When leaving for my cycling holiday in Puglia I was expecting to be dealing with thunderstorms and flat tyres, but not aggressive dogs. Upon my return, I spoke about my holiday with a friend, who is a keen cyclist himself. I mentioned about a number of unpleasant encounters we’d had with farm and shepherd dogs running lose across the country side. His response was to show me this article in The Guardian. Holy cow.
Thankfully, I’ve never come anywhere close to an incident of this extent. I knew stray dogs are a problem in Southern Italy. However on previous trips they have been a nuisance rather than an issue, begging for food and attention. This holiday was different. One time I broke out in a cold sweat. We had made a detour to get out of sight of a pack of three dogs. When we paused to check our options on the GPS, we noticed that they had followed us all the way.
My dog encounters before this trip were mostly limited to happy puppies, gentle giants looking to play or the odd tiny creature that escaped from its owner, looking for a leg to cling on to. Depending on the scenario, my reaction varies, but I have a set of strategies I rely on, whether it’s on the bike or on foot.
The unpleasant encounters in Puglia and the story of the poor woman in Greece, however, led me to rethink my strategies. Had I been doing the right thing or did I just get lucky? Some googling resulted in lots of experiences from other cyclists and walkers, but surprisingly little concrete advice. So here is my summary of strategies to apply when dealing with aggressive dogs during walks or cycle rides.
1. Ride for the hills
You don’t have to be Mo Farah to outride the average dog. Shepherd dogs, quite common on farms, can reach roughly 30 km/h (~20 mph). Pitt bulls, a nasty breed you’d rather not run into, a generally faster (40 km/h or ~30 mph). Still, on a good road and with a bit of a head start you can create enough distance between you and the dog for it to lose interest. The really fast dogs like greyhounds and Dalmatians are not usually amongst the aggressive ones. Don’t try to kick the dog, even when he’s brushing your leg with his snout, because this can turn a mere chase in real aggression. Instead focus on keeping your balance and keeping your speed up. You better don’t apply this tip when you’re walking, unless you actually are Mo Farah. A better option is to continue walking at a steady pace, ignoring the dog, and applying the next tips if he doesn’t give up.
2. Don’t go there
If you can see the dog(s) from a distance and there is an option to avoid them, this is always preferable. Especially when we’re talking dogs in plural. Is there a parallel road you can take? Or can you even just cross the street to create some more distance? The key thing is to make up your mind quickly about what you are going to do. If you stop and ponder, you’ll risk to increase your appearance as a threat to the dogs and you’ll give him more time to start approaching you.
3. The staring game is a losing game
Never ever look a dog straight into the eyes. He will perceive this as provocative and unless you’re dealing with a tiny pet dog, you’re likely to lose the challenge. Keep looking ahead, away from the dogs. However, keep track of his location and behaviour from the corner or your eye at all times.
4. Hang on to your bike / kit
If you’re forced off your bike or you’re walking, hang on to your kit and use this as protection. Manoeuvre your bike between you and the dog or use your rucksack to do the same. Don’t leave your things behind for the purpose of running faster (most dogs will catch you up anyway) or throw them at the dog – they will be more useful to you as a shield. If you’re dealing with just one dog, a well-positioned smack with your walking poles might help you get away.
5. Keep moving, unless
Most dogs are not aggressive by nature. They just want you off their territory. Moving away from the house or the herd of sheep they are protecting will in many cases be sufficient in order not to trigger aggression. In the worst-case scenario, if you reckon the dog is about to attack, lay down on the ground, roll into a ball and don’t move. Play dead, essentially. You can crawl underneath your bike or rucksack and other items to protect your face and neck. This strategy is especially advisable if multiple dogs are involved.
6. Get armed & dangerous
One recurring theme when I was researching advice on dealing with dogs, was to carry protection, notably pepper spray or a dog horn. I haven’t tried this, but I will definitely consider procuring a dog horn for future trips. Pepper spray seems a bit more tricky, because regulations around carrying this vary and you’re never sure the product is not out of date until you actually try it. Neither product, according to retailers, causes permanent damage to the animal. Instead, it teaches them a lesson about the consequences of attacking passers-by.
7. Feeding?!
I also stumbled on some strategies I would not personally apply and even discourage others from using. The obvious one in my view is to carry some doggie biscuits that you can use to feed Fluffy when he gets to close. First of all, it’s not likely to work with a dog who is programmed to defined its territory. Second, think of the next passer-by who may not have biscuits at hand and pay the price for it on account of you’ve set expectations with Flufs.
To wrap it up, just for the record, I love dogs. And I fully understand that inhabitants of remote houses and sheep owners might want to keep a couple of guard dogs to safeguard their property and animals. But please, keep them behind a fence when they are not in your line of sight. I followed the press related to the investigation into the death of that lady in Greece and she was likely attacked by strays or even wild dogs. Even if fatalities or serious injuries are rare, all my cycling and walking friends have stories about how they only just escaped a dog attack in the countryside. My advise? Plan your strategies and be sure you are ready for dealing with aggressive dogs!
Thanks for this advice, it is the most comprehensive I have found and it’s good to acknowledge that dogs can be very aggressive. However, I must disagree with you on number 5. You should absolutely NEVER lay down on the ground during a dog attack. This exposes your neck and all of your body to attack. Dogs kill by biting the throat and shaking their heads. Laying down on the ground now makes it possible for a dog to easily kill you. It is extremely dangerous. People are generally killed by dogs when they are pulled down or fall down and their throat is attacked. If you are attacked by dogs you must fight and you must extremely aggressively. I mean you must actually try to kill the dog. It is the only option. Never lean down towards a dog exposing your face and neck to attack. Never lay on the floor. Kick and stamp. Try to control the dogs head with your hands if you can. The best thing to do is to carry a long sharp stick to strike, especially at the eyes, and inside the ears. This would end an attack quickly.
Before an attack, if you are actually surrounded by dogs you should shout loudly while slowly walking back from where you came from. The danger with proceeding forward is that more dogs may be attracted further down the path. The more dogs their are the more likely they are to attack. Running indicates to a dog that you are submissive and they will probably follow you in this case as they will feel confident that you are weaker. Try not to run, just walk calmy back where you came. Even if a dog runs up towards you, it will generally not attack you unless you indicate you are submissive, by running away or, God forbid, laying down.
Hope this helps!