Being attacked by a dog is probably one of the most feared situations for cyclists. You might not be able to avoid being chased by a dog, but you can understand the "dog's mindset" in order to handle it wisely.
Understanding the Nature of Dogs
The vast majority of dogs chase cyclists simply to defend their territory. When you ride past a street, they’re only thinking about whether you’ll invade their domain. If you don’t threaten their innate territorial instincts, they have no interest in you. That’s why you rarely encounter dog attacks in open areas — because it’s not their territory, and they’re more worried about being attacked themselves.
Understanding the Dog’s Tactics
Dogs usually emerge from hiding and attack from behind. If it’s ahead of you, it will wait until you’ve passed before giving chase. You can use this to your advantage by preparing in advance as follows.
Sprint Away
Often, you can avoid a dog attack simply by riding past quickly. The dog would rather lounge around than actually attack. You can tell from its posture whether it’s just bluffing or really intends to bite: if it trots slowly, barks, and holds its ears and tail upright, it’s just posturing — don’t worry. But if it sprints with all four legs, ears and tail back, and shows its teeth — buddy, it’s for real. However, you can still use its sense of territory to your advantage. If the road is wide and downhill, accelerate away as fast as possible along the outer edge to quickly pass beyond its invisible boundary.
Defend Your Front Wheel
Usually, when a dog that wants to chase you sees you coming, it will run straight in a collision course rather than trying to intercept you from the side. The danger is: a dog’s paws don’t grip well on paved surfaces (asphalt or concrete), so it may lose control and crash straight into your wheel. If it hits your front wheel, you could fall. So accelerate to stay ahead of its collision path and avoid hitting your front wheel directly. If traffic conditions allow, swerve slightly to make it miss and give it more time to correct its direction.
Yell or Pretend to Pick Up a Stone
Most dogs know the sound of a human being aggressive toward them. Suddenly yelling “Stop!” “Stay!” “Hey!” or even swearing … will make them hesitate for a few seconds. If it doesn’t hear you well, raise your hand and pretend to hold a stone as if you’re about to throw it. Typically, dogs instinctively understand that this gesture precedes something painful coming at them.
Water Attack
If a large dog has already spotted you and blocks the way ahead, and the road is too narrow to speed away, prepare your water bottle. Sometimes just holding up the water bottle is enough to make it back off. If it continues approaching, wait until it gets close and then spray water directly at its face while yelling. This will slow it down. Though sometimes it may keep chasing, remember to stay on course and not leave the road so you can speed away.
Some cyclists carry pepper spray attached to their handlebars. This works extremely well, especially when sprayed while riding. Keep the spray upwind so it doesn’t affect you, and it will typically hit the dog’s eyes, nose, and mouth. This won’t cause permanent harm and can also work on humans, though that’s not the focus here.
Give Up and Get Off the Bike
If none of the above methods work, quickly dismount and place your bike between you and the dog. If necessary, swing the bike as a defensive weapon and call for help. Sometimes the dog’s owner will appear and say, “Oh, it won’t bite you!”
You don’t need a stick to fight dogs. Dogs aren’t as scary as they seem. Their barking is actually a warning — they just want to drive you out of their “territory.”
When you encounter a dog while cycling, it might bark at you, chase your bike back and forth, or even bite the luggage bag on your rear rack. Don’t panic in this situation — slow down or even get off and walk your bike. Once you’re out of its territory, you’ll be fine. If you speed away frantically, it might get worse — it might chase you for kilometers.
Dogs are very protective of their homes. If you stop midway and plan to ask for help from nearby houses, first observe whether there are any dogs around, then go knock on the door. Usually, if there’s a dog, it will bark a warning and may approach you. At this point, you must stop moving or slowly back away and wait for the owner to come out. If no owner appears, slowly back away and calmly leave.
If a dog chases you while you’re walking, immediately crouch down, and the dog will run away. If you try to run, the dog will chase you even harder.
At night, you can shine your headlight at the dog, and it won’t approach you. So it’s best to carry a bright headlight or flashlight when going out at night.
However, the above methods don’t work against rabid dogs — if you see a dog with its head hanging low and its tongue out, it’s best to steer clear from a distance.
I’ve also heard that Tibetan mastiffs raised by Tibetans might bite Han people, and those raised by Han people might bite Tibetans. I don’t know if that’s true, haha. Tibetan mastiffs are quite fierce, so the methods above might not work.
Call the police
If you’ve already been bitten, report it immediately. Record the location, time, the dog’s appearance, and even the owner’s name and address. Seek medical attention promptly to prevent rabies and request proof that the dog involved is not rabid. If the same dog keeps threatening your safety while riding, report it. You have the right to freely and safely enjoy your right of way and maintain a pleasant riding experience.
Please don’t harm them !