I got bit by a dog while biking.
Here’s what I’ll do differently next time…
About two weeks ago, I was nipped/ bit by a dog. It was very scary, and it reignited my fear of dogs that I brought home from France. If you’ve ran or biked anywhere ever, you’ve probably been frightened by a dog barking through a fence or running after you on the bike. It’s a terrible feeling and it's hard to do the right thing in the heat of the moment.
Today, I am going to take you through what happened on September 26th versus what I should’ve done based on the tips I practiced while I was living in France.
Here’s what happened: On Thursday, September 26th at 4:37 pm I was riding my gravel bike up Arroyo trail to Lake Padden’s west bridge. I came up behind someone on the far left and they were on the far right. They had a Saint Bernard, and it was on a leash, but they weren’t holding it. As I was passing them, I said “Hey Danny” because I thought it was an old co-worker but after I said that I realized it wasn’t my friend. I continued riding when I heard, faintly, that they were calling their dog. I had my Aftershocks on listening to a podcast, so my hearing wasn’t super clear. I didn’t realize the dog was chasing me and then all of a sudden it was right next to me! It nipped my outer right calf. I yelled “OW!” and rubbed it. I kept riding as I was scared and didn’t want the dog to keep going after me. I was also embarrassed as I couldn’t believe that just happened. It really hurt and stung for a while. I didn’t think I was bleeding but then saw blood after stopping at a bench further up the trail. I finished my ride about 15 min later and I was in a rush to get to the gym. I called my mom who is an RN, and she said to clean it really good, which I did, and then put some iodine on it with band-aids. When I got home, I made sure to clean it really really good in the shower. I didn’t get their information, so I am very lucky that my bite has healed quite nicely. It ended up bruising and becoming tender, but my mom said that was normal. Everything has healed over now.
Top photo is right after it happened. Bottom photo is two days after.
Reflecting back, especially based on my prior knowledge from France, there were multiple things I could’ve done differently. Which I hope you share with you today so you can learn from my mistakes.
So, about France… I lived in a town south of Grenoble, it was about the size of Bow. I had two specific incidents where dogs chased after me. Once was on the bike, where it sprinted up a grassy knoll and chased me into traffic. I yelled “NO!” and was completely terrified. The other time was when I was running on a trail and a dog just came running to me, really excited, jumped on me, wouldn’t calm down, and then got a little mouthy. It was an aggressive enough encounter for me to be afraid. After these two incidents, I rarely trusted owners and their dogs even if it was on leash but especially off leash. Every time I passed a dog I would get a rush of anxiety. Sometimes I would even feel so controlled by these dogs. I would go on a bike ride and completely change my route because I would see a German shepherd in a farm field and was terrified I would get chased again. I learned how to stay safe while I was there but didn’t practice these things when I got home because it hasn’t been a big problem. Until now…
I was always biking through mountain villages. I had to always be alert as I didn't know what was lurking. October 11th, 2022. Photo by Sarah Ellis
Honestly, I shouldn’t have gotten complacent with dogs once I got back but I did. And now I have a reason to make sure I continue to stay safe.
So, here is what I did/do to stay safe around dogs.
1. Be a tree. Hands down by your side, feet together, no eye contact.
If you see an excited dog or you’re running along a trail with dogs coming up to you, you can wait for them to pass while being a tree.
2. Carry a small can of bear spray, pepper/citronelle spray, or an air horn.
I find this impractical because everything happens too fast when you’re getting chased by a dog. Also, it was illegal to carry this in France.
3. Avoid routes with known loose dogs.
I rarely ride out on the Lummi peninsula. While it’s beautiful, almost every time I've gone out there, I’ve been chased by a dog.
4. Worst case, Escape.
If the dog starts to attack you, get away. If you’re already riding downhill, keep going.
7. Try not to be afraid and stay calm as much as possible.
8. Get contact information if you are bitten.
They are liable if you need medical attention.
9. Pause headphones when passing people with dogs or don’t use them.
You want your full attention to hear the owner and/or dog.
10. Walk, don’t run past dogs.
Dogs want to chase and if you walk calmly, they are less likely to attack.
11. Keep your distance
If you’re on a trail, get as far as you can to the other side. Or if on the street get to the other side of the street.
So based on these tips…
here’s what I did right: I gave distance. I was as far as I could go to the other side of the trail. I avoided routes with loose dogs but that didn’t matter in this situation. Dogs are not supposed to be off-leash at Padden. I was not afraid as I passed but I freaked out after. I got away!
here’s what I did wrong: I didn’t pause my headphones so I couldn’t hear well that the dog was coming after me. I didn’t wait to get their contact information. I was honestly just very afraid of the confrontation of it all and I just wanted to get away. But looking back I should’ve waited at the T in the trail and waited for them to come up.
I will most likely be more afraid of dogs for a while now, or at least more cautious than normal. I am not glad this happened but this was a learning experience for me. I hope others can learn from this experience too! I am not the first person to be bit while biking and I won’t be the last.
Stay safe out there and happy training to all <3