Conference noted::bicycle

When you are riding by at a great rate of speed you do not necessarily look like
a person to a dog.  Depending on the dog's temperament, you look like something
to chase or a Dangerous Contraption that should be attacked.

In either case, your best bet is to slow down (to like a walking pace) and let
the dog see that you are person and that there is nothing to chase.

If the dog is loose regularly, speak to the owners.  Streets are public and you
should not be inconvenienced by the dog every day.  I believe there is a state
leash law.

Some dogs are loose and mean.  One way to create a dog that bites bicyclists is
to attack it (kicking or with pepper spray) while moving quickly on the bike.

Try to be a little bit understanding with the owners of a dog that occasionally
escapes from the house or yard. Some dogs are escape artists, and it may take
their owners a while to outsmart them.

Margaret.

    	If the dog charges at you, get off the bike and keep it between
    	you and the dog. You can continue to walk away from the dog,
    	keeping the bike between you.
    
    	You do have to be careful. Kratz Brown hit a dog broadside
    	back a few years ago over by LJO. Kratz did an endo and ended
    	up breaking a few body parts.
    
    	If I see the dog coming and the road is clear (and I have
    	the angle), I usually just speed up.
    
    	Scott

    
      It is also a good idea if you feel that the dog is going to be
      a problem, to like mentioned earlier either slow down real good
      or get off the bike and walk it past the dog. 
    
      Shaw

    Pack a concealed weapon...

    
    Ammonia in your water bottle. Works every time...
    
    Actually, frame fitting pumps are usually good. A well aimed swipe has
    broken two of mine already. The good thing about the pump is that it
    usually gets bigger as you swipe because the handle (or whatever you
    want to call it) extends out. Frightens the hell out of them.
    
    The Canine Protection Society may faint or protest outside my door
    throwing frame fitting pumps at me to see how I like it and demand that I
    be put in prison with the key dissolved in acid and the keyhole filled
    with solder, but tough. I do feel sorry for the occasional good owner
    who's dog escaped because binmen (or garbagemen for our US inclined)
    are hired according to their disability to read the Please Shut The
    Gate signs that litter suburbia as much as little pink gnomes fishing
    in ponds, but I don't think that they realise just how dangerous the
    mutts are. Even without a 36-ton artic with a front spoiler that seems
    deliberately shaped to scoop up cyclists and other small rodents, just
    falling off your bike can very easily result in a broken collar bone.
    With our friendly truck driver racing behind you...  Well, I won't say
    anymore (pizza anyone?).
    
    My hitting a dog's snout will (hopefully) result in a tremendous amount
    of pain for the four-legged terrorist, but it will think twice about
    playing 10-pin bowling with cyclists again if it happens often enough.
    If I don't defend myself, a sore nose will be the least of my worries.
    
    But then, there are some perverts who say that you shouldn't hit
    children either...
    
    Graham.

    
    I moved out to France about ten months ago, and I had never had any
    problems with dogs.  
    
    Last December I attempted my first Col, La Faucille, a 700 metre climb. 
    Rod (MacFadyen, a writer in here) and me were about a quarter of the
    way up and approaching a hairpin.  All of a sudden, a big shaggy dog
    came rushing down a grassy bank at speed and barking, then stopped. 
    "Don't worry, Rod, it'll get us after we've gone round the hairpin" I
    joked.  Five hundred metres further up, and round the hairpin two dogs
    emerged from the fence and began to chase.  The smaller one was angry
    and obviously wanted a cyclist for dinner, but the bigger one, although
    barking, luckily seemed to be along just for the ride.  I sprinted
    away, leaving Rod to hold the fort.  The smaller of the dogs was
    aggressively snapping at Rods feet, so he pulled out his pump.  After a
    few swipes, the pump extended and Rod made contact.  There was a yelp
    and the angry dog retreated.  The big dog followed, as the game was
    over.
    
    It happened fast. Having two dogs chasing, going up a steep piece of
    road on a mountain aren't great circumstances to get off the bike, call
    the owners, and try and reason with the dogs.  I'd carry a good sturdy
    pump!  Show them who's the boss, but I suppose it all depends on the
    situation.
    
    
    Russell 
    
              

    And that was the second time I hit a dog with a pump on the Col de la
    Faucille. Worked both times. Plus the psychic reward of fighting off
    an aggressive dog without stopping or suffering any damage is
    tremendous.
    
    
    Rod

     You buncha a Euro-Brutes! :-)
    
     Try the authorities first (IMHO). If you don't feel like confronting
     the owners (and really shouldn't feel an obligation to) that's fine.
    
     If the dog did accidently escape it's no biggie and you'll never
     see him again (if the owners are responsible). If they just can't
     see having their dog tied up then they deserve a visit from the
     local constabulary or puppy officer.
    
     Either way, there's a common thread here... The dog is untrained/
     undisciplined. It's BS to justify an accidently escaped dog as being
     just a stroke of bad luck for the owners. Letting them off of the
     responsibility to have a mannered animal just doesn't fly for me.
    
     I own a dog and two cats... Card carrying member of the MSPCA too.
    
     BTW, a whack on the snout from a cyclist is not likely to turn
     the animal into a mindless cyclist hunter. It's more likely to
     act as a deterrent for the next guy. And please, I'm not 
     condoning a skull crushing blow... That just ain't necessary!
    
     Say, isn't there a note in here on this :-)

    Hey, I think chasing dogs is the best part of the ride.  Normally,
    given the ability to maneuver, I aim for the haunches of the dog.  I
    also run over feet whenever possible.  I have sprayed one especially
    nasty animal, with good success, using OC Pepper spray.
    
    Last week, however, one of the SOB's got tangled in the spokes.  I
    believe the dog is dead, now, though it was alive a couple of days ago. 
    This particular incident occured as I was constrained from movement by
    traffic.   The dog suddenly realized he was about to get flattened by a
    truck and jumped into my front tire.  There was significant damage to
    the bike, and hitting the pavement at that speed didn't do me a world
    of good, either, but, hey, what a rush!  Fixed the bike for a bit over
    $100, and skin grows back for free.  The helmet worked, mostly to keep
    my hair from getting mussed on the pavement.
    
    Shepherds' are the worst, by far.  The only one I deal with is at the
    bottom of a hill, and he just never even gets close.  If he's waiting,
    and you have the room (no traffic), just aim straight for the animal
    and growl or yell at him.  This will, at the very least, give them
    pause.
    
    I think your best bet is Animal Control.  Just have the critter picked
    up.  Short of that you will have to kill it.  Hitting, spraying, or
    otherwise pissing off the dog will not work on a shepherd.  Also, these
    techiques run their own risk, as you are driving one-handed.  If you
    are in the People's Republic, you are prohibited from using any noxious
    spray, including ammonia, anyway.  If you aren't, consider getting off
    the bike, and using it for protection, OC spray it full in the face. 
    It will take a little bit of time on a dog, in my experience, but I've
    found they give wide berth after that.
    
    Again, animal control is best - they can make it financially prudent to
    contain the animal.  This is actually a dog-owner problem - the beast
    is just doing its job.
    
    Good luck...
    		Mike
    

    
    I've been lucky the few times I've had a hound come at me.  But the
    first thing I'd say is just fly right by him if you can.  Of the
    pooches that have expressed interest in me on my bike, only one ever
    seemed to want to try taking a bite out of me (or the bike) and once
    past him he just sat and stared as I headed off towards the horizon. 
    Most of the dogs I see coming towards me (even if they bark) just seem
    to stay back.  I think they see something less massive than a car and
    just try to get and closer look and also make some noise if you're
    passing their territory.

Don't count on animal control. They will only act if *they* catch the dog off of it's
property, and their hours may not be yours.

My dog learned to jump his 6 foot fence.  He made a nuisance of himself during the day,
and jumped back in before I got home, leaving us completely ignorant of his escapades.  
The neighbors kept calling the dog officer, rather than me. He kept going home when 
the dog officer arrived, and he can't be apprehended on his owner's property.  Talking 
to me in the first place would have saved everyone a whole lot of grief!  

If you bonk a dog on the head from your bike, he is likely to assume bicyclists are 
dangerous. It is fine for you, but you doing less co-ordinated riders no favor.

As a bicyclist and a runner who has been bit, I'm no more fond of loose dogs than the
rest of you.  When you are deciding what to do about it, keep in mind the reality
of dog brains and the reality animal control policies.

         When I see a dog I slow down to a crawl then take out my water
    bottle.  If the dog continues to approach me then I squirt a stream
    of water in it's direction.  This procedure has worked on every dog
    that I have tried it on.  You may want to get the owner's address
    from their mailbox and drop them a note explaining their obligation
    to properly control the dog, most reasonable people will respond
    positively to a considerate note.
    
        Abe;

     An animal control officer (at least in my city) can take the dog
     from your property or your home if it's causing a problem whether
     it happens to be restrained or not at the time - period... 
    
     What I find effective most of the time is giving the animal a 
     command like "stop", "go home" or "no" in a very stern/loud
     tone.
    
     Nobody's mentioned rogue cats... :-) 

    RE: Bicycle pumps
    
    Don't they make special, extra-strong, titanium alloy "dog thwacking"
    bicycle pumps?
    
    Chip?
    
    I've been known to growl or bark back at dogs as I bike by.  So far this
    has worked, but in all honesty I think I've just been lucky.  I wouldn't
    recomend this technique to others.
    
    
    				-David

    -1 I don't recommend displaying the thing's aggressive vernacular
       yourself. I was suggesting acting like the master, not a rival.
    
       It has worked for me everytime for the past 3 years. I will admit
       that l-u-c-k certainly is a part of it. 
    
       BTW, Ti is rather light and you may sacrifice a little gravitational
       force/mass... :-)

    
    .....having hit a f*&king dog broadside doing 35mph flying threw the
    air landing on my head shattering my glasses which in effect cause a
    nasty laceration 1/8th of an inch from my eye(wanna see the scare)....
    
    ...also snapping front forks clear off the frame totalling my bike my 
    suggestion is nuke every f*&king canine with in fifty yards of any 
    bicyclist.....and a life sentence to every owner who does not keep them
    tied or making statments like "is o.k. he wont' hurt you".....
    
    honestly
    
    horNEt
    

     A cycling lawyer friend of mine always says get the license (if
     can) or see where the dog goes... There's money in them thar
     yards! Pain and suffering (along with repairs) is a regularly
     awarded finding in small claims court...

    
    I find that air gun pellets are no respecter of whether or not the dog
    is in it's owners' property. If you use unpuncturable tires (tires?
    God, I'm turning American :-) then you could ditch the pump and get a
    frame fitting airgun instead...
    
    Re. Cats
    
    Cats are no problem. They're too godddam lazy to bother cyclists. Cats
    just sit on walls and watch cyclists with a strange bemusement, trying
    to work out why anybody would want to put that amount of effort into
    going somewhere. All cats are actually travellers, but they just hang
    around waiting for their destination to come to them. That's why they
    all have this distant, bored look. 
    
    The only time that you have to worry about cats is dinnertime. When
    cats hear the fridge door opening (amazing how evolution can adapt an
    animal) there is nothing going to stop them getting to the kitchen
    door, least of all one of them funny looking humans with two big round
    thing sticking out of his body. But, no cat is going to risk death when
    a meal is so close. Cyclists have just got to rely on the cat's perfect
    sense of timing and just carry on at the same rate. How many people
    here have crashed their bike trying to avoid a cat? How many times was
    the cat actually hit? By the time that you were being stretchered into
    the back of the ambulance trying to remember your name and life
    insurance policy number, Puss was already bothering it's owner for
    seconds...
    
    And why would man breed a cat who's sole purpose just seems to be to
    purr? Dogs at least frightened people (eg, cyclists) or chased rabbits
    or kept their owners' feet warm in the winter. What cat was actually
    bred for a purpose? No they weren't bred to chase mice. That's just an
    agreement between the mice and the cat. Every week, the mice sacrifice
    one of their flock and donate it to the cat who proudly displays this
    to it's owner as proof that it can do it's job and justify it's keep.
    The mice realise that one death a week is far better than the prospect
    of the humans realising that cats are useless and calling in Rentokill.
    They don't settle for one a week.
    
    God I need a holiday...
    
    Graham.

The ardent dog lovers haven't checked in yet - they will...

I suspect a dir /title=dog will come up with a couple of strings that have more
suggestions on this subject than you can possibly want, ranging from the sublime
(Talk gently to the dog) to the ridiculous (heavy weapons).  Happy reading!

    .17 - sue them?
    
    Yeah, right.  How 'bout, "Dog?  What dog?  Oh, that dratted stray, I
    just can't seem to keep it away from my house."  Then they let the
    animal suffer, lest you see them take care of it.  That way, you can't
    sue them.
    
    Advice from the deputy is, if the dog remains a nuiscance (sp?) after
    taking reasonable steps, shoot it.  I didn't and could have broken my
    neck.  So, next doggie, I call the Marshall.  If I get another owner
    like this last one, well, they won't miss the dog much anyway.
    
    And - I happen to like dogs.  I have dogs.  And cats.  They don't chase
    bikes or cars.
    
    Later,
    	  Mike

>    Yeah, right.  How 'bout, "Dog?  What dog?  Oh, that dratted stray, I
>    just can't seem to keep it away from my house."  Then they let the
>    animal suffer, lest you see them take care of it.  That way, you can't
>    sue them.
 
    Reminds me of a Simpsons episode (and I still don't bear any
    resemblance to Bart contrary to popular belief :-)  Homer shouts at the
    dog (Santas Little Helper) "Bad Neighbours' Dog" when it jumps on his
    boss.
       
    Graham.

> strings that have more suggestions on this subject than you 
> can possibly want, ranging from the sublime (Talk gently to the dog) 
> to the ridiculous (heavy weapons). 

Some mistake surely? I think you must have meant,
"ranging from the sublime (heavy weapons) to the ridiculous  
(Talk gently to the dog)".

Makes more sense to me anyway...


Rod

     Something no one has mentioned yet... A Dust Buster! Think of it...
    
     No permit necessary, a littl bulky, but hey... Cats and dogs are
     notorious for their dislike of a vacuum. My zoo clears out real
     quick when we plug in!
    
     Re; Suing being a ridiculous notion... I know two people personally
         who have and were well compensated. Is the opportunity there
         all the time? Of course not... I'd much rather walk away some
         cash and new bike than follow that idiot sheriff's suggestion
         and risk being sued anyday!
    
         chip_who_may_be_getting_too_mellow_and_reasonable_in_his_old_age

Squirting water at the dog, once you have slowed down, is a good idea. It doesn't do much more
that distract him for a minute, which may be all you need to get him calmed down enough to
listen to "go home".  

I have never heard of a city or town that will pick up a restrained dog for being an 
alleged nuisance. Now if the dog has bit someone, that's a different situation.

Margaret.

I think this one is the best advise.  Whenever I have these
encounters with dogs I slow a little,  when the animal approaches
I look as mean as I can an scream at the top of my lungs: STAY! NO!.
Seems to work everytime for me.  
-Larry


                    <<< Note 2832.13 by WMOIS::GIROUARD_C >>>

     An animal control officer (at least in my city) can take the dog
     from your property or your home if it's causing a problem whether
     it happens to be restrained or not at the time - period... 
    
     What I find effective most of the time is giving the animal a 
     command like "stop", "go home" or "no" in a very stern/loud
     tone.
    
     Nobody's mentioned rogue cats... :-) 

>    .17 - sue them?
>    
>    Yeah, right.  How 'bout, "Dog?  What dog?  Oh, that dratted stray, I
    
    
    	Two words:
    
    
    
    
    McDonalds
    coffee.
    
    
    

    re: talking, shouting, riding fast, etc. etc.
    
    I get chased by (on average) three dogs every day, twice a day, total
    of six chases a day.  Some days it seems like twenty.  Everything from
    little bitty mutts to the German Shepard double for Rin-Tin-Tin.  The
    total number of DIFFERENT dogs is probably 12-15, but they are not
    always out every day.  Obviously I ride through the country.
    
    I have done absolutely everything except shoot a gun at the dogs.  
    Nothing works on all dogs, and they get used to your tricks if you
    commute on a regular basis.  Most animals get used to you, or put up a
    token chase after a few weeks.  The nasty ones are when you call
    whatever passes for animal control, or take up some OC spray.
    
    After having a substantial accident with one of the more benign
    animals, I am going to take care to dispose of the animals that give
    chase on a regular basis.  My neck is more important to me than theirs.
    I the case where the owner denies responsibility, as did the owner of
    the animal that hit the bike, I'll take care of it as the deputy
    suggested.  
    
    Later,
    	  Mike

    RE: getting sued, suing...
    
    How do you prove a person is responsible for a dog, if they deny it?
    
    If you do prove it, how do you collect?  (We aren't talking rich folks,
    here.)
    
    I'm willing to wager that in Boston, a loose dog that is a menace to
    traffic and is unclaimed will be picked up and destroyed by animal
    control.  Responsible owners will be fined (and subject to lawsuit).
    
    I'm reminded of people who love to eat chicken but avoid the fact that
    somebody had to wring its neck first.
    
    If they deny owning the dog to the sheriff, and you destroy it because
    it is a threat to your life, why on earth would they sue you? 
    (Presuming, of course that you didn't walk up on their front porch and
    start blasting away, or something) I see no difference between that and
    calling the pound.  The end result is the same.
    
    I must hasten to point out that there is no animal control agency here. 
    Obviously, if there is one where you commute, that is the appropriate
    place to lodge your complaint.  Here it's you, the dog, the owner, and
    the sheriff.  Owner tells the sheriff they're not involved, then it's
    down to you and the dog.
    
    Later,
    	   Mike

     This is getting good...
    
     If the dog has a tag it's really easy to prove ownership.
    
     If there is no tag and you know the dog 's lauching pad is always
     the same yard it's probably a good bet that it's his home. In
     neighborhoods, it's generally known who owns what and often times
     you can get sympathetic information. Ususally, if an animal is a
     pain in the arse for you it's probably the same for someone else.
    
     And Mike, if you're getting chased that much I'd suggest taking
     that pork chop necklace off :-)
    
     Chip

    
    If you feel guilty about actually shooting the dog yourself, then there
    are a coupel of ways that you can go about getting someone else to do
    the dirty deed for you:-
    
    a) Start a rabies scare. This is easy. Dump a packet of sherbet in the 
    dogs mouth. As the sherbet froths out of the corners of the dog's mouth,
    the local police will make no hesitation in destroying the dog on the
    spot.
    
    b) Encourage the local Asian community to start opening take-away
    shops. You never have stray animals around these joints... :-)
    
    The best thread in here for a while... :-)
    
    Graham.

    I will confess that spraying a dog in the snout with OC spray has
    certain elements that would be personally gratifying. Being of the two
    left footed variety, I am given paws by the prospect of trying to
    navigate the bicycle one-handed, pedaling like hell and/or trying to aim
    the spray. With my luck I'd get a mouthful of spray and end up as
    kibble, Given the subsequent result of falling and flailing from the
    bike, ground kibble might be more accurate.
    
    Maybe I should invest in a stealth bike, one immune to puppy radar. :-)
    Or maybe a porcupine gun that can dispense quills rapid-fire. Oh, I
    forgot, assault porcupines are being banned.
    
    Seeya,
    John
    

    re .28,
    
    Mike,
    
         Any dog that't loose in Boston traffic will be very lucky if 
    animal control gets to it before a Boston driver does.
    

    Actually, there are tons of dogs here, not real wonderful roads, and
    people who look at you funny if you ask about their dog (dog? what dog?
    why do you ask?).  I switched from many years on a road bike to a
    mountain bike just to deal with the hazards.  It was a good move, in
    particular because I bump dogs a couple or three times a week.  Usually
    I am actively seeking such an engagement.  Skinny tires won't work for
    that.
    
    It's also very hilly.  The dogs generally hang around at the top of the
    hills.  This works for me because there is little traffic on these back
    roads when I bike in.  During peak hours, I stay on the main roads -
    it's a longer ride, but I don't have the dogs.  The accident occured
    during rush hour on a back road - traffic AND dogs, no thank u, not
    again.
    
    For whatever it's worth, a dog gets flattened on this stretch
    periodically.  Cats, too, though I've never had one chase me.
    
    Oh, dog tags.  They have no dog license here.  If your dog is picked
    up, and you claim it, you must prove rabies vaccination is current, but
    they do not issue a tag.  In fact, you can go pick up the vaccine at
    the general store yourself, I think.
    
    Whilst y'all are having a good time, I'll tell you about making
    complaints.  If you have a complaint about a dog, you go to the county
    Marshall (not the sheriff) in person, and pay $5 to file the complaint. 
    Yes, you heard correctly - the complainer pays the fine, not the dog
    owner.  That's $5 per complaint, per animal.  The marshall will call
    upon the dogs owner, then call back and tell you that they claim it is
    not their dog.  Which is why the complainer pays the fine.  If,
    somehow, the owner fesses up, and proves vaccination is current, they
    get another chance.  If the _same person_ complains again, the Marshall
    goes out and kills the dog. 
    
    Now, I went to the sheriff, because I had damages.  It took some
    arguing, because it was a dog, and the marshall handled the dogs.  So
    the deputy went out, came back and told me they claimed it was not
    their dog.  And then suggested I just shoot the dogs, instead of doing
    all this complaining, unless I wanted to go to court.  He said I'd lose
    unless I had proof that the dog belonged to those folks.  I think he
    was kind of miffed because he didn't get the five bucks.  So we talked
    about guns and loads and the weather, and off he went, probably
    wondering what kind of loon I was for riding a bike to work.
    
    Simple answer though.  Fear training.  heh heh heh.  8*}
    
    Don't they do it that way up in New England?
    
    Later,
    	  Mike

>    It's also very hilly.  The dogs generally hang around at the top of the
>    hills.  This works for me because there is little traffic on these back
>    roads when I bike in.  During peak hours, I stay on the main roads -
>    it's a longer ride, but I don't have the dogs.  The accident occured
>    during rush hour on a back road - traffic AND dogs, no thank u, not
>    again.
    
    
    A local hill has a 400m stretch of around 18% with a farm at the top of
    it. Bloody dog waits for the cyclists knowing that they are at walking
    pace. The bugger knows that this isn't the top of the hill, you have no
    momentum and so can't sprint. You're also so slow that the
    aforementiooned frame-fitting pump routine just involves you losing
    balance...
    
    Graham.

    $10 pays expenses: gas + bullet.
    
    ed

     Where are you again, Mike? Sounds like dueling banjos country...
    
     The deputy's name ain't Barney, is it? 
    
     Well, you're being a good sport takin' all the rib'n...
    
     Sounds like you're in between a rock and hard place, behind the eight
     ball, gettin' 86'd by the fuzz, screwed-blued-tattoed, etc...
    
     Good luck * I'm outta here...
    
     Chip

> gettin' 86'd by the fuzz, screwed-blued-tattoed, etc...
    
    (Sigh) Explain...

    86 = Sayanora, Sucker!
    
    I would interpret the screwed-blued-tattooed as what you get for
    sliding down asphalt on your butt.
    
    They filmed Deliverance just a little ways up the road, as a matter of
    fact, although the setting was supposed to be Tennessee?  Also, In the
    Heat of the Night is filmed a bit south of here, actually closer in to
    the city.
    
    There's a bizarre postscript here.  First, I counted the dogs last
    night - there WERE twelve (there are now nine).  I took a detour to
    talk to a buddy of mine building a home out there.  Conversation turned
    to dogs, and he mentioned that he got one on Strickland two days ago
    when it ran under his trailer wheels.  I said "a Tan dog?"  He said,
    "Yup, howd you know?"  This was the buddy of the black dog I took out. 
    He disappeared, and I was wondering where he went!  There's a big stain
    on the road, I noticed this morning.
    
    Also, the Shepard/Collie/Chiahuahua mix was quite flat last night.  For
    the life of me, it looked like a possum with collie markings.  Black
    cat this morning, too.
    
    AND, to top off a very bizarre week, the German Shepard was waiting
    this morning.  No sweat, I'm ticking along at 30+, not a chance, dog -
    then suddenly as I start up the next hill and the dog is beginning
    to back off - [TING! tic-tic-tic-tic-SSSSSSsssssss.....]  8-(
    
    No gun.  No spray.  So, I have this picture of me fiercly whacking a 90
    pound attack dog with my eight inch plastic double action tire pump.  I
    wasn't excited.
    
    Anyway, the dog stopped about 30 feet away, and just looked at me.  So
    I took off the panniers, overturned the bike, and commenced to fix the
    flat (a nail, no doubt strategically placed by the dog).  The dog
    walked on home without a backward glance.
    
    Maybe the solution to the whole dog thing is to just pretend to have a
    flat.
    
    Later,
    	   Mike

    
    >> they filmed Deliverance just a little ways up the road
    
    
    This explains your attitude ;-)
    
    Shaw

    Screwed-Blued-Tattoed = You're getting taken - You're in a no-win
                            situation and it's gonna hurt!
    
    Sounds like doggie-cide in your parts... Glad to hear the shepard
    got bored when you flatted.
    
     Chip

    Ah - thanks for clearing up the S-B-T.   Makes sense either way.
    
    I watched "Iron Will" the other night.  Good Disney movie, lot's of
    dogs.  I used to mush, and found the sledding very true to life, unlike
    most movies.  I used to have between 9-13 dogs, very seldom less than
    2, even since I left Alaska.
    
    My attitude is that I really like dogs, and despise irresponsible
    owners.  I have never lost a dog to an automobile (tho' an
    exceptionally stupid Irish setter tried real hard, once).  I am not
    especially afraid of dogs, either.
    
    As for the attitudes of the locals (I moved here about a year ago),
    perhaps that is explained by the locale.
    
    ;-)  wuuf.

    There is a device that NZ posties (mail men/women) and electricity
    meter readers etc get issued with to repel angry dogs. It emits a very
    high frequency (I can only just hear it) noise that absolutely makes
    the angriest Rottweiler back off like you wouldn't believe. My mother
    bought one to dissuade her neighbours dog from leaping over the fence
    and ripping her arms off when she collects her mail, and it works fine.
    
    Lindsay

    Y'know, I've heard of that thing.  It's in a US Cavalry catalog I have.
    It's pretty pricey if I recall, about $40 (which is 1/3 what it cost me
    to get a dog tangled in my spokes).
    
    BTW, I missed two dogs, the count currently stands at 11.
    
    There is a rottweiller.  Scared me silly first time I saw it.  It stood
    up as I approached, then started wagging it's bitty tail and smiled as
    I rode by.  A golden retreiver gave chase, and the rot started chasing
    the other dog, caught it and they went frollicking off together.  It
    often comes out to greet me, never once chased.
    
    Also a dobie.  So far, the dog has never once gotten off it's butt.  I
    have a feeling the doberman is a REAL attack dog, and well trained.  I
    am not planning on riding up its driveway.
    
    Later,
    	   Mike

    <- But you'll never really know the dobie's disposition... :-)
    
    

    I encountered a Greyhound once, the 4 legged kind :-), he just wanted
    to run alongside.  IT was good winter exercise for him.  He never even
    came out to the pavement.
    
    ed

    I took my dog out yesterday afternoon 'a huntin' for cyclist, but
    no luck!
    
    Chip 

    re .46
    
         I was at the east side of the Wachusetts reservoir, stopped,
    chewing on a banana, in a day-glo biker shirt.  Would have made
    a good wall trophy.  Is your dog near-sighted and can't
    tell a skunk from rose-water ? :-)

    She's not sight impaired (and God knows I lover her), but I've eaten
    smarter popsicles than her... :-) 
    
     Chip

    Couple replies ago, I posted this, which has a humorous postscript...
    
> There is a rottweiller.  Scared me silly first time I saw it.  It stood
> up as I approached, then started wagging it's bitty tail and smiled as
> I rode by.  A golden retreiver gave chase, and the rot started chasing
> the other dog, caught it and they went frollicking off together.  It
> often comes out to greet me, never once chased.
  
    Last night I saw a new dog, not much more than a puppy.  About a
    block or two later, it hit me.  It was a young retreiver with
    rotweiller markings.
    
    Seems the rot had his priorities in order, after all!  Perhaps he has
    pleasant memories associated with bicycles?   ;-)
    
    Later,
    	  Mike
    

    
    Sounds like the rotweiller was a hippy. Remember the old Make Love Not
    War slogan?  :-)
    
    Graham.

    This was in the Boston Globe about a month ago, I just forgot to enter
    it.
    
    "Biker wins case for dog attack
    Exeter, N.H. - A jury has awarded a bicyclist $190,000 on his claim
    that he broke his elbow when a dog charged him and he fell off his bike
    in Portsmouth.  James and Carol Ritzo's nine-pound dog, Pee-Wee, was
    found responsible by a Rockingham County Superior Court jury this week
    of causing James Bohan to fall in January. (AP)"
    
    Geez, a golden retriever once caused me to crash, dislocate my shoulder
    and break a collarbone... I shoulda sued: going by weight, I coulda been
    a millionaire. ;-)
    Kratz

    <- I wonder what that guy was riding... A Barbie & Ken tandem? :-)

    and here I expected a NH Jury to find the cyclist to be at fault
    for causing the dogs teeth to be dirty.
    
    ed

    
    	There are 2 "loose" dogs on my daily route.  Both are black and
    	medium size.
    
    	One is my neighbor's dog, who seems to be out at least 3 or 4 times
    	a week, but who's really not dangerous.  He's chased me a couple
    	times, which is inconvenient since as soon as I leave my driveway
    	I'm on a hill, but he's no problem.
    
    	And the 2nd lives about 1 1/2 miles away.  If he's out, which,
    	again, is 3 or 4 times a week, he comes right up to the edge of
    	his yard and barks until I'm out of sight.  This morning he ran
    	along the side of the road for 1/10 of a mile or so, but never came
    	out into the street.  You gotta love dogs like that.