wct@mordor.UUCP (03/22/84)
The comments on dogs and bicycles have been interesting, to
say the least. I have heard of cyclists killed in an
altercation with a dog--but note that it involved an
accident like: the dog in a frenzy manages to run in
front of, or under the rear wheel thereby causing the
cyclist to wreck, striking unhelmeted head on pavement. . .
Alternately, a few years back in the American Wheelmen,
an incident was reported where a cyclist attempted to strike
a dog with his pump, the dog moved the resulting overswing
into the bicycle wheel caused a rather lethal accident.
So--caution--that pump may not be a good choice unless
you are dismounted.
My personal preference, in hundreds of encounters, is to
be assertive, realize that most (all?) dogs have at least
one master. If you speak with a voice of authority, use
commands like "bad dog!" or "bad puppy!"*, "NO!", "go to
your bed!" "go to your garage!" most dogs will stop,
look confused and slink off. Moreover, such commands
are effective in training the dogs--on routes that I
ride regularly--most dogs give me but a cursory glance
after a few such episodes. I use most, not because I
have met any dogs which do not respond to such commands,
but I'm not quite willing to extend the premise to all
dogs--their may be some truuuly viscious animals out there.
Still, it has worked with farm and ranch dogs in N.M. and
Ca., domestic pets everywhere and even the few German Shepherd
and Great Dane watchdogs I have met to date.
*probably even better than "bad dog!" for all ages of dogs--
there is still a puppy in there somewhere!
--
William C. Thompson III (S-1 Project, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory)
U.S. Mail: LLNL, S-1 Project, P.O. Box 5503, L-276, Livermore, Ca., 94550
Phone: (415) 422-0758
MILNET: wct@s1-c or s1-a UUCP: ...!decvax!decwrl!mordor!wct