Trying to hit a charging dog in the face with pepper spray has bad odds of being successful. Personally, it would be my guess that a very small percentage of us are coordinated enough to pull this off while riding. To use pepper spray successfully, youll have to stop riding anyway and let the dog get within spraying distance, so start with the Stop Riding method to see if that works before unleashing the spray.
I have tried to spray water in a dogs face once, but my thought quickly switched to, “That was dumb. I am already low on water and I have 10 miles to go.” Like the pepper spray, the dog needs to be close enough for any intended effect, thus making the animal think twice about continuing the chase. However, for most of us, it would be refreshing to have water sprayed in our faces, especially on a hot July ride. For Fido, it may be the same.
Biologist and animal lover, Adriana Heguy explains it this way: “Dogs chase cars because they have a prey drive. Prey drive is an instinctive behavior in carnivores that must seek, pursue, capture, and eat prey. Different dogs have different components of the prey drive. What a dog chases — balls, squirrels, cars, or cyclists — is dependent on the dog, but the component is always the same: the instinctual drive to chase something that is getting away from them. And that chase instinct is triggered by fast movements.”
The best method for showing that youre not prey is to stop riding and call to the dog. Be authoritative. Most times, the dogs attitude will change dramatically, tail wagging and ready to play or will lose interest entirely. If it doesnt, its best to keep the bike between you and the dog and back away slowly.
The best part of an air horn to deter a chasing dog is that you can simply point it in a dogs general direction without careful aiming. You just push the button and BLAST. It works. One or two short bursts will likely end the pursuit or at least break the dog’s stride, giving the rider enough time to put distance between themselves and mans best friend.
Q. When we’re out on a walk, my dog gets stressed when runners or cyclists go by. He lunges and tries to run after them. What can I do?
A. It’s natural for dogs to want to run after an object that’s moving at high speeds away from them; this is the “chase” part of the predatory sequence. While the desire to chase is manageable in most dogs and is seen only in play, for other dogs, this instinct is so strong that they go after anything that moves, with cyclists and joggers being favorite targets. If your dog has never bitten anyone and is relatively calm when hes out on a walk, there are ways to redirect his chase behavior to appropriate outlets.
It is important to redirect the urge to chase; the consequences of your dog continuing this behavior can be serious, especially if he were ever to get off his leash. While most dogs would stop as soon as they caught up to the runner or cyclist, there are dogs who would nip or who may inflict major harm with deeper bites or a full-on takedown. Keep in mind, too, that the cyclist or runner being chased doesnt know if your dog is friendly or threatening, and may respond by kicking or hurting your dog in self-defense. Putting an end to chase behavior keeps your dog and the people hes sharing the road with safe.
Dogs who chase should always be secured on a sturdy leash set at a certain length and never on a retractable leash or long line. Head halters are beneficial for redirecting your pooch’s attention away from the swiftly moving person. An alternative for flatter-faced dogs is a front-clip harness.
If your dog has a history of biting people or if his behavior seems truly aggressive or predatory, the situation is much more serious. You should consult with a veterinary behaviorist or a certified dog trainer for strategies on handling this situation.
Many dogs enjoy chasing a ball or a flirt pole. It’s a game. Playing chase can be inherently self-rewarding, and this might extend to cars, bikes and other objects that move as well. Dogs play and predatory behavior can often be linked.
It is important to keep in mind, punishment is not going to get us very far in this situation. We need to take proper precautions to make sure that the behavior isn’t practiced, and we need to teach our pups what we want them to do instead. An incompatible behavior. For example, if we teach our dog to sit when greeting people, sitting incompatible with jumping up.
Clearly car-chasing puts your pooch at a great risk of getting injured and possibly killed. Additionally, it’s a liability. Swerving to avoid your dog may mean that the car ends up injuring the driver or others around them. The same goes for bike-riders or skateboarders: your dog or the rider could easily be injured.
Wild-living dogs, like wolves and coyotes, hunt for food. Again, this behavior is instinctual. Hard-wired. Prey drive is a sequence of behaviors that, one started, can be very difficult to interrupt. The process starts off with stalking, it involves chasing, and ends in killing. This instinct will be stronger in some dogs than others and some parts of the sequence — like chasing — might be stronger than others — like killing. In fact, herding is a highly specialized version of the predatory sequence that’s all about stalking and chasing.
Let’s discuss a few things to help Duke to stay safe and calm around moving vehicles.