I was out for a long cycle a few months ago minding my own business when I saw him. And he had seen me. He was a greyhound.
He was about 100 meters off the road at the rear of his owner’s house but as soon as we locked eyes I knew I was in trouble. At first he froze, trying to decide what the hell I was but then he bolted. He disappeared behind his owner’s house at the same time I cycled along the road in front of the house.
Stupidly, I put the power down, thinking I’ll have enough of a head start on him to be able to outrun him. It was only afterwards I found out that a greyhound can run up to 75kph.
By the time I had passed the house I was probably doing 50kph and thought there’s no way he’d even bother chasing me now. Sure I’m long gone.
However, to my horror, he had jumped the wall and was gaining on me. I gave it all I had. 60kph now but he was still gaining.
Before I tell you what happened next let’s have a look at what was happening and why.
Why do dogs chase you?
Dogs are predators. This means they have a hunting instinct. Chasing things is in their DNA. Especially, things they move at high speed near their territory.
Most dogs will chase you for the fun of it. They get a kick out of showing you who’s boss and for scaring you away from their territory. Some take this a bit too far and will nip or even bite you if they can.
So when I saw the greyhound and decided to sprint for it I told him two things. I was a potential threat and I was weak because I was trying to get away.
Can you outrun a dog?
Most of the time, yes. The average speed a dog can run is about 30kph so assuming you can cycle faster than that then you should be ok.
Unfortunately, I was not so lucky but this was a rare occasion. Maybe Peter Sagan would have had a better chance.
If you are able to outrun a dog then do it. It’s by far the easiest way to deal with an aggressive dog.
However, sometimes you will come across dogs while you’re on a climb where sprinting is out of the question. Luckily there are a few other things you can try.
Other Methods To Stop An Attack
Don’t show fear – Dogs and most other animals respect power. They won’t put themselves into a situation where they can get hurt if they don’t have to. If they see you as weak then they will be more likely to attack you.
Charge them – There have been a few other occasions, other than the greyhound incident, when I’ve been cycling along I could see in the distance a dog crouching down at the side of the road, ready to pounce as I passed.
In this situation and if the surroundings allow, I tend to speed up slightly. When I’m about 10 meters from the dog I’ll aim my bike directly at him.
This takes them by complete surprise and they end up having to jump out of the way. By the time they recover and realize what’s after happening you will be long gone.
I would advise using this method with caution as there are a few things that could go horribly wrong. First of all, don’t expect the dog to be gone when you get to them.
Always give yourself enough time so you can swerve back on to the road to miss the dog if he doesn’t move. I call this the exit path.
Another problem would be if he jumped the wrong way right into your exit path. To avoid this always stay further out to the center of the road than the dog. This will help convince it to jump in the right direction.
Shout – This is part of showing the dog who is the master. When I shout I don’t mean to say “Yikes, Please go away” in a frightened voice. When I say shout I mean you have to do it from your gut.
It’s not important what you say, the dog probably won’t understand you, but it’s how you say it. Normally this will be the last line of defense if a dog jumps out and surprises you.
What comes out of my month is usually “GET BACK” and I say it as loud as I can and with as much anger as I can muster. You have to sound dominating. Some people just shout “AAARRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!” and it has the same effect.
Stop – As already mentioned most dogs just want a chase so if you stop then they will have nothing to chase. They will then get bored and leave you alone. You can now just walk for a short while or wait until the dogs leave.
Be nice – This may sound a little strange but if you have to stop and you’re under attack by more than one dog then try to keep it cool, stay confident, don’t show fear but instead of shouting and hurling stones at them try to calm them first.
Many attacks are to show you they are in charge of this territory. If you’re not a threat to them then they will more than likely leave you alone. The biggest problem with this method is that you will have to stop for a while until they trust you to pass.
Ignore them – Another unorthodox approach is to just ignore them. I haven’t managed the courage to try this yet but I have heard of people riding through a pack of barking dogs without getting as much as a nip. They simply ignore them. No eye contact, head up in an authoritative way and showing no fear.
Dog deterrents – If you’re going to be cycling in a part of the world where you know there will be wild dogs then why not buy some sort of dog deterrent.
Dog mace is an option but be careful how you use it. You could end up straying yourself. Another gadget that is supposed to work well is a dog horn. Basically a small air horn that stuns the dogs with a loud noise.
The Choice Is Yours
The method you use will depend on the situation and the danger a dog or pack of dogs may impose. It will be up to you and your instinct to get out of the situation you find yourself in.
Which one did I use for my Greyhound friend?
We were 50 meters up the road and the shit was still catching me. He was about 5 meters behind now and I could hear his paws on the road.
Out of reaction really, I turned my head and shouted “GET BACK!” as loud and aggressively as I could. He literally skidded to a halt and ran back home. That’ll teach him to mess with me.
I’ve used this method several times since and it has never failed me. One other time I was doing a night ride and I passed a local neighbours farmers yard when a large dog came at me from the darkness.
He came from the side so I couldn’t see him but he was close and running straight for me growling and barking. When I let out my shout it was as if he disappeared. He didn’t let a peep out of him after that.
What makes me feel that this is the best method is because I later bumped into the dog’s owner and he said he was surprised I wasn’t eaten as it’s meant to be a particularly aggressive dog.
What If Nothing Working
For a dog that just keeps coming for you and you’re not able to get away then the first line of defense is your bike. Keep it between you and the dog and back away slowly.
Another thing you could try is to wave something in front of them to try to get them to bite it instead of you. Just remember to hold on tight. When they have a bite of it then strike them with a kick, or in extreme conditions where you feel you life is at risk them you may have to use a knife or rock.
If there are cars around then jump on the roof of one or climb a tree. You want to try to get above chest height to be safe.
Remember a dog may bite you but still may not intend on killing you. They just want to show you who’s boss and if you’re in their territory then they will think it’s them.
However, if you are under attack by a dog that wants to kill you then you will have to act like a savage yourself. If a dog gets you by the neck then you will have only a moment before you pass out and that will be the end of you.
In this situation, try to remember you are the bigger animal. Start by gouging at the dog’s eyes. Garb the dog by the hind legs and try to snap them.
Sorry, it got a bit graphic there. And the chances are I’m after scaring you even more but it’s important to remember that a death from a dog attack is super rare. In fact, it’s more likely that you will be struck by lightning twice.
What To Do After You Get Attacked?
If you have been bitten by a dog then you should ring the local authorities to report it to get the dog put down. Once a dog bites, it will do it again and the next person may not be as lucky as you.
If you have to be taken to hospital and/or lose time from work then you may want to get a lawyer involved to get the dog’s owner to pay your medical bills or loss of earnings.
Never strike or injure a dog unless it is absolutely necessary. As I said at the beginning dogs are predators and if you are in their territory then you must allow them their show of strength.
Enjoy it for what it is and move on.