but still chased me on my pedal bike. The owner was asked politely many times to do something but he didn't care if they got hit. "There just dirty old farm dogs" he would say. I got a squirt gun, they left me alone too! | ||
| Fast1075 |
I'll start by saying my first crash was due to a dog that ran under my Honda 90 when I was 15...got skinned up pretty good too...so I take the whole concept of people letting their dogs run wild in a VERY FOUL and SERIOUS manner. Flash forward many years...I still bear the scars from that little encounter...Here's what "I" would do...find out who is the owner...Go pick up a couple of Latte's and ease over for a visit/discussion....In the most pleasant and agreeable way possible, flashing your best smile...discuss your concerns for his/her animal's welfare...make them FEEL your concern...once you believe they have gotten the message and you turn to leave...turn back around and go..."oh by the way...if your animals cause me to crash my bike, and if I survive....is there a particular pattern that you would like me to use when I festoon your shrubbery with their guts??" THEN turn around and leave. But you have to maintain that big ole smile to pull it off... | ||
| Firebolt32 |
LSCC I take it. Last year the week before Bikefest I upgraded the broadcast system there. I'll keep my eyes open for ya...I'm stuck with the Harley guys as well. | ||
| Preybird1 |
I found if you honk that it is not good does nothing or worse the animal may be spooked and suddenly change course. I hit a cat on my 250 enduro and went down hard and got dragged by the bike.....The funnest part was pulling the bloody dirty dead cat out of my spokes  List of animals i have hit riding cats-2 skunk-1 deer-1 2 of the above 4 resulted in crashes, I just love being scrubbed at the emergency room for rash. The cat resulted in so much rash i was scrubbed down for 4 hrs oooooooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww | ||
| Preybird1 |
I would speed down the road to gain distance and then stop and get off the bike when the dogs came up i would just use my pepper spray and soak those little bastards, It won,t hurt em the mail mans dog mace is worse trust me ask me how i know that! | ||
| B00stzx3 |
Ride 2 up with a German Shepard. | ||
| Firebolt32 |
trust me ask me how i know that! How do you know that? | ||
| Xl1200r |
I would speed down the road to gain distance and then stop and get off the bike when the dogs came up i would just use my pepper spray and soak those little bastards, It won,t hurt em the mail mans dog mace is worse trust me ask me how i know that! I think we all need to keep in mind that it's not the dog's fault here. This is an issue of bad training. The dog is only doing what nature and breeders intended, and that is to give chase. The dogs should be fenced in or on a lead. End of story. We had a lab growing up - sweetest dog ever. One day, a jogger, who happened to be a sherrif, went by with her German Shepherd with no lease. Her dog wondered into our yard, and our Lab was having no part of that. Our dog bolted, full tilt, hairs raised, teeth out and barking at the German, who by that time had returned to her owner. When our lab got the edge of the grass, she stopped on a dine and cross into the street by an inch, just as my father had trained her. The jogger tried to make some scene about the aggressive dog, but a quick comment about a cop with a dog not a leash put and end to that. Long story short, a well trained dog won't leave the yard regardless of fences or chains. If you are unwilling or unable to train your dog to act this way, then you need to contain them through physical means. Be nice. The dog owner is breaking the law ans risking the safety of the dogs, yourself and anyone else who may come by. And don't get pissed at a dog for acting like a dog. You may as well get pissed at motorcycles for leaning in the corners. | ||
| Bads1 |
I lovE how some of you guys say kick it. Or spray pepper spray. The best is to give the owner a chance to resolve the issue. If not the local humane society will resolve it even quicker. But to kick a dog or other you may just be putting yourself in more danger. | ||
| Buellinachinashop |
Don't kick the pooch, kick the owner. I just look forward and speed up. | ||
| Slaughter |
I am glad that many folks here are suggesting finding the owner and trying to explain your circumstances and trying to get them to get their dogs under control - because it is afterall for the good of the dogs. Reporting to animal control is only effective if Animal Control can find the dogs but first step would be contacting the owner. If not, I'd pee on their fence. Works for me. (Message edited by slaughter on April 23, 2009) | ||
| Buellinachinashop |
I take it the fence isn't electric? | ||
| 86129squids |
"According to the Washington State motorcycle operator handbook (from 1986) you should slow down, let the dog make its bee-line approach, then accelerate suddenly as it gets within 10 feet. The dog will not be able to adjust its course in time to actually get its teeth on you." +1. Unless its approach ranges 10-2 'Oclock. (The more head-on, the more you slow down.) BTW, stopping is an OK option, too. Heck, stop, take off your helmet, and have some pepperoni handy. Make friends, get their tag ID info, contact the owners. Then ziptie/bungee their azzes to a fence. I like dawgs. Don't like critters running out in front of me and my bike. "This is assuming that the dog is running out of a yard at an angle as you approach. If its already in the street, stick out your foot and kick it in the head as you go by." Not so fast on that one. Only if you have the skillz and the foot protection. I got rushed by a big collie when I was a hooligan kid riding all over. (Every neighborhood has different dogs, and packs of them.) The next time we rode through, I had put on my buddies motoX boots. Rang the bell on that big collie, hopefully curbed that behavior. Key word: hopefully. "My dad told me once that if you bolt a hand towel to a car wheel using one of the lug nuts, car chasing dogs will bite the towel and it'll spin their head right off. I don't know whether he was kidding. I hope so." AAAHHHHAHAHA!!! EWWW! Sounds like a Mythbuster question if I evar heard one. (Mebbe soak the towel in beef/pork gravy first...) Got chased by a pack of dogs once, in a new 'hood. The lead/alpha was a lean, quick, FAST, 3-legged dawg. Lost one of his front legs, but that just made him turn quicker. Kept a hairy eyeball on that one... cuz HE'LL GITCHA!!! Also- I do believe a SERIOUS horn helps. Sound travels faster than we do. Get a Stebel horn, use thick wire and a relay, get ready to have fun!!! Even better in traffic... idiotic cell phone meats... texters should be skinned alive. (Message edited by 86129squids on April 23, 2009) (Message edited by 86129squids on April 23, 2009) | ||
| Thumper74 |
I was bothered by a dog once on my bike. That was on 555 in southeastern Ohio, but the slowing down and accelerating worked fine. I was attacked by a rott when I was delivering papers on my bicycle when I was 10. When I was down, he didn't do much to me, but visciously attacked the tire. The owner had enough control to keep him from doing anything to me. I believe he was put down. It irks me when people don't have control of their pets. We have a neighbor directly accross the street with a couple of dogs. They're pretty much free range when it's bathroom time. They just open the front door and let'em go. About a month ago their chihuahua darted out in front of me and I stopped fast enough to keep from hitting it even though my soft drink had flooded my console. I chewed the owner out as he was standing in the yard. A few nights ago around 1am, my wife and I heard some crying and screams outside (nice and warm, windows were open), so I left my gun just inside the door and went onto the porch. The poor chihuahua was DOA. I say talk to the owner, make sure that they're aware that their expensive dogs are either a. running free, or b. they need to work on security. It will help you build report in the community and maybe make them aware of something they didn't know. At least then if you or someone else hits them, you tried to handle it correctly | ||
| Moxnix |
Now, this is no myth (feel free to insert the S word in place of myth): In my sordid youth of long ago there was, on a side road, a mean German Shepard that gave us paperboys a rough go. When I got my license, and my '34 Ford with wire wheels, I tied a burlap bag to the right rear spokes and drove by real slow, per an oldtimer's suggestion. Dog chased, dog bit the gunny sack, dog rolled, dog didn't chase anymore. Now, I see that as wrong and PETA scorned cruelty. However, back then the old moo next door used to turpentine cats' butts so they would not poop in her flowerbeds. Times change. Lemonade in a squirt gun was a good chaser training device for the bicycling paperboy fleet, too. (Message edited by moxnix on April 23, 2009) | ||
| Pkforbes87 |
This may have already been posted (it's late and I don't feel like reading every post) I always use the MSF recommended method in situations involving an animal approaching my bike. Slow slightly then maintain speed as you approach, then accelerate suddenly just before you reach the animal. You'll throw off the animal's distance judgment and it will enter your path of travel after you're already past. If the dog is getting in your path of travel to begin with then you need a Stebel Nautilus horn. One blast from that sucker will send children and small dogs running scared  | ||
| Ourdee |
WWRDD, What Would OurDee Do? When meeting the dog it is not the time for chatting up the owner. I down shift then accelerate hard to lighten the front end. Not going to kick at it and loose my balance. If you lock up a front tire on any animal your going down. In East Tennessee I swerved to miss a dog that ran out at my car. My dad was in the car with me. I got a lecture about what will happen when some one leaves the road because of that dog. He said don't ever swerve. | ||
| Corporatemonkey |
I am not one for animal abuse, but if I feel threatened by a dog giving chase, the dog is going to get a boot upside the head. I once had a dog chase me into a state park parking lot. When I finally stopped the dog lunged for the bike, attempting to bite the red hot header. That dog learned a very valuable lesson  | ||
| Sparky |
Loose dogs should be put away (down) and their owners cited! Frikin' loose dogs in the neighborhood has caused our local post office to stop delivering mail unless each resident 1) installs a curb-side post office approved mailbox or 2) buys a post office box and changes their mail address. The flap made local newspaper & TV news one day last year. Grrrr. | ||
| Hammer71 |
11 curves in 318 miles Dyslexic Dragon | ||
| Akbuell |
Hammer, be nice! Having lived in Fla for a while, 11 curves in 318 miles is realistic. And yeah, talking to the owner is the way to start, anyway. If at all possible during the chat, ask who provides his homeowners insurance, and be sure to write that info down and put the note in your pocket while you are still there. May be a useful tactic. On the other hand, when I was still young and stupid (got over the young part) I had a German Shepard charge after me once while riding my BSA 441 Victor though the neighborhood near the house. Snap decision, I stopped. Confused the dog, guess he never caught one before. He kind of nipped at my boot (ATGATT) and I took off after him, using all I had learned motocrossing. Quite a chase. Don't know what the dog learned, but he never chased me again. Maybe the neighbors whose lawns we traversed talked to the owner? Chasing IS NOT a good policy, but that one was worth it, at the time. | ||
| Kyrocket |
My grandfather, imagine an old white guy who looks very similar to Yoda, used to have a Spree not so long ago. He built himself a "holster" on the scooter and carried a piece of rubber hose about 18" long to fend off the beasts. I myself have always used the stebel. #1 it turns most animals back and #2 the owner is sure to hear it and know why they're hearing it. |
