Total Motorcycle Community Forums

I apologize in advance if this has already been asked/answered elsewhere, but I didn't see it anywhere.

How do you react to dogs chasing you?
I know that the MSF said (and I had to look this up to remember. Copied directly from book)
"Once an approaching dog is spotted, a good rider response is to slow down, includinga downshift, then accelerate past the point of interception. Don't kick at the dog because it will make controlling the motorcycle difficult."

On a personal note, I don't have my bike yet, I've only completed the MSF. A couple of the roads I travel daily have chasing dogs, and I'm trying to plan how to react to them. Due to hill & curve combos, I will normally be travelling at a slow speed, and I am wondering if that will affect the response.

Maybe I'm just making this harder in my head than the real thing will be.

I find what they said at MSF works. I have three who "greet" in our driveway testing the skill, plus at least 4 "runners" is pass regularly. Once they get used to you - knowing their actions have nothing to do with your actions - they might just yawn as you go by...

froldt wrote:"Once an approaching dog is spotted, a good rider response is to slow down, includinga downshift, then accelerate past the point of interception. Don't kick at the dog because it will make controlling the motorcycle difficult."

This sounds right. If I remember correctly, David Hough covers this one in one of the "Proficient Motorcycling" books (I think it was the first one, but I could be wrong). Slow down, and once the dog changes vectors to compensate, you accelerate away. It's unnerving at first, but you'll get used to it.

BTW - If you haven't bought both "Proficient Motorcycling" books, I strongly suggest you do. They're excellent books which I'm constantly thumbing through.

Might not be a bad idea to try to find out who owns the dog... and yell at them.

Carry some dogtreats or pigs ears in your pocket and toss them out as they approach. j/k

Do what the MSF taught ya, slow down then speed up.

Ride like they aren't even there. Slow down if you can, but just ride on through. When you are safely in front speed up.

I have to deal with dogs on my bicycle too. They just want to have some fun with you, usually they are not trying to attack and harm you. They are not going to lunge at your bike with the intent of coming in contact with it. They think that if they come at you, they'll get a reaction like you stopping or turning around and going the other way similiar to how another animal would react. So just ride on through. They'll come damn close and may even get in front of the bike for a moment. But they'll move. The last thing you want to do is assume which way they are going to move and you move the opposite way the last second. That will be like trying to pass that person in the hallway and you end up doing that little dance back and forth. Except this time it will be at high speed and you won't get a chuckle out of it.

The MSF method works pretty well. Slow down, then gas it when they get close. It sounds like these vehicle chasing dogs are regular offenders. A quick call to your local animal control office might be a more permanent solution to the problem.

I bite them, and then pee on their doorstep.

DivideOverflow wrote:I bite them, and then pee on their doorstep.

Thats right! Show 'em whos boss!

Do what the MSF course tells you, then later sneak back towards em with a lit M-80, they'll never hear you coming again! J/K Fortunately I haven't had to deal with that yet, so thanks for posting the question Froldt, I was kinda curious myself...
Wrider