HOW TO SURVIVE THE EVER ENCHANTING SHEPHERD DOGS
A few years ago, on one of longer trips we made in northern Greece, we were rolling carefree talking about random stuff on one of the beautiful provincial roads of the Grevena area.
Coincidentally at one point, on my right I spotted a white dot appearing to be descending the mountain at a crazy speed. I did not pay much attention, because it was so far away from us that it was impossible to see with the naked eye whether this thing was a white horse or a car or whatever else. But soon enough I realised that the strange creature seen from afar was a huge sheepdog running amok towards us. It had managed to cover the big distance that separated in an almost unbelievably short time.
The look of that huge angry dog was so frightening that even to this day I am not absolutely certain whether its demonic eyes were really flaming red or it was just a figment of my imagination. On its muscular neck he wore a thick leather collar full of large sharp spikes to protect his neck from wolf bites. It was breathtakingly tall and long with a very strong body and a supernaturally large head. I will never forget the sheer terror a beast like that can cause you when you hear its growls and muffles behind you while you’re trying to pedal as hard as you can.
Fortunately, due to the downhill slope and our frantic peddling, we manage to escape it. But what if we had a steep uphill or a rough enduro kind of trail in front of us? I have stumbled upon sheepdogs countless times on my trips on the mountains of Greece (which is full of them) and the answer to anything concerning shepherd dogs and dogs in general cannot be absolute. Every dog is different as well as every cyclist and his reactions. But what I can say with certainty judging for my experiences, is that these dogs are misunderstood, the unexpected encounter with them can cause panic and to some extent can become very dangerous, but in most cases a calm and proper reaction can resolve the conflict peacefully and both parties go home safe and sound.
You see, these dogs have nothing to do with the trained killers you see sometimes in cities. Those vicious breeds (pitbulls, rottweilers, etc.) with unpredictable and nasty behaviour that have a big history of killing people are most of the time traumatised, spoiled and distrained. Shepherd dogs, on the other hand, are very intelligent dogs, without problematic complexes and usually without any trauma of abuse or chronic confinement, they are trained to do an important and specific job
properly; To protect themselves and their flock from any kind of enemy. It’s of tremendous importance to have that in your head before you visit those rough lands. You have to respect these proud animals before you decide to challenge their territory.
In any case, it is good to know some useful information to manage effectively a difficult encounter with such a dog.
First of all, this article might be one of the exceptions that advises people NOT to get off the bikes when they encounter dogs. Theoretically, when the dog sees the spinning wheels, it gets irritated and feels threatened, while when you are on foot, it usually doesn’t pay you much attention. This is partly true, but the problem is that you would never know the mood or the personality of the dog, that is, how much or how little he feels threatened by your presence. Why risk a confrontation with it when you can just keep riding the bike?
The first thing you should do is to free your feet from the clip-less pedals and give periodically quick glances (always with your peripheral vision) to follow the position of the dog that chases you. You know he wants to attack your leg, so be ready to kick backward if the dog’s muzzle gets dangerously close to your heel. Always have your mind on the road in front of you and remember not to give it your all in peddling. You just have to move fast enough to get ahead. Another successful tactic is to carry a long thin stick with you, and when the dog starts chasing you, you use it as a shield by giving sudden blasts behind you - without looking.
It’s crucial not to tilt your whole head 180 degrees to watch the dog because this can make you lose your balance and fall (something you do not want), but to watch his movements using your peripheral vision, your ears and maybe some brief glances.
What happens though, if your road in front of you has a steep gradient or it’s a rugged trail that prevents you from moving fast? I’d say, if the road is wide enough, do an immediate 180 degree turn and cycle to a safe point where you can stop and regain your composure . This will also give you stress free time to consider all the parameters and plan your reappearance. You can check your GPS to see e.g. For how many more kilometres the road will remain uphill?
If the steep part is small you can turn back, gain some speed and momentum and surprise the dogs by appearing suddenly and making scary screams.
In case the uphill in front is too big or the road is too rugged or you happen to be on foot, the way to act is rather different . When you are on your bike you should be fast, agile and think quickly, on the other hand when your bike is of no use or you are on foot, you should be calm and slow. A very important data to look in this case is the radius of the dog’s protected territory, if you are cautious and calm enough, you can move on the edge of the periphery, thus not challenging the dog. Under no circumstances should you make abrupt movements, shout, run or look directly at the dog. You always keep an eye on it while stepping back in the direction you want.
In very difficult cases though you have no way out without having to confront the dog.
In that case, you would need to carry something edible that you can throw at its direction (ideally you have a small portion of dog food with you for a difficult case like this). You will use this as a distraction, to detract the attention of the dog as you move slowly out of its territory.
We should make a note here that all the above concerns the dogs of the countryside and the mountains and not the aggressive dogs of the cities. There, while many of the above apply, there are many imponderables which we do not know much. For example, many of the city’s stray dogs have been abused to such an extent that they have a distorted sense of what might constitute a threat and what not. This means that they can still attack you with frenzy although you have tried your best not to bother them or violate their space. For this reason and many more it is important to stay on the bike in any case as we mentioned at the beginning.
The more unpredictable an animal is, the less the reasons you have to be on foot in close proximity. Especially in the case of a stray dog gang, the different complexes and traumas of many dogs together create a very dangerous situation for a man who stands there unarmed and alone. So, my suggestion is to deal with them with a firm but calm peddling (unless there is a downhill slope, there you can give it your all). In the city, roads are mainly flat and rarely steep, so one can easily escape by cycling from a difficult situation.
In closing, let me not forget to mention that the dogs we meet in the beautiful and wild places we visit are mainly guardians of a flock, areas or houses and they haven’t had many opportunities to interact with strangers as many of the city dogs do on a daily basis. That means that they do not possess the same facilities to interact with you as they would be expected in relation to the dogs you met growing up. However, this does not mean that they do not need some love and affection (ATTENTION: only when circumstances permit). Every dog loves belly rub and caresses on the neck, if you are given the opportunity do not miss it!