The situation with dogs has changed since my father was barked across the country on his bicycle twenty years ago. The difference results from the almost universal use of invisible fences. Some dogs don't have them and of those a few are menacing. If we can, we ride away as fast as we can. We yell, "Go home!" authoritatively, which causes them to look puzzled that we know about that. If they get close, we jump off and stand behind our bikes. And if it came to it, I would use my Mace and Michael has a device that makes a horrible loud, high-pitched noise.
But most of the dogs are demoralized by their invisible fences. They often give one desultary bark and lie down and watch us go by.
One Husky on the Indian road in Montana didn't have a fence and ran toward us without barking. We told him to go home and rode faster. He smiled and sped up too and ran beside us. He ran with us for about four miles, while we kept urging him to go home. Finally, when we rode about 25 miles an hour and left him behind.
Michael thinks that he does this regularly and is happy to live on a bike route.
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Come ride by our house for some spirited barking from Bella. Sparky doesn't bark so much, but he could probably match the 25 mph for a hundred yards or so.
ReplyDeleteGrandpa remembers being chased by a 3 legged dog, for whom he thoughtfully slowed up a bit.
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