Attacked by dog when cycling!!! What should/couldy I have done?

[Piffpaffpoff]

So today, going past a park on a cycle path I got chased for about a 1/4 mile by a small dog that was snapping, barking and it actually managed to get a hold of my foot 2 or 3 times. There are teeth marks on my shoes!! I screamed at it, kicked out at it but nothing was making it stop. Eventually, it lost interest and ran away. I hung about and waited for the owner to come over (and to be fair, she did approach me). I was v calm and explained that her dog had bit my shoe and she should keep in under control in future. She said that it chased me because I continued to cycle and had I stopped, it too would have stopped. I said that that was unreasonable, she had a responsibility to keep it under control in a public space when other people were about and that other people may not be as reasonable about it as I was.

Anyway, my question is this - realistically what else could I have done? The dog was totally out of control, she was shouting on it the whole time it was chasing me and it never came. It was still running about barkng the whole time I waited to speak to her, spoke to her and then cycled off. Should I have called the police and reported it? But if I did, how do they/I identify the dog if they've left? How else could I have got rid of the dog? It was a really horrible experience and I want to know what else I could do if it happens again.

lljkk DH has already suggested I get a repellent spray I'm not keen.

Belugagrad ideally you want to wait for the owner to catch and secure the dog because if you cycle off you may set it off again chasing you. I appreciate this is a huge nuissance and it's not your responsibility to help the owner catch the dog, but if you are worried about your safety this is the best thing to do.

lljkk I am sorry to disagree but neither shouting, kicking OR facing down dogs are the safe options. They may well work with some dogs, but when if one is unlucky enough to meet a truly aggressive dog all these actions will provoke it further. When faced with an unknown, potentially aggressive dog, out of its owner's control, it's safest to assume it is aggressive and assume a submisive and non-threatening stance as described above.

Thanks boo:)

Somewhere for you to commiserate, OP.

Bigger boots next time op! Give the little shit such a kick next time that you send him back over the four foot wall! Or steel toe caps, so that when he bites and bloody well hurts himself he thinks twice in future.

Update: I spoke to the community police team last night. They said that as the dog had actually "made contact" with me, that was an offence and it would have been appropriate to phone them when it happened and they would have come out if someone had been available. They've taken all the details and will keep an eye out for the dog and owner.

I feel happier now for having done something positive about it - if they manage to find the owner and have a chat then perhaps she will reconsider her dog's behaviour and how he manages it or, if it happens again and someone reports her then the police have my complaint on file.

I am sorry I am running out so cannot read the thread, but as a dog owner I have to post. You should have taken her details, make the dog owner pay for damage and get a dog warden involved. People like that make it very hard for responsible dog owners who train their pets to defend our right to walk our well behaved dogs in public areas.

Piffpaff - sorry about your experience and well done for being calm and reasonable with the owner. Hopefully there won't be a next time, but if there were, bemybebe's suggestions above sound good.

I run on a green space near my home, and occasionally I will get chased by an interested dog, generally well-meaning, although there was one occasion where a dog barked aggressively at me, I stopped, and once the owner had caught up, she said it was because my reflective jacket was upsetting her highly strung dog!

Like somebody else said, it's irritating having to stop exercising for an errant dog. I do think it's pretty arrogant when dog owners (with dogs who might react aggressively to fast moving things but are not on a lead) suggest - as this one did to you - that you should change your behaviour, and make some kind of allowances for their dog. Or when the owner says 'my lovely pooch is only being friendly, he/she just wants to say hello'. Given that not everybody likes dogs, and some people are truly terrified of them, it's a very presumptious attitude.