I really hadn’t experienced any UPDD’s until last Christmas break.
I some times ride MUni with my dog and she’s never bothered the bikers. I have come up on MTBers with dogs and they never bother me. The most problem I’ve had with my dog is running into her when she’s not paying attention.
Between Christmas and NewYears I was down in my in-law’s farming community on the Oregon Coast. The area is pretty much dairy country on flood plains formed by several rivers. I usually get in a few Coker miles every time I go down. This time I had Blue Shift out on loan from Sir Harper.
On my first ride I headed out the short dike road, crossed the river to a long side road and the usual pack of dogs comes out barking. These do it every time and really don’t worry me. They bark and back off. They don’t follow. In my experience thats how most dogs respond to a uni.
On the next day’s ride I was literaly heading back for the barn when a German Shephard came running down his long driveway. I saw him coming and sped up a bit to get past the driveway before he got to the road. When he got to the road he made the turn and was in pursuit on the asphalt. He didn’t break and kept chasing with what looked like ill intent so I jumped off and prepared to use BS as a uni-raquet in case he meant business. As soon as I was off and yelled he was back to the house and no more problem.
At the end of that ride a dog I had ridden by on the day before was a bit more aggressive too. Maybe I smelled better to them that day.
On a bike you can stop pedaling, coast, keep your foot high, and use your water bottle or frame pump to fend off the hounds. On a unicycle, if you keep pedaling you keep those tasty calves just going round and round to tempt the bad doggie.
Just wondering if anybody else has had encounters with the Evil Hound.
I have been twice, by the same Evil Hound, both times on my Coker. I do a lot of Cokering around the big “planned community” I live in, ‘cause there are endless variations of rides through the different neighborhoods. Twice I’ve gone by this one house and been charged by this combo mutt/shepard. Both times I’ve had to dismount and keep the Coker between me and him. Both times his little band of human worshipers have come out of the house to say "Stop Spot! Bad Spot! He’s really a nice dog…just let him sniff you. No Spot! etc. for literally 5 friggin’ minutes while the dog continues to run in big circles around my small circles, foaming at the mouth and paying no attention to his fan base. Eventually one of the teenage kids (not either of the “responsible adults”) runs in and grabs Spot by the collar and holds him while I mount up and get away.
On the second round of this scenario I told the “responsible adults” that third strike would be it for Spot. They need to take doggie to doggie manners school, or doggie will be going for a ride with Animal Control. Or maybe mace…that’s actually something I didn’t think of until now. The coker just doesn’t make a good racquet, although so far it has made a good shield. No Spot bites despite two strong attempts.
One of the nearest trials/muni spots to me is also a major unleashed dog attraction. They usually chase me and bite my trie. I’ve had one bite me on the thigh, but the pocket of my jeans blunted the teeth and made it painless. I don’t hold anything against the dogs who do it. If a dog starts after you it’s your responsibility to dismount. If they continue with a viscous intent, it’s the owner’s fault and they need to deal with it. Most dogs I know will become perfectly nice once the wheel is no longer under me. It is unreasonable to expect owners of dogs to be able to familiarize their dogs with uncycles. It is reasonable for them to be able to control the dog anf familiarize them with people standing trying to defend themselves.
I own a dog and she is terrified of me on my unicyle. She will run the moment I start hopping. I expect my dog to be calm around bikes and all of such things, but being as I don’t see someone go by on a pogo stick every day, it’s not fair to expect me to know how my dog will react to a pogo stick.
I thought this thread would be about dismounts while walking a dog on a unicycle. I learned many balance skills by walking my 95lb energetic labrador on leash while riding a unicycle.
I had a couple of dogs in our neighborhood come out barking at me, a month or two after I learned. I kept my trusty Torker between me and them and walked through the area. Nothing serious.
I also had a rather ridiculous experience with my own dog and the unicycle. A couple months after learning the uni, I decided it would be clever to walk the dog while riding my unicycle, and she seemed eager to go, so I went ahead and tried it. I mounted on the driveway, and she tore off down it onto the street with me pedalling frantically behind. As soon as we hit the middle of the street, she must have noticed that I was riding not walking and lay down flat, digging her claws into the cement. I rode over to the other side of the street, unintentionally dragging her along on the leash, then dismounted. After allowing the school bus and three of four other vehicles, which had managed to show up just as I was entering our seldom used street, to pass, I returned the dog to the house, and rode off, greatly embarassed.
I’ve really only had one bad experience witha dog, I was coming back from a long ride on my old 24", and this dog started barking at me, maybe a mile from home. I ignored it, 'cause it had barked at me before when biking, and when I had ridden by earlier in the day. Never came after me, just barked. So I’m pedaling when all of a sudden I feel a pain in ly left calf, followed by pain on my palms as I hit the ground… Damn dog bit me! Learned its lesson though, 'cause when I fell the unicycle ejected straight back and came within a couple of inches of whacking its nose… Has barked at me since, but keeps a healthy distance.
My brother’s dog bit me once last month when I was showing my borther my uni, but I think he (the dog) was only playing 'cause he didn’t bark, wasn’t biting hard (just got my foot, and he only had a firm grip on it) and let go as soon as I told him to… Glad he’s well trained, German Shepherds can be frightening
Agreed tho, most dogs either bark at everyone and thing that goes by, or just don’t recognize a unicycle… I know my parents dog barked like crazy the 1st time he saw me on one wheel
You have a slow dog, my dog and most fit dogs can sprint at around thirty mph and can sustain twenty five for a long time. It can be hard to outrun a dog even on a bicycle.
I unicycle with my dog all the time and she is great at staying out of your way it’s better on the coker because I can maintain a speed that satisfies her desire to run. If I have her on a leash on the muni she is allways pulling trying to go faster and that can be helpfull on the uphills but bad when I am going down hill.
The only time I have been bitten was when I was pushing the muni, it was an ankle biting Yorkshire Terrier, but have never been attacked while riding, so my policy is to just keep going and only dismount if I’m in danger of running over a dog.
the reasons these dogs do it because if its german shepards or border colies is because there sheep hearding dogs and they think of you as something to herd so they run up to you. so the reason they bite your tire or your leg is because hey feel your not listening to them. I have a broder colie and he always bites my tire
Dogs are great to pass on a uni, at least when their on a leash. While their master may choose to ignore you, the dog looks at the unicyclist like their from mars. Dogs just don’t have good poker faces. They look dumbfounded, especially golden retrievers.
one time i was riding my uni on a street while carrying a bag of movies, suddenly a mid sized dog comes up and starts baring its teeth and growlying then it bit my tire, then it made a huge lung at my leg and mad 4 pretty good sized puncture wounds. at this time i was mad, as i rode faster the dog got mader and mader, then just like before it jumped forward to bite my leg but at this time i was think ahead, in mid jump it i force fully swung my movie bad and bluntly hit the dog in the head. the dog yelped, but didnt give up and kept growling and biting my tire. at this point i was really freaking mad, i slowed down and turned around, i rode at the dog at full speed and it turned around and ran.
this is the story where brave evan chaced away the rabies dog, thanks for listening.
A few months ago I made a UPDD because of a German shepherd (dog, not
human ) that came running at me when I rode my MUni across a grassy
field. It looked quite aggressive so I jumped off and held my wheel
between me and the dog which tried to circumvent it. The owner was
nearby and he tried to bring the dog under control by talking
(shouting actually) at it but to no avail. Tsk, some dog owners… He
then grasped its neck band (how do you call that?) and restrained it
while I remounted and rode off. All the time he assured me that it
would never bite or anything, but I didn’t trust that. They all say
that until it’s done, and then it’s “Oh he otherwise never does that”.
Just yesterday, if fact on the same grassy field and on the same MUni,
it was dog-walking time. One dog started to bark at me and walk/run
besides be. That triggered other dogs and they began doing the same. I
had a flock of three or four dogs around me, all barking and jumping.
All the owners were behind me and started calling their dogs back but
none of them responded. It was quite hilarious in a way! Since I had
my 661’s on and none of the dogs was particularly large I reckoned I
was reasonably safe. Eventually the dogs went away,
A few years ago I did get bitten though. I was riding on my 29’er on a
cycle path on the edge of a built-up area. I rode past a little girl
on a tricycle when this dog (German shepherd, they’re the worst) came
running at really high speed out of nowhere straight to me and passed
between me and the girl. I thought that the dog might have come to her
‘defence’ so I asked her if it was hers but she said no. Then the dog
came back (I was past the girl at this point), ran beside me for about
5 metres, looking at me and barking. I was a bit scared but pedaled
on. Then it bit me lightly in the lower leg which was bare. I shouted
HEY!! at the top of my voice and jumped off the uni. Two people
sitting on a bench nearby had seen everything so I asked whether the
dog was theirs but they said ‘Fortunately not!’ I said that it bit me
and they confirmed they saw that. No damage to be seen on my leg
though. By now the dog was gone, I remounted and rode away.
A rider should do everything they can to protect themselves, but the owner is completely responsible for their dog. A dog should not be off leash outside. It does not have free reign even inside of a yard unless it can’t get out. A yard is to be fenced. It’s not the rider’s or pedestrian’s responsibility.
That said, I have two German Shepherds who go outside in the front yard with me. I don’t always have them on a leash. If something happens, it’s MY responsibility. After this thread and all the mentions of Shepherds biting, I’m thinking twice about letting my dogs outside in the front yard at all. They are good dogs, but I can’t say they are perfect.
I walk my dog in the park all the time…on a leash. The same park I sometimes unicycle in. I run into dogs off leash constantly. It’s annoying and the owners who actually have their dogs under control are rare. I was riding my 29er this past winter and ran into a lady and her dog, unleashed who being what I thought still far enough away thinking I’d be ok - wrong - the dog came running towards me so I dismounted because I didn’t want to hurt the dog or myself, I ended up having to dismount in a place that I didn’t want to because I had seen it the day before and knew the ice was rough there and upon dismounting my foot slipped sideways from the top of the rut down in the rut and I ended up twisting and sprained my ankle I was mad at myself but at the lady too. She’s like “sorry” I kept quiet and rode on but couldn’t go only about a half mile and realized it was pretty painful so I turned around and had to go past her again, I bit my tongue, dismounted early and walked past her this time of course she held the dog, once I made it past her I rode back to the car and pretty much was done riding for the winter months. I still run into the darn woman and she still hasn’t leashed her dog.
I started reading the posts and had to stop mid way to post a reply.
First off, if a dog is chasing you in an aggressive manor you have every right to defend yourself since 1. it’s the owner’s responsibility, 2. the owner isn’t there to protect you, and 3. there are leash laws for a reason…so it’s still the owner’s fault. Mace should work, so does a uni.
My dog had the habit of chasing after me when I was first learning to ride…he doesn’t anymore because I ran him over; lesson learned. NOW, he enjoys riding along side me instead of chasing me however turning uni cycling into a fun activity for someone else’s dog it’s not your responsibility.
My smell may have changed with age but I had problems every time I was passing near a dog … now no more.
One particular dog was funny because he behaved like a peculiar bandit: there he came and layed down in front of me and denied passage, I was obliged to dismount, scratch his belly, and then I was allowed to continue along the path
My dog is supposed to be on a leash at all times. I tried to hold on to the leash but he caused an UPD by crossing around behind me. I tried to quickly switch hands behind my back, but… I am guessing that if I took him more he would learn to stay to the right?
Dog leash laws are quite specific, no dog is allowed off leash unless they are in a fenced private area and under control.
I have dogs (Aussies) and let them run off lead in the woods while I ride, but they are animal and human freindly. I have had dogs that were not friendly, these dogs all were moved to new homes.
If a dog charges you, get off your uni and start swinging, you are completely within your rights since the dog is not under control, is unleashed, and is acting aggresively.
I have been attacked by dogs and my dogs have been attacked by dogs. The owners always say the same thing, but it’s a lie and they know it. Only a fool would belive that this incident is fidos first “mistake”.
When I was sixteen my friends “pet” bit off a piece of my lip and it required multiple surgeries to correct. I don’t like biting dogs and I really don’t like dog owners who allow their known “biters” to run free.
I’m gonna say, if someone dog comes up to me aggressively, I become twice as agressive as any dog… I get on the offensive… if you aren’t there to save your dog… it might be seriously injured… keep dogs on a leash or in a fence and it won’t get hurt.
A big HAIL to both of you! I seriously thought I was going to get my head ripped off for my comment. My father once said to me, “son, I don’t care how cute or how small your dog is…it’s still an animal and can snap without warning and without reason.” Leashes are cheap too, so there is no good enough reason why Fido would be chasing me…but hey, that’s just my opinion on the matter.
I was mad at myself but at the lady too. She’s like “sorry” I kept quiet and rode on but couldn’t go only about a half mile and realized it was pretty painful so I turned around and had to go past her again, I bit my tongue, dismounted early and walked past her this time of course she held the dog, once I made it past her I rode back to the car and pretty much was done riding for the winter months. I still run into the darn woman and she still hasn’t leashed her dog.
