One other thing happened during this morning’s bike ride. I’ve had to watch out while going past the goat peoples’ property because their dogs (there are now three but that won’t last) have taken to chasing cars and of course bikes. I outran them on the way out, but on the way back they started in front of me. The bigger two were content to chase but the smallest one closed, on my left side which I was careful to arrange, and actually tried to take a bite out of my left leg above the boot.
This went about as well as you’d expect for the dog. The chase ended abruptly.
Seriously though: Their property is surrounded on two sides by road and they’ve already lost one Pyrenees that got into the car-chasing habit. I understand that dogs like to run but there are reasons not to indulge them. When they moved in I started out by trying to be a good neighbor – now I just really don’t want to have any more than necessary to do with them. Neighborliness needs to be a two-way street. Keep as many animals as you want, but be prepared to take care of them.
I also am curious about the goat people. They might just be embarrassed and therefore defensive. I’d give them another chance. Loved your maybe the horse will sing post!
Liked it so much I’m now going to donate. The name on the account is not yours. Is it okay
Yes, it’s fine. Friend of mine handles what I laughingly call my finances. I appreciate the help!
Are there any marks from the dog’s attack to document the problem? It is sad but I don’t expect a good end for any of the three animals. Their owners should be ashamed of what they have created by not retraining the dogs.
There wouldn’t be any marks on the steel rod which is my lower left leg. 😀 I was a little worried she might tear my pants but she didn’t. No incentive to hang on, I guess.
I trust you carry a nice stout truncheon made from hickory for just this kind of event.
If you lack one, will be happy to send you one. Also known as trucker tire checkers in other circles or police batons. A rap on the snout usually dissuades such activity.
Terrapod: Having briefly carried an ersatz baton while on Shore Patrol, I believe yours is a perfectly cromulent approach.
I’ve heard that savvy bike riders wanting to avoid maneuvers that might upset their balance, sometimes carry (god, I just realized I’m old) an old-fashioned telescoping car antenna. Apparently, getting whacked in the schnoz by a fast-moving hunk of stiff wire stings enough to be a deterrent. Lightweight, portable, effective, and quiet; what’s not to like? As a bonus, ya don’t hafta reload!
Does Arizona law allow you to just shoot the damn things? A big dog can be a life-threatening encounter to a person on a bicycle.
Guy in our paddling club (canoes and kayaks, ya perverts!) was also a peddler, er, bike rider. He hit a dog. In a cast from hip to neck for many, many months.
Hubby used rubbing alcohol in a squirt-gun as a kid throwing papers. From that point forward the dog thought it was in the dog’s best interests to stay in the yard and just bark.
I KNEW there was a reason behind the invention of .22 Velo Dog!
I just KNEW it.
Or one could always end up with an air pistol…
Have you talked to the Sheriff’s Dept about what you can do the next time one of those dogs attacks? Putting it down looks harsh but if she got someone else’s left leg they would be in a world of hurt.
Aggressive dogs are a huge hazard for bicyclists as you well know.
a) I don’t talk to the sheriff’s department and it doesn’t talk to me. We’re all happier that way, believe me. The last time a cop came to visit the Gulch (Townie cops, not Sheriff Dept, serving papers from [ahem – somebody’s, won’t say whose] ex-wife) he clearly wasn’t happy to be here and he brought a beefy friend in tactical gear to keep him company.
b) The sheriff announced – unofficially, of course, and many years ago – that he didn’t want anything to do with what went on in our stretch of boonies unless dead human bodies were involved. And only because then he couldn’t avoid it. The context of that announcement was a dead cow torn to pieces by actual feral dogs, so you can imagine the level of indifference that would be engendered by “small dog bites armed bicyclist.”
😀 Sorry, don’t mean to laugh but can’t avoid it. I don’t have many hair-raising adventures to post these days but I really can’t otherwise express to what extent this really truly isn’t a park. It’s a lot tamer than it used to be but townies still assume (sometimes rightly) that you’d have to be at least a little crazy to live here, so only crazy people do and the townies would rather not be involved.
BTW: We sorted the feral dog problem ourselves several years ago. The solution involved quite a lot of gunfire, and nobody official blinked an eye. If I had shot the biting dog myself it would have caused me no legal trouble at all – but quite a lot of local awkwardness. You can imagine my reaction if Tobie got loose and somebody shot him – whether or not he did something to deserve it.
Not offended at all. We moved to a smaller town in Yavapai county last year but will be moving to a new house out on open ranch land once it is built, so I am trying to learn the new culture around things like loose dogs, etc. Your BTW is about what I expected.