Dog Zappers

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J1234 08 Mar 2021

Yesterday when out cycling a dog lunged at me, it was on a lead, no harm done and it was so quick I did not even react, it was a Whippet/Greyhound, people forget these are hunting dogs and not just quick runners but just all round fast.

Anyway, in the tales I have been reading of cycle touring, some people carry electric dog zappers that make a noise to frighten away dogs.

Has anyone experience of these, or bad experiences with dogs a cycle tourer in general, I am really thinking more about being abroad where there may be more lose dogs and one could have concerns about things such as Rabies.

7
 keith sanders 08 Mar 2021
In reply to J1234:

How quick did you ride up to the dogs and owners ,you sound as if you startled them ,

Some of the problems with Cyclists is they don't think they are silent and dangerous to the walking public,  they should have a bell to warn pedestrians.

I cycle and I ring my bell [ Ding a Ling ] when approaching people and dogs particuly .

Numurous times they have come up behind me while walking down some of our quiet back lanes with no walkway to walk on.

This is also a problem with Electric cars .

keith s

48
J1234 08 Mar 2021
In reply to keith sanders:

> How quick did you ride up to the dogs and owners ,you sound as if you startled them ,

> .

> keith s

I was cycling down the main road and they were on the footpath. We were coming from opposite directions so they could see me. The dog was on a lead, and obviously it was just startled. I have been around dogs for 58 years and know they can be unpredictable, and on a personal level when ever I cycle I shall be more alert when I see dogs in future.

I do have a bell, and I know the sound they make. I also know that pedestrians are not tuned into the sound of bike bells and frequently do not hear them and accept I as the cyclist have a duty of care, I also have taken out insurance.

I do think you could have cut me some slack there and not assume I am total idiot.

Now can we get back to dog zappers for when I go cycle touring abroad.

Post edited at 10:20
 Dave Cundy 08 Mar 2021
In reply to J1234:

From reading reports of cyclists doing the Transcontinental Race from Belgium to Istanbul, Romania seemed to be the european hotspot for roaming packs of wild dogs.

 elliot.baker 08 Mar 2021
In reply to J1234:

> know the sound they make.

🤣

 Forest Dump 08 Mar 2021
In reply to Dave Cundy:

I made the mistake of being friendly to a mountain hut dog in Romania, it was friendly back initially. Then it decided I was a walk over to be growled and barked at, I couldn't go to the loo without my poles to threaten it /back it off..

The Romania wisdom was that my mistake was to treat it nice in the first place 

 keith sanders 08 Mar 2021
In reply to J1234:

Your too Defensive Steve and you read and not see what is said in the wording .

I never accused you of being an idiot as in your OS you never mentioned you were approaching from infront of them and I know you have had dogs.

I was just asking how it happened in my opening sentence,  then went on to generalising on cyclists, and then mentioned regards Electric cars problem. 

So nowhere did I ridicucle  you .

Keith s  

15
 peppermill 08 Mar 2021
In reply to J1234:

> I do have a bell, and I know the sound they make. I also know that pedestrians are not tuned into the sound of bike bells and frequently do not hear them and accept I as the cyclist have a duty of care, I also have taken out insurance.

Quite. 

"Get a fcking bell ffs, fcking idiot" (It's Glasgow....)

"You mean like this one (rings bell), that I've been ringing for the past 20m"

J1234 08 Mar 2021
In reply to keith sanders:

> Your too Defensive Steve and you read and not see what is said in the wording .

>

 

I can be. But I care what you think, so be gentle

 gethin_allen 08 Mar 2021
In reply to J1234:

In Tim Moore's book "the cyclist that went out in the cold" where he chronicles his ride down the euro velo 11 down the entire length of the iron curtain on a 1970s Russian folding bike he mentions carrying and using pepper spray to repel the wild dogs in eastern Europe. Although he also mentions legging it sharpish from villagers not happy that he'd pepper sprayed their dogs.

It's an excellent book if you're interested in a comedic approach to cycling, travelling and recent history.

J1234 08 Mar 2021
In reply to gethin_allen:

Thank you, that sounds smashing, I have just reserved it at the Library. I cannot wait to get out doing rather than reading though. Bit of luck that will be soon.

Yes pepper spraying a persons dog may upset them, I once pepper sprayed a child that came too close and its mother got most unreasonable IMHO, and my suggestion about keeping on a lead only seemed to inflame things. 

 Trangia 08 Mar 2021
In reply to J1234:

A water pistol shooting into the dog's face can be effective. 

1
 fred99 08 Mar 2021
In reply to Trangia:

> A water pistol shooting into the dog's face can be effective. 

My neighbours have a dog-walking business and use this method - very effective, and zero danger to the dogs.

cb294 08 Mar 2021
In reply to J1234:

Rabies shot, pepper spray, and a big f*cking knife for hiking in the rural Balkans for me.... I assume other areas of East/Southeast Europe to be similar.

CB

In reply to J1234:

(Advance apologies for shameless travel bragging coming up, but you gave me the excuse )

I did a 5 month tour through South America and the dogs were a nightmare. Many, many strays and they *loved* the chase. Given the remote situation a lot of the time, it could be quite a scary experience, with my imagination seeing me with a massive bit and miles from help, though I think it's just good sport for the dogs really (and a bit of letting you know who is boss). I tried swinging my pump at them, riding straight at them, even carrying some smalls stones in my pocket to lob at them while riding. Nothing worked. 

I have heard very varying reports on the dog zapper things, but I'm sceptical that they work. That said, if I'd known how much a problem the dogs would be, I probably would have bought one before leaving.

Anyway, I met another tourer who gave me a tip which turned out to be foolproof...when chased, stop, get off the bike and bend down to pick up a stone (pretend there is one there if there isn't) and the dog will just shut up and walk off. I could not believe how well this worked, it really was foolproof. I didn't even need to throw the stone most of the time - the odd occasion I did, I just threw it at the floor in front of them and it worked.

It all stemmed from the fact that locals throw stones at misbehaving dogs, so I guess they are conditioned to associate the action of picking up a stone with pain and therefore calm down when they see it.

I've never tested this anywhere else and I suspect it may not work in places where it isn't the done thing to throw stones at naughty dogs (don't worry...I wouldn't do it in my local park!), but it really did work for me.

Post edited at 14:17
 Rog Wilko 08 Mar 2021
In reply to J1234:

Hi Steve, Back in the day, when I were nobbutt a lad we carried an 18" long aluminium pump attached to the frame with pump pegs. We got quite adept at  removing the pump while riding if a dog threatened. On one occasion I remember hitting a large aggressive chasing dog plum on its muzzle, which I have to admit gave me much satisfaction and it turned tail. It was probably only wanting to play, which explained how aggrieved it looked. A few things wrong with this advice - you (probably) don't carry a suitable pump these days and lads of 15 are almost certainly less likely to fall off and hurt themselves while performing such tricks than someone in middle age or older.

A few years ago I was attacked a few miles from home by a dog clearly belonging to the farm I was passing. I had to dismount, interpose my bike between the dog and myself and pick up a stone. My throw missed, of course (never had the slightest eye for a ball) but the effect described above worked. However, I was not content and wrote to the local police with the details and received a reply a few weeks later saying they had visited the farmer and spoken with him, and said if it happened again I should report it to them and they would have the dog destroyed. I was astonished, but have never had the same problem with that dog (or farmer).

Clearly, this approach won't help much if you're on tour (unless you happen to be in a hospital bed).

 girlymonkey 08 Mar 2021
In reply to J1234:

I have never heard of these, but I do know that scaring a dog is a bad idea! My dog will always try to chase and scare away the scary thing! So by making a scary noise you would be getting a chase! (My dog is always on lead, for obvious reasons, but if a stray dog is your worry you might well get the same response as you would get from mine but with no owner to control it!)

4
 Myfyr Tomos 08 Mar 2021
In reply to J1234:

This is quite effective.


Roadrunner6 08 Mar 2021
In reply to gethin_allen:

Portugal has packs of wild dogs, I was chased by one pack in the Algarve, bloody scary.

 daWalt 08 Mar 2021
In reply to Roadrunner6:

I thought you would have had plenty of good suggestions.

paint a picture of a tunnel onto a brick wall, sneak up behind them and startle them just as they're fiddling around with dynamite, run them over the edge of a sandstone canyon, drop an anvil on their head......

J1234 08 Mar 2021
In reply to daWalt:

With all products available from ACME

 Richard Horn 08 Mar 2021
In reply to Roadrunner6:

> Portugal has packs of wild dogs, I was chased by one pack in the Algarve, bloody scary.

I have cycled in a few European countries quite out in the sticks at times and have to say Portugal (Algarve) was the one place my heart sank any time I heard a dog barking. Mostly in my experience abroad dogs you come across either seem to be strays (generally friendly) or guard dogs (generally tied up). Portugal the guard dogs neither seemed to necessarily be tied up or consider the border of their property the limit of their territory... 

Generally in terms of strategy I find its best to either keep at a steady pace until they get bored or as in the case in a remote Greek village when two large dogs came up to and surrounded me stop and wait until the owner came out of their house. I have heard as a last step you can use your bike as a shield and throw stones, but I have never got this far.

Post edited at 18:29
Roadrunner6 08 Mar 2021
In reply to Richard Horn:

I couldn't work out if they were truly wild packs or guard dogs who had gone rogue and had ganged up to patrol their village. Many had collars. Yeah whenever I heard a bark I'd get very concerned and I'm generally not scared of dogs. I run by bears out here quite a lot, see coyote etc. Generally wild animals don't bother me but those and the sheep guard dog things in the alps were scary.

Post edited at 18:32
 philipivan 08 Mar 2021
In reply to Byronius Maximus:

I was told the exact same thing and used it regularly when waking in Mexico, Peru and Argentina! Unbelievable 

 jalien 08 Mar 2021
In reply to J1234:

When swapping tales of fearsome dogs with fellow cycle tourers, a friend showed me his deterrent: a bull whip, tucked into the elastic on top of his rear rack. He said that just the sound of the crack usually send them scarpering, and with practice he could give a few lashes without even slowing down!

 keith sanders 08 Mar 2021
In reply to jalien:

Sounds like Clint Eastwood on Rawhide 

keith s

 Dave the Rave 08 Mar 2021
In reply to J1234:

Whilst on a bike ride in the Clwydians many years ago, we were attacked by a farm collie, all teeth, slobber and sinew.

My mate, quick as a flash, dragged up the contents of his lungs, firmed it into a musket all with his tongue, and spat at the dog hitting it firmly in the eye. First it looked shocked, then it looked hurt, then it yelped and then it fecked off. 

 JX0 08 Mar 2021
In reply to Byronius Maximus:

I can only speak from experience of Chilean dogs but stray is the right word rather than wild — in my experience they are all domesticated and “unhomed” or “free-ranging” rather than “wild”. 

So maybe your tip won’t work in the Balkans! But it should in most parts of England... 

 freeflyer 08 Mar 2021
In reply to Byronius Maximus:

> ... pick up a stone ... etc

Thanks - I will be giving this a go. However not with guards dogs, and especially not with Bulgarian sheep guarding dogs, who protect their flocks from BEARS and other acquisitive locals, for which the only protection I am comfortable with is a steel car body in between me and their huge teeth. And even then I'm worried about the tyres.

 65 09 Mar 2021
In reply to J1234:

>  I am really thinking more about being abroad where there may be more lose dogs and one could have concerns about things such as Rabies.

If a dog is rabid then you are in big trouble and the rabies shot you've preferably already had is your best friend, along with being able to cycle very fast.

If I think a dog is going to chase and possibly attack me I generally stop and talk calmly to it, unless you've got a steep hill you probably won't outrun one that's set on getting you. Walk slowly away pushing the bike if necessary, you may get a lot of barking but that's usually all. While a moving bike might trigger a chase response in some dogs, big shepherd dogs (Patou in the Pyrenees and Alps, Kangal and Sarabi in east/Central Asia) tend to be happy when they see you moving away from their flock.

I've surprised many patou (huge white dogs from the Pyrenees, they look like golden retrievers on steroids and generally NOT cuddly) and had no issues, I just talk calmly to them and move on. I am very comfortable around big dogs though. I've found small nippy dogs to be the worst. I've no experience of feral packs, nor do I want any.

Post edited at 00:22
J1234 09 Mar 2021
In reply to J1234:

Speaking of that, I am spending the night with Mauricette and Jean Sylvain whom I met through warmshowers. They have also crossed Europe, most of which was on the EuroVelo 6. They let me know that their favorite country was Romania, which apparently is a growing theme when asking that question. They did, however, reinforce the fact that their are thousands of wild dogs everywhere and its important to be aware of them--not scared or worried, but just aware.

https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=3Ht&page_id=149469&v=Jg...

 Fat Bumbly2 09 Mar 2021
In reply to Byronius Maximus:

La Paz and Thessaloniki were the all time low points for dogs for me. Trying to get home from Bolivia, taxi one end of street, us the other and dogs in between. Needed another taxi up to El Alto

 Fat Bumbly2 09 Mar 2021
In reply to keith sanders:

Pedalers of the Lost Bark

 Babika 09 Mar 2021
In reply to freeflyer:

I'm getting a bit anxious now.. 

I'm off to the Balkan mountains in a few months and I hate dogs! No one seems to have recommended a dog zapper yet but it sounds a great idea. 

J1234 09 Mar 2021
In reply to Babika:

I think they just make a noise that only dogs can hear, not cruel at all.

 rachelpearce01 09 Mar 2021
In reply to J1234:

I would be interested to hear the suggestions to this! I’ve been bitter by a dog in Sri Lanka which wasn’t very nice and have a slight fear of barky dogs out in Greece and Spain. Whenever I encounter the goat herding dogs I usually have to turn around as I’m too scared to try and pass. I think they smell my fear! I know people suggest rocks but I don’t think I would be able to throw a rock at a dog, but a non harmful deterrent to allow me a safe passage would be good!

 Rog Wilko 10 Mar 2021
In reply to J1234:

> I think they just make a noise that only dogs can hear, not cruel at all.

The remote control on a TV we had many years ago was, I think I was told, operated with an infra-red signal. The kids had a pet cat at the time and every time the remote was used the cat jumped about a foot in the air. If the items you’re thinking of are similar I think you need to test it on your dog first if you want to be sure there’s no cruelty involved. 😉

 balmybaldwin 10 Mar 2021
In reply to J1234:

> I think they just make a noise that only dogs can hear, not cruel at all.


Maybe not cruel, but they scare dogs....  A scared dog is not a good thing especially if it feels trapped - it's the most common reason for them biting

 Philb1950 10 Mar 2021
In reply to Babika:

Usually if you bend down to pick up an imaginary stone to throw at them may they run off. That trick has worked for me in S. America and Asia.

J1234 10 Mar 2021
In reply to balmybaldwin:

> Maybe not cruel, but they scare dogs....  A scared dog is not a good thing especially if it feels trapped - it's the most common reason for them biting

I do not know, hence the thread. I would suspect as opposed to scare, they just make the dog uncomfortable and want to move to another place, just like the dog barking at me is designed to make me feel uncomfortable and move to another place. I just want to ride on by, if the dog leaves me alone, I will leave it alone. If it barks and scares me, I would like to as nicely as possible deter it and carry on my way. If it tries to bite me, I would with great regret as I like dogs, use my Velodog, and put a hole right between its eyes.

Andy Gamisou 10 Mar 2021
In reply to J1234:

Most scared I've ever been in my life was when I was about 10 and a mixed pack of about 8 dogs started following me when I was walking to a friends house.  To say they were unfriendly is somewhat of an understatement.  I was saved by another roaming pooch appearing, seeing them, and trying to run.  It didn't get far before they caught it and tore it apart, which at least gave me the chance to get away.  I seem to recall police marksmen were called in after they attacked and badly injured a punter returning home from the social one Sunday lunchtime.  

Mustn't have put me off dogs as I currently have 3 of the f*ckers - quite big ones too.  Although the third wasn't really by choice, and is the very definition of "no good deed goes unpunished".

 65 11 Mar 2021
In reply to rachelpearce01:

As someone said above, even looking like you're going to throw a stone will make stray dogs run off, it happens to them a lot from locals. But whatever you do, do not try this with flock guardian dogs. Giving the flock a wide berth will be enough as they just want you away, though they will keep barking until you are out of sight. 


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